title page. lesson seven psalm 51:1-4 1 have mercy upon me, o god, according to thy lovingkindness:...

Title Page

Lesson Seven

Psalm 51:1-4

Psalm 51:1-41 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Psalm 51:5-9

Psalm 51:5-95 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Psalm 51:10-13

Psalm 51:10-1310 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Focus Verse

Psalm 51:2-3Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and

cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Focus Thought

God’s mercy reaches to the lowest level of defilement and depravity to deliver from

sin and iniquity. All He requires of a person is for that person to acknowledge his sin, exhibit inner sincerity and truth, and demonstrate determination to walk

close to Him.

IntroIntroductionRepentance! Were any of us perfect, perhaps its value would be diminished. Perhaps we would not so cherish the opportunity to repent if the demand for it were not so great. The fact that without it none of us would have the least hope of entering into right standing with God compels us to be thankful for it. Yes, repentance is a gift of unfathomable value.

IntroEvery person who is a part of the church of Jesus Christ has entered into His body only through the portal of repentance. The apostle Paul preached concerning the necessity of repentance on Mars’ Hill when he stated, “And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” (Acts 17:30).

IntroThis is a universal injunction. Every person must repent if he would have a relationship with His Creator. The wonderful blessing is that repentance is an open avenue to all who would taste of God’s grace.

IntroGenuine repentance involves conviction of sin, contrition, and a turning from sin. The Holy Spirit convicts a person of his wayward nature and ways, and He causes godly sorrow to lead the individual to God—to a merciful Savior who readily forgives. Such an act of grace compels the sincere individual to make specific changes in his conduct, speech, and appearance in response.

IntroThese changes then lead him to a more desirable life and eternal destiny for which he will have no regret. Such is the message of II Corinthians 7:10: “For godly sorrow worketh repentance to salvation not to be repented of.”

IntroRepentance is a vital part of our spiritual life, both as an initial portal into a relationship with Jesus Christ and as an ongoing element of maintaining that relationship. Consequently, God has graciously provided us a wonderful pattern of a repentant attitude and prayer.

IntroWe glimpse it in Psalm 51 through the words of David, a man after God’s own heart. There, following his woeful transgression with Bathsheba, David returned to God with heartfelt repentance and found true, spiritual restoration. From his own words we will examine various aspects of the blessing and burden of repentance.

I. David Pleads for God’s Mercy

David Pleads for God’s Mercy

The sordid details of David’s sin are well- known to most people who are acquainted even casually with the Bible. David, the great hand-selected king of Israel, had fallen into wickedness. He who had killed the giant Goliath, and about whom the multitudes had sung, had sunk to the lowest ranks as an adulterer and a murderer.


It was hardly to be expected as this was a man described as being after God’s own heart! (See Acts 13:22.) But tragically, David’s life added yet one more testimony to the truth that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23).


It started on a day when his army was in the field in battle, but David had elected to remain in the palace. He went to his rooftop to rest and viewed Bathsheba bathing in the neighboring courtyard.


Rather than turn away from such temptation, David succumbed to lust and the pride of his power as king. He summoned this married lady for a night of immorality, and a child was conceived.


Frightened that the pregnancy soon would bear witness to his sin, David provided her husband, Uriah, with a weekend pass from the battle. He thought that everyone then would assume the child to be his. However, Uriah’s integrity was such that he refused to enjoy the comforts of home while his comrades were at war.


Instead, he slept on the doorstep of the palace and refused to go home. He kept Uriah another night and entertained him, getting him drunk and thinking that then he would go home to his wife. However, again he slept with David’s servants and did not go home.


Seeing that his scheme had been thwarted, David issued orders to Joab to place Uriah on the front lines of the conflict and then to instruct his men to retreat from Uriah in the heat of battle, thereby virtually assuring his death. After Uriah’s death, David took Bathsheba as his own wife, thinking that he had successfully covered all his tracks.


God is never fooled by a person’s attempts to hide his transgressions. Indeed, such an effort only leads to trouble, for the Scriptures state clearly, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper” (Proverbs 28:13). God sent His prophet Nathan to confront David with his sin.


When David recognized that his sin was known, he employed the principle of the latter half of Proverbs 28:13: “But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” Indeed, the cry for mercy is the seedbed from which true repentance must spring.


David’s prayer began with a straightforward request: “Have mercy upon me, O God” (Psalm 51:1). David was familiar enough with the ways of God and the law of God under which He lived to know that death was the only prescribed punishment for one who committed either adultery or murder, and he was guilty of both.


He had no legal standing from which to appeal for anything less. His only hope lay in the mercy of God, and on that mercy he threw himself and all his future.

Psalm 147:11

“The LORD taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his

mercy” (Psalm 147:11).


Fortunately, God’s mercy is readily available to those who call on Him.

I. David Pleads for God’s Mercy (A-B)

A. Is Available in Abundance

David’s plea was not the plaintive cry of a man being led to judgment with the hope that his prayer might find a receptive ear. Rather, it was a direct appeal to the One who has mercy in great supply.


He knew that the One to whom he prayed had reservoirs of mercy that far exceeded the depth of the most vile sins. His confidence in the vast resources of God’s mercy provided the confidence with which David made his request. (See Psalm 51:1).


God’s mercy still is abundant! Though millions have asked for His forgiveness through the intervening years, still His supply of mercy has not diminished in the least. It is a trick of the enemy to attempt to convince the fallen individual that there is no hope of pardon, that somehow his particular sin is so blatant, despicable, or public that God simply cannot or will not cover it.


Such a person would do well to read Psalm 136, in which each of the twenty-six verses ends with this wonderful declaration: “For his mercy endureth forever.” His unending mercy endures through all cultures, all centuries, and all calamities. And not only does it exist, but it is accessible to every person who has a penitent heart.


B. Leads to Thorough Cleansing

Mercy is the wonderful action of God in our lives whereby He withholds from us the judgment and sentencing we deserve. However, the forgiven man faces the lingering taint of his sin. While his soul is not destroyed, it is soiled. The stain of his wrongs will haunt a person long after God has shared the abundance of His mercy.

I. David Pleads for God’s Mercy (A-B)Accordingly, David next requested that the Lord

would cleanse his soul from the sin that was forgiven. “Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2).

I. David Pleads for God’s Mercy (A-B)When a person has worked in a dirty environment,

few things compare with the wonderful feeling of a warm, cleansing shower. As the dirt and grime are swept away, the most refreshing feeling comes. That feeling is but a pale shadow of the relief that comes when the corruption of a soul is washed away. This thorough washing is one of the most beautiful aspects of salvation.

I. David Pleads for God’s Mercy (A-B)Were we merely forgiven people, the record of our

sins still would be there to haunt and to torment us. Instead, we enjoy the grand, cleansed condition of being justified. The record of our wrongs has been purged!

I. David Pleads for God’s Mercy (A-B)As the apostle Paul wrote to the believers in

Corinth, “And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (I Corinthians 6:11). (See also I Corinthians 5:17.)

II. David Acknowledges Personal Guilt (A-C)

David Acknowledges Personal Guilt

A. He Accepts Personal Responsibility

The postmodern culture causes individuals to avoid personal responsibility at all costs. The old comedic line, “The devil made me do it,” may not be cited routinely, but the same philosophy often exists.


People commonly refuse to accept responsibility for anything they do for a variety of reasons. Perhaps their parents divorced when they were young, or they suffered ridicule in school. Perhaps they had a physical limitation or disability, or they encountered prejudice and bias.


Some may even opine that they were forced to eat vegetables they did not like. On and on go the excuses as to why they believe they are not accountable for their own sins.


The pattern of avoiding personal responsibility began early in the story of mankind. When Adam was confronted with his sin, he blamed Eve. When Eve was questioned, she blamed the serpent. (See Genesis 3:9-13.)


David’s reaction when confronted with his sin stands in stark contrast to the human tendency to avoid responsibility. He cried out, “For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51:3). He did not attempt to dodge the issue. David freely and humbly admitted his embarrassing guilt of sin. It was no one’s fault but his own, and he accepted full responsibility.


He took personal ownership of his actions. He used the terms “my transgressions” and “my sin.” Until a person is willing to admit his sin, he cannot repent. No one can find forgiveness with a “repentance” that says, “I really don’t think I’ve done wrong, but since You’re so upset, I’m sorry!”


Such an “apology” does not work in human relationships, and it certainly does not produce positive results with God.


