Psalm 51 Hope in Despair
One of the features of the Christian life is the joy that we have because we are secure and safe. Our future with God in eternity has been guaranteed because of all that Jesus has done and is doing for us. This joy is a deep joy. It is not dependent on circumstances. Christians face similar problems to non-Christians, we will face disappointments, aging debilities, other diseases and terminal illness but our confidence and joy remains because we are now in God’s own family and he cares for us into eternity. We are not living for the here and now but the there and then.
Christians will sin and at times feel utter failures but even that does not remove our security because that is dependent on Christ.
King David was utterly depressed. He had done some very bad things and had been found out. He had seduced Bathsheba, another man’s wife, and she became pregnant. He then tried to cover this up by having her husband recalled from serving in the army but he refused to visit his wife whilst his colleagues were fighting. In desperation, David tried to cover up his sins; he had Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite, killed. He hoped that that might be the end of the matter but God knew, as he always does. The Lord sent his prophet Nathan to tell David that God knew about everything that had been going on. David felt crushed.
What is sin?
Events could have then have gone in one of two ways. David could have tried to continue to cover up what he had done wrong and even eliminate Nathan but he recognised that God would still see everything. There was only one way out - to return humbly to God and beg for his pardon. David recognised that though he had committed terrible wrongs against Bathsheba and Uriah, ultimately his sin was against God. He then wrote a psalm, Psalm 51, to document his understanding, presumably to help others facing similar issues. In this he says:
“Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight;” Psalm 51:4
The Christian message always begins at this point - recognising how far short we have fallen short from God’s standards. There are some so-called churches that always want to emphasise the positive things in life and these usually fail to include a ‘Confession’ in their services. The Bible in contrast keeps reminding us that everyone of us is guilty before God and is utterly dependent on his grace for our salvation. Paul himself, who, before his conversion had participated in the murder of Christians, publicly wrote:
“Here is a trustworthy saying that deserves full acceptance: Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners – of whom I am the worst.” 1 Timothy 1:15
Jesus himself told the cheating tax collector, Zacchaeus, why he had entered his world,
“For the Son of Man came to seek and to save the lost.” Luke 19:10
All sin is lethal. The American preacher, Billy Sunday said,
“One reason sin flourishes is that it is treated like a cream puff instead of a rattlesnake.”
It is when God has allowed us to see the seriousness of sin that he tells us about the reason for hope.
Hope
To realise how sinful we are can in itself be very depressing but there is some excellent news. The God who knows us and our weakness through and through also loves us far more than we can ever understand, far more than our parents ever will. David comes to the one true God and cries out to him for mercy:
“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.” Psalm 51:1-2
What a wonderful discovery this is. Whatever we have done wrong we have a heavenly Father who longs to restore the relationship we can have with him. Our heavenly Father longs to ‘wipe the slate clean’ and forget all that we have done wrong. We can start life afresh.
What has gone wrong God forgets, even though we may never forget.
“For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.” Psalm 51:3
Satan will constantly try to get us to mull over past failures but we must refuse to mull. Whenever such thoughts enter our minds, and they repeatedly will, we must just remind him and ourselves that all has been forgiven and forgotten by your Lord.
It is important to realise that everybody is in the same boat. Some, more sensitive people will be knocked by even small sins, others appear not to be concerned at all. All people have a deep-seated bias against doing what God wants. You can see this in young children – no is a natural reaction to doing what is right! Everybody needs to come to their senses and admit:
“Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.” Psalm 51:4-5
David has come to a profound realisation. Perfection is not possible for sinful man but what God asks of us is that we maintain a close relationship with him. It is through faith that we are credited with the standing of being righteous or perfect in his eyes. This righteousness is not our own it is that of the Lord Jesus.
A patient of mine with advanced cancer was waiting to die. It was a great joy to be able to explain the gospel of forgiveness to her. A few days later she moved to the local hospice and I went to visit her there. She was still holding firmly onto her new Saviour. We looked at Romans 8:1 which is another great verse on on the assurance Christians have concerning the future judgment:
“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus . . . ” Romans 8:1
To make this simpler to understand, I wrote her name on a piece of paper and placed it inside the open Bible which I then closed so that the piece of paper just showed.
“Let this Bible represent the Lord Jesus and let this piece of paper represent you. Because you are now ‘in Christ’ when you meet God he will not see your sins at all, he will see that you are in Christ and what God sees when he looks at you is ‘his righteousness’. Furthermore Jesus is now in heaven and because you are in Christ he will take you to be with him there.”
What a wonderful thing it is to be taught about this love and grace of God from the earliest days. David had this advantage even though he forgot it for a while. To understand the loving nature of God is a treasure indeed. No-one should despise a beginning where these doctrines are taught.
“Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.” Psalm 51:6
All people naturally deserve eternal separation from God. When the Israelites were captives in Egypt God planned to free them by sending Moses. He said to Pharaoh, on God’s behalf, ‘Let my people go!” Pharaoh refused and God sent the ten plagues. The last of these was the slaying of the firstborn sons. God’s people were told to sacrifice a lamb and paint its blood on the doorpost and lintel of their homes so the angel of death would pass them by. This blood was to be applied using a common plant called ‘hyssop’.
David understood that such a bloody sacrifice was needed if he is to be accepted by God.
“Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” Psalm 51:7
David did not know what we know now, that the sacrifice of the lamb was a picture of the, once for all time, death of Jesus to bear the consequences for sin. Although David did not know the full picture, his hope was still dependent on someone else taking the responsibility for his sin.
Hope is a great inspiration for life. In a Peanut’s cartoon Lucy and Linus were sitting in front of the television set when Lucy said to Linus, “Go get me a glass of water.” Linus looked surprised, “Why should I do anything for you? You never do anything for me.” “On your 75th birthday,” Lucy promised, “I’ll bake you a cake.” Linus got up, headed to the kitchen and said, “Life is more pleasant when you have something to look forward to.” Jesus’ resurrection guarantees that we have something wonderful to look forward to.
Joy restored
David must have felt wretched when his sin became known. Yet he came to realise that he could again experience a real joy, that he could start afresh as if he has been ‘reborn’:
“Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.” Psalm 51:8-9
This experience will come when David realises that everything real depends on the restored relationship with God – the past sins have all been forgotten by God.
During an earthquake some years ago, the inhabitants of a small village were generally very much alarmed, but they were at the same time surprised at the calmness and apparent joy of an old woman whom they all knew. At length, one of them addressing the old woman said,
“Mother, are you not afraid?”
“No,” said the woman, “I rejoice to know that I have a God who can shake the world.”
Purity restored
It is one thing for the gospel to give us peace but that is only the beginning. David realises that this new life is one centred on living as Jesus did. That is why Christians have been given the Spirit of Jesus himself. So David now prays:
“Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” Psalm 51:10
What mattered to David now was to remain in a close relationship with God:
“Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.” Psalm 51:11
It is the realisation that we are free and forgiven that makes a Christian realise that this will result in a longing to live for God
“Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.” Psalm 51:12
Concern for others restored
One of the proofs that God’s Spirit is indeed in a person is the longing that others can experience this same peace and joy: David understood this
“Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.” Psalm 51:13
David understood that everything depends on the nature of God and his willingness to allow a murderer, a failure like himself, to restart afresh.
“Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Saviour, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.” Psalm 51:14-15
One of the features of the new life is an open deep-felt gratefulness to the Lord for giving us his salvation. We will want to tell others how they also can be forgiven and start again as God’s own people.
True religion
It is all too easy to rely on my religious activities, such as an involvement in church, and yet to miss the very essence of what God says throughout Scripture. Outward religion makes no impression on God, it is only a deep-seated heartfelt love for him and the salvation he won for us through the death of Jesus that makes us acceptable to him.
“You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.” Psalm 51:16-17
God does everything for his glory. He is God and we are not! His purpose in establishing a people for himself is ultimately to honour him. Churches should have the same ambition. God does want his name to be acknowledged throughout the world and those who have this ambition are the people he delights in. True worship centres on pleasing our Lord.
“May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.” Psalm 51:18-19
Burnt offerings, to redeem us from sin are no longer required as Jesus himself became the final sacrifice for sin. However there were other sacrifices that demonstrate our commitment to the Lord that the Israelites had to give and we still must give these ‘freewill sacrifices’ to demonstrate our devotion to the Lord.
There are two ways to react to Jesus. how we respond comes down to what has been called ‘basin theology’. What is ‘basin theology’ you may well ask? When Pilate had to make a decision about Jesus he called for a basin and washed his hands of the whole thing – he wanted to avoid making a clear cut decision. In contrast Jesus, the night before His death, called for a basin and proceeded to wash the feet of the disciples. ‘Basin theology’ reminds us, ‘Whose example will we follow?’ The Bible teaches that this decision has eternal consequences.
BVP
