Lesson 101
Things we learn from King David’s Psalm 51
Psalm 51 was written by King David after he sinned with Bathsheba, who was the wife of Uriah. (See II Samuel Chp.11, 12)
Uriah was off fighting in a battle. King David had stayed home during that battle. While he was at home—walking on his flat roof top—he could look down on other buildings roofs.
He saw a beautiful woman, Bathsheba, bathing on her flat roof top.
She thought no one would see her up there.
David asked for her to come to him. When the king asks you to come—you don’t have much choice except to go.
We do not know what all happened between the two or what was said, but in the end David was sexually intimate with Bathsheba.
David thought no one would know.
Later, Bathsheba sent word that she was pregnant. Her husband was still away.
David realized that soon Bathsheba would be blamed for being unfaithful to her husband—-not that Bathsheba had much choice.
David arranged for Uriah to be “accidentally” killed in battle.
Then he married Bathsheba.
Not only did David do adultery—but he also “murdered” Uriah.
How Bathsheba felt about all this—we do not know.
The prophet/preacher Nathan, came to David and told him that what he had done was very sinful and God was very displeased with his actions.
David knew he had done wrong. David always had a tender heart toward God. He humbled himself and prayed and asked for forgiveness.
____________________________________________________
Psalm 51 is his prayer to God about this.
There are some things that are good to notice in David’s prayer.
I am going to use the New Living Bible Translation.
Vs. 1 To God—David said: “Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.”
David had such confidence (sure feeling) that God would show him mercy.
He said “because of your unfailing love”.
How many of us—when we have sinned—especially if it was a really bad sin—-such as David’s—would we have the confidence (sure feeling) that God would show us mercy?
How many of us would hide away from God and not want to face him?
How many of us would say to ourselves that God does not want to hear from me after what I did?
Yet—David—with 2 bad sins—came to God feeling sure of God’s love—-that God would show him mercy.
“Because of your great compassion (feeling sorry for),—–blot out (wipe out) the stain of my sins. Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.”
David fully admitted his sin. He did not try to put a “good spin” on it. He did not try to make it sound like it wasn’t so bad. He didn’t try to excuse himself saying—’I’m only human, you know—-with natural desires.”
No, David admitted what he did was very wrong. He did not try to to cover it over or make it look as thought is wasn’t so bad.
It was very bad. David admitted it.
Vs. 3 “For I recognize my shameful deeds (doings)—–they haunt me (troubled my mind greatly) day and night.
Vs. 4 “You will proved to be right in what you say—-and your judgment against me is just (right, correct).
Vs. 5 “For I was born a sinner—yes, from the moment my mother conceived me. (conceived—the baby began in her womb.)
“But you desire honesty from the heart,—-so you can teach me to be wise in my inmost being.”
Vs. 7 Purify me (make me very clean) from my sins, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
Oh, give my joy back to me again. You have broken me. Now let me rejoice.
Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.
Satan would try to get us to keep remembering our sin—-even after it has been forgiven. Satan wants to keep us down. Satan wants for us to feel bad about ourselves and he wants us to feel guilty —as though our sins have not been forgiven.
How wise of David to understand that once God forgave him—-he did not have to walk around feeling heavy with sin and guilt.
There were consequences (things that happen because of the sin). God did not lift away the consequences that would happen.
The child Bathsheba was carrying—-did not live. It died shortly after birth.
David was very sorry about that. He prayed and prayed that God would let the baby live—-but the baby died.
People learned what happened to Bathsheba. They talked and had much to say about it. We are talking about it now—-thousands of years later.
God did not stop the talk.
Yet, David knew that he did not have to go around for the rest of his life bowed down with guilt. God forgave him. God would not bring it against David again.
We need to remember this for ourselves. Consequences may come because a sin we did. But we do not have to go around bowed down with a heavy heart when God has forgiven us.
We will have to admit to others that we sinned. We are sorry for it. We are sorry for the things that happened because of what we did.
But if God has forgiven us—-he washes us white as snow. We are clean.
We can rejoice and be glad again.
David prayed: : “Create (make) in me a clean heart, O God. Renew (make new again) a right spirit within me.
We need a “right spirit within” us. Thoughts of faith, confidence (feeling sure) of God’s love for us. Being humble. Being willing to admit our wrong doing.
“Do not banish me (put me away from you)—from your presence, and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
When we sin—we often think that God will turn away from us. But God is watching and waiting for us to turn to him, and as soon as he sees we are looking his way—he opens his arms for us to come to him.
Because he knows how much we need him. We can not succeed on our own. We will sin and make mistakes, and wrong choices. We need the Holy Spirit to walk with us. To warn us. To lead us. To teach us.
David prayed: “Restore (give again) to me the joy of your salvation , and make me willing to obey you.”
How we all need that “willing to obey you” kind of spirit.
David said: “Then I will teach your ways to sinners, and they will return to you.”
When we have been forgiven our sins—-we want other to know they can be forgiven and have the joy of the Lord.
Vs.14 Forgive me for shedding blood. (Killing Uriah), O God, who saves.
Then I will sing joyfully of your forgiveness.
Unseal my lips (Open my mouth) , O Lord, that I may praise you.
Vs. 16 You would not be pleased with sacrifices, or I would bring them.
If I brought you a brunt offering, you would not accept it.
The sacrifice you want is a broken spirit. A broken and repentant heart, O God, you will not despise (hate).
Some people think if they give the church a big offering of money—God will ignore their sin.
They think a “sacrifice” of some kind that they give—– or some good deed that do for others —–will fix their sin.
No, God is not wanting a “sacrifice” because we sinned. David was right.
God wants a humble spirit. God wants us to admit we sinned. God wants us to confess (tell him) we sinned. God wants us to be sorry for that sin.
He does not want us to be sorry we got caught in our sin. Or sorry that we made a “mess” of things because of our sins.
God wants us to be sorry we sinned. (And to be sorry for hurting others.)
Vs.18, 19 David prays for Jerusalem.
We are all “unworthy”. We have all done things, said things, we are ashamed of.
Satan would remind us of those things often. If he can get us “down” in spirit and “down” in our confidence in God.—-he will remind us all the time.
Often when we feel “unworthy” —even though God has forgiven us—-we often feel like we can not speak to others about Jesus, or we feel we cannot do a ministry —–because we have done “whatever” in our past.
So Satan wins. We keep our mouths shut, we do not volunteer for some ministry, etc. because people will remember what we did and the will call us a “hypocrite” —-(a person who speaks one thing and does another).
Satan wins because we do not let the Lord use us. We shy away from letting people know we are a Christian (because we sinned).
We shy away from using talents and gifts of the spirit because we feel “unworthy”.
We do not continue to let the Lord use us—-because we sinned.
Satan wins when we do that.
Our sin may have been so bad that we can no longer continue a ministry that we are doing now— because of what we did—–but that does not mean that the Lord is not willing or not wanting us to minister in some other way.
There are many ways for the Lord to use us.
Many Christians people had much to say about Paul, the apostle. They did not trust him for while. But the Lord used Paul in a great way and much of the New Testament are letters he wrote to the churches he started.
King David understood God perfectly. Even when as God’s child —we do a very bad sin—-God is waiting for you to come to Him.
God still has a path that you can minister and testify to others.
Don’t pull back in shame. Accept the Lord’s forgiveness. Move on.
Like the Apostle Paul said: “ Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forward to those things which are ahead.” Phillippians 3: 13-14