B. His Sin Is against God

David recognized a fundamental truth regarding all sin: it is ultimately against God. David’s actions destroyed a family, cost the life of a man, and defiled the purity of a woman; but ultimately, God was the One he had offended. David said, “Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest” (Psalm 51:4).


Sin certainly harms those around us, but the greater transgression is not against the laws of nature or of the state, but against the Almighty. Fundamentally, sin violates the righteousness of a holy God. True repentance always begins with sorrow for the offense to God caused by our wayward actions.


Certainly, a person with a genuinely repentant heart will desire to make amends with friends, neighbors, or family members who have been hurt by his sins. However, one must never forget that God is offended by unrighteousness.


Sins are not merely violations of the teachings of a religious movement or of the mores of society. God Himself is too holy to abide sin, and all transgression ultimately is against Him. Only by acknowledging that fact, as David did, can a person truly repent.


C. Sin Begins Early

The humanistic mindset of our present world delights in touting the “inherent goodness” of mankind. If this were true, there would be no need for a Savior, which would empower the godless presuppositions of the secularists of our day throughout society. Even a casual observation, however, reveals to any honest-minded person that mankind is anything but “inherently good.”


Moreover, the testimonies of Scripture paint a vastly different picture of mankind. “And God saw that the wickedness of man was great in the earth, and that every imagination of the thoughts of his heart was only evil continually” (Genesis 6:5). The apostle Paul confirmed the truth of mankind’s sinful nature in his letter to the Romans: “As it is written, There is none righteous, no, not one” (Romans 3:10).


David readily admitted that sin was a part of his very nature. “Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me” (Psalm 51:5). David’s action was more than a mere momentary “hiccup” in an otherwise moral life. Rather, it was a clear reflection of his sinful, fallen state.


David knew that his problem was not a societal problem, a family problem, a hormone problem, or a temperament problem. His problem had its roots all the way back to Adam. “By one man’s disobedience many were made sinners” (Romans 5:19).


Parents do not have to train their children to lie. As soon as they can speak and think, falsehoods come from their lips. Neither do they have to teach their children to be selfish. Give one ice cream cone to a pair of two-year-olds, and watch their “inherent goodness” surface. From our earliest days of independence, we test limits and push boundaries. Sin is in our very nature, so repentance is both a necessity and a blessing to every fallen individual.

III. David’s Sin Was ExtremeDavid’s Sin

Was ExtremeAlthough all sins carry the same eternal result of spiritual death, some sins carry more immediate social and relational consequences than do others. The writer of Proverbs made this clear. “Men do not despise a thief, if he steal to satisfy his soul when he is hungry; but if he be found, he shall restore sevenfold; he shall give all the substance of his house.

III. David’s Sin Was ExtremeBut whoso committeth adultery with a woman lacketh understanding: he that doeth it destroyeth his own soul. A wound and dishonour shall he get; and his reproach shall not be wiped away” (Proverbs 6:30-33).

III. David’s Sin Was ExtremeDavid’s sin was of such an extreme nature that the consequences both in this life and in the life to come were staggering. Without the gift of repentance, David faced nothing but continued days of misery here and the promise of eternal judgment after death.

III. David’s Sin Was ExtremeThese same effects exist for any person who by nature or by conscious action transgresses against the righteousness of God. He, like David, will experience one or more of the following consequences of sin.

III. David’s Sin Was Extreme1. Defilement. Sin corrupts all that it touches. It makes one’s whole spirit unclean. The analogy of a leper in Scripture paints this picture well. So horrid was the nature of his disease that anything a leper touched also was unclean. Sin—a spiritual disease that shares similarities with the physical disease of leprosy—has this same corrupting effect. It sullies our relationships, our prayers, our worship, our thinking, our words, and, indeed, our whole person.

III. David’s Sin Was Extreme2. Deafness. A man or woman who commits sin does not suffer physical deafness, as being hearing impaired is not a mark of God’s displeasure. However, an individual who harbors unclean practices in his or her life will lose the ability to readily discern God’s voice. God’s holy words often will be crowded out by the sounds of the demands of unholy flesh.

III. David’s Sin Was ExtremeDavid did not hear God’s rebuke until it came in the voice of Nathan the prophet. It frequently takes an outside voice, like Nathan’s, to sound the warning loudly enough to pierce through our sinful cacophony.

