Psalm 51 - A Prayer of Repentance

David penned this psalm after Nathan the prophet pointed out his sin. Yet, this particular Psalm expressively notes the desires of a repenting sinner. David walked in the way of the LORD in everything, except in this matter. (... David did what was right in the eyes of the Lord, and had not turned aside from anything that He commanded him all the days of his life, except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite. 1 Kings 15:5). It is regrettable that our prayers to God be anything but to praise God. However, we do often fall, and backslide. Following this, it is crucial that we pour our regrets to the LORD and repent with a true heart. In this Psalm, we have an example of exactly that. David fell, but he wasted no time to repent. Here, we observe the confession of his sin, earnest prayer for the pardon of his sin, plea for peace and a clear conscience, petition for the grace to not sin again, and supplication for continued relation with the LORD.

Humble Confession and Lament

Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your loving kindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Psalm 51:1-6

David did not waste time beating around the bush. He did not try to pin his sin on anyone else. Neither did he point to someone else as the cause for his sin. Simply put, David did the exact opposite of what Adam did. He straightly begs for the mercy of God, quoting the LORD’s love and kindness, and prays for the pardon of his sin. He acknowledges that his mistakes are his own and under the judgement of the LORD, he is guilty.

The peculiarity of David’s confession is that he understands the standard of the LORD and tries his best to live up to that, rather than human standards. To speak plainly, it would have been very easy for another King (who doesn’t have the same conscience of David) to kill Nathan the prophet for pointing out his mistake. The person could have justified his mistake as a heat of the moment crime (although the murder of Uriah was premeditated). Further, the person could have even washed it away as a crime of power. Besides who is going to stand against him. We do see many other examples of such people in the Bible. People who continued to dig a deeper hole for themselves, turned back from the LORD and went so far away that they met their pathetic ends soon enough. All these people justified themselves by human standards.

David’s confession stands out because it is honest, humble and he truly laments the sin which he committed. It is a sin against the LORD, who trusted him to be the King, and it is the power of a King which he has misused. He acknowledges his sinful nature and states that the purity of heart or the inner man is desired by the LORD. Nothing is hidden from the LORD, not even our deepest and darkest thoughts.

Plea for Pardon and Joy

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, That the bones You have broken may rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins, And blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from Your presence, And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, The God of my salvation, And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, And my mouth shall show forth Your praise. Psalm 51:7-15

Having confessed his sins, David asks for forgiveness. To be cleansed from his sin. Jesus Christ came to this world as an atonement for all our sins, and it is through His blood we are cleansed. David understood the concept and his prayer mirrors this cleansing. David had such a sensitive conscience that he was not at peace. His sin was always before him, reminding him that this sin is blocking his relationship with the LORD. Thus, David earnestly prays that the LORD creates a clean heart, and renews a steadfast spirit in him. David cries not to be cast away from the LORD’s presence and not to have the Holy Spirit taken away from him. With his salvation, David knows his joy and peace would return, as it does with forgiveness.

David does not stop here. This experience redefined David, and now he could relate to the struggles of many others, and wishes to bring them back to the LORD. It is no coincidence that this particular Psalm resonates with us when we pray for forgiveness ourselves. Salvation brings peace and joy not only to us, but through us the joy and peace can spread to others as well. Struggles and shortcomings which we experienced will help us to empathise with others who might be walking down the same path. The crucial thing is we, like David, completely acknowledge and confess our sins to the LORD. Following this, we too will be able to praise the LORD.

Petition for Prosperