PSALM FIFTY ONE THE SINNER'S GUIDE. There are seven penitential Psalms. They are psalms six, thirty-eight, fifty-one, one hundred and two, one hundred and thirty, and one hundred and forty-three. This one, in the middle, is the most powerful of them all. It is the greatest in spiritual power. It has been called, "The sinner's Guide". The story behind the psalm is related in 2 Samuel 11:2-27. It is the sad record of David taking Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite--an act which led to a series of sins which marred David for life. He committed adultery, then to cover up, employed deception; which in turn led to Making Uriah drunk. He then proceeded to plot the murder of Uriah. This led to the assigning of Uriah to a duty which led to certain death. The progress of sin did not end there; David hardened his heart. Nathan, the prophet, brought David the Word of the Lord, proving that David's sin was not covered and forgotten. Against whom did David sin? It is folly to imagine that we can sin in isolation. My sin hurts others. Sin is culminative. Uriah, one of David's captains, was a faithful servant and a loyal soldier. David's sin slew him. Bathsheba, Uriah's wife, was a very beautiful woman. Ultimately, after her husband's death she married David. But the child she bore him died. All suffered by David's sin. Yet, the fourth verse of the Psalm sings out, "Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned." Why did David insist that in the final analysis he had sinned against God? There are a number of reasons:- 1. GOD ALONE WAS ABOVE HIM IN THE KINGDOM. To God alone was he legally responsible. This did not make his sin less - it made it worse. Neither Uriah nor Bathsheba could withstand the king's will. David, however, in his lust went directly against the Will of God. 2. ALL SIN IS AGAINST GOD. When we sin we break God's Law. His authority is despised when we please ourselves. His government is brought to nought when we do as we wish. 3. DAVID'S SIN OFFENDED GOD MOST OF ALL. His sin brought DEATH to Uriah; it brought SHAME to Bathsheba; it brought deep sorrow to David himself. But, greater than all this, his sin brought dishonour to his worship of God. It showed great ingratitude to the God who set him on his throne. 4. DAVID, BY HIS SIN, TOOK WHAT WAS ONLY GOD'S TO TAKE. He took Uriah's wife and he took Uriah's life. The power he used in committing adultery and murder was God given power. THE TRUTH ABOUT SIN. In this Psalm there are three words used for sin:- 1. TRANSGRESSION: Blatant rebellion against God. 2. INIQUITY: Sin is a perversion and involves pollution. 3. SIN: Sin is a failure and involves ruin. So, in this Psalm David prays:- BLOT OUT MY TRANSGRESSIONS. Cancel them - obliterate them - like the act of passing the smooth end of a writing instrument over the wax tablets used in his day. Our Lord has "Blotted out the handwriting that was against us" (Col.2.14). WASH ME THOROUGHLY FROM MINE INIQUITY. Wash me thoroughly literally means "Multiply to wash" - wash me again and again taking away all pollution. CLEANSE ME FROM MY SIN! The verb cleanse refers to justification rather than to sanctification. Nathan the prophet said, "The Lord hath PUT AWAY THY SIN THAT THOU SHALT NOT DIE" (2 Sam.12.13). Oh, the dreadful results of our sin - rebellion - perversion - ruin. All around us today are the strong evidences of these. It is time to turn to God. THE MERCY OF GOD. It is worthy of note that this is the first Psalm in which the words HOLY SPIRIT are used. David acknowledges that he is what he is by the Spirit of God. "Do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Have mercy on me." Our God gives pity to the miserable and grace to the guilty. Without God's mercy we would all be undone. His power would destroy us. His wisdom would confound us. His justice would condemn us. His majesty would terrify us. BUT HIS MERCY TURNS ALL THESE TO OUR BENEFIT. Notice, in the very first verse of this Psalm, the increasing strength of the words the Psalmist uses:- Mercy - Lovingkindness - Multitude of Tender Mercies. God was even merciful to him when he took Bathsheba's child. That child would have been a 'living reminder' of David's sin. THE FORGIVENESS PROCESS. There is a wonderful progression in this Psalm. Purge me - make me hear joy and gladness - create in me a clean heart - renew a right spirit in me - restore the joy of my salvation - deliver me from blood guiltiness - open my lips to show forth Thy praise. THAT IS THE SINNERS ROAD TO HAPPINESS. We offer sacrifices unto our God - a broken spirit and a contrite heart Copyright (c) 1995, Hedley Palmer. All rights reserved. ---------------------------------------------------- file: /pub/resources/text/hpalmer/psalms: ps-051.txt .