III. David’s Sin Was Extreme3. Disgrace. When sin comes to light, there is a natural disgrace that accompanies the revelation. In fact, an absence of such shame merely testifies to the hardened nature of a person’s heart. In our postmodern society, blushing is nearly a forgotten art. God can use our shame and disgrace over our sins to compel us to repent.

III. David’s Sin Was Extreme4. Degradation. The more sin is woven into the fabric of a person’s life, the more evident is his decline into a lower and lower moral state. Sin is desensitizing, and what was unthinkable one week is tolerable the following week and is readily embraced the next! This degrading of one’s morals, feelings, and thinking is an insidious facet of sin.

III. David’s Sin Was Extreme5. Disfellowship. Sin breaks the close communion that God desires with each of His children. The Bible records that God walked with Adam in the cool of the day up until the day of Adam’s sin. (See Genesis 3:8.) His sin broke that fellowship, and sins today still break one’s fellowship with God.

III. David’s Sin Was Extreme6. Doom. The ultimate consequence of sin is final spiritual destruction. While not a topic often addressed, hell and the lake of fire remain the final abode of torment for every sinful soul. The Scriptures leave no question: “The soul that sinneth, it shall die” (Ezekiel 18:20). The Word of God also is clear that this is not God’s desire for us.

III. David’s Sin Was ExtremeThe apostle Peter wrote, “The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness; but is longsuffering to us-ward, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance” (II Peter 3:9). Without repentance, however, all are doomed by their sins.

III. David’s Sin Was Extreme7. Depression. The logical result of all these consequences is a depressed state of mind. When one is soiled, deaf to God’s voice, publicly humbled, morally bankrupt, spiritually separated, and destined for eternal ruin, it is no wonder that his days are darkened with gloom and despair. There may be medical solutions for some depression caused by chemical imbalances in the brain, but there remains only one answer for the depression caused by sin in the soul.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)God Is the Answer

Years ago, a songwriter penned these words: “Only Jesus can satisfy your soul. Only He can cleanse your heart and make you whole.” While this song may be somewhat dated by today’s musical styles, the truth that it contains is still relevant.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)Some people may attempt to look elsewhere for an answer to their sinful condition, but, in reality, the only answer for mankind’s moral condition is found in Jesus Christ!

IV. God Is the Answer (A)A person does not need Jesus and philosophy, nor does he need Jesus and human intellect. Mankind does not need Jesus and support groups, nor does he need Jesus and therapy and counseling.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)Some of these additional elements may assist the redeemed person in his quest to change his life patterns and provide support to live out his life for Christ, but for forgiveness of sins and finding true peace, Jesus alone is sufficient. As C. S. Lewis said, “He who has God and many other things has no more than he who has God alone.”

IV. God Is the Answer (A)A. Goes to the Root

of the Problem

David recognized that in order to deal with his sin problem, it would require an adjustment of more than habits or outward conduct. Sin must be resolved at the level at which it resides—internally!

IV. God Is the Answer (A)This realization explains David’s cry: “Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom” (Psalm 51:6). David understood that public perception of his visible behavior could change without achieving a true inward transformation, but he desired something deeper.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)Something deeper is what God offers. To resolve a matter of the heart requires a heart change. The prophet Ezekiel predicted such a change when he wrote, “A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh” (Ezekiel 36:26).

IV. God Is the Answer (A)Real repentance issues from a sinful heart, and the fruit of repentance leads to a new heart. Thus the work of God in a person’s life is not one of reformation but of regeneration. This new creation then is able to serve Christ because his very nature is changed. (See Ephesians 4:24.)

IV. God Is the Answer (A)B. Purges and Makes Clean

God is the only answer for our sins because He alone can cleanse us from them. David’s prayer continued with the request, “Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow” (Psalm 51:7).

IV. God Is the Answer (A)The reference to hyssop referred to its use for the application of the blood of the Passover lamb to the doorposts in Egypt, and of certain ceremonial cleansings described in the law. (See Exodus 12:22; Numbers 19:6, 18.) These ceremonial cleansings depict God’s power to separate, to spare from judgment, and to make clean, which is precisely what He does for us!

IV. God Is the Answer (A)The soul blackened by sin can take great comfort in the words of Isaiah: “Come now, and let us reason together, saith the LORD: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool” (Isaiah 1:18). Only the work of the blood of Christ can accomplish this miracle, which is what happens to all who are born again.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)C. Restores Joy and Usefulness

The psalmist next requested that God would restore him. Sin had brought him lower than he ever could have imagined, but he longed for spiritual restoration. He desired a fresh touch of the joy of the Lord in lieu of the sorrow and grief his sin had produced.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)He longed for God once again, since his sin had severed his fellowship with the Lord. “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee” (Psalm 51:12-13).

IV. God Is the Answer (A)The joy that accompanies the forgiveness of sins is indescribable to those who have never experienced it. When the mercy of God lifts from a person the penalty of transgressions committed, the accompanying relief and overwhelming joy is without earthly parallel. In response to such an infusion of joy, David promised to share the wonderful news of repentance with others.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)Recommitment to service is a proper and necessary part of genuine repentance. A personal testimony remains the most effective method of outreach, and from firsthand experience David could tell others of God’s willingness to forgive. So can we!

IV. God Is the Answer (A)D. Provides Deliverance

In verse 14 of this psalm, David made one last request. He asked God for deliverance. When his heart had been made right, his soul had been made clean, and his spirit had been made joyful, he would never want to return to the pitiful condition from which he had been lifted.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)On his own, however, he would surely fall once again. He needed the delivering power of God to break the chains of sin.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)Chemical and emotional addictions hold sway over masses of people. Psychologists list maladies that cross the spectrum—drug addicts, gambling addicts, pornography addicts, thrill addicts, and sex addicts just to name a few. A God-empowered deliverance is the only hope for many of these. The repentant person will ask God sincerely for a work of deliverance in his life.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)This does not mean he never will be tempted again, for his flesh will continue to war against the Spirit. But if he will “die daily” as did the apostle Paul, he will tap into the power of God, which is greater than the previous hold sin had on him. Deliverance is real!

IV. God Is the Answer (A)E. Responds to Humble Spirit

“For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God

are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not

despise” (Psalm 51:16-17).

IV. God Is the Answer (A)The final point that we should note regarding the psalm of repentance is that David expressed the attitude that makes a person’s repentance acceptable to God and thus effective. God is not impressed by the volume of words spoken or the eloquence of the prayer.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)He is not interested in how much money or skill one brings to the church. It does not concern Him how deep and horrid the sin is; His mercy is deeper still. What the Lord desires is contrition!

IV. God Is the Answer (A)In order for a person to repent, he must be sorry for the sin that he has committed. His sorrow cannot spring from the inability to continue in it or from the impending eternal consequences. On the other hand, his contrition must emanate from a deep godly humility and sorrow for having violated the righteousness of God.

IV. God Is the Answer (A)Such a contrite nature drives one toward Christ and makes him acceptable to Him. Paul expressed the need for godly sorrow in his writing to the church in Corinth. (See II Corinthians 7:9-10.)

ReflectionsPsalm 51 stands as one of the most beloved and familiar passages in the Scriptures to those who live for Jesus Christ. While it may not be as widely known to the public at large as some texts, to those of us who have a relationship with Him, it remains a cornerstone to our walk with God. The reason is simply that each of us sometimes will need to pray this same kind of prayer.

ReflectionsGod certainly has called us to separate ourselves from sin, and He has admonished us not to continue in sin to demonstrate the power of His grace. (See Romans 6:1.) With our fallen, sinful nature, however, which constantly battles against the Word and ways of God, repentance is a necessary, ongoing part of life for the victorious believer. That makes this psalm and its pattern for godly repentance a great treasure in our lives.

ReflectionsThis record of David’s contrition and heartfelt prayer teaches us both of the supply of God’s mercy and of the solution for our sins. We learn to accept personal responsibility for our transgressions, to seek inward change of heart, and to respond as messengers of hope to others in our condition.

ReflectionsThe Scriptures paint a vivid contrast between the downward spiral of sin and the upward path of redemption. Psalm 51 records David’s humble repentance and empowers us better to see ourselves and our Savior.

ReflectionsAmong the great chapters of the Bible, Psalm 51 certainly has a rightful place. Among the great moments of a life, that moment of repentance certainly has one as well.

title page. lesson seven psalm 51:1-4 1 have mercy upon me, o god, according to thy lovingkindness:...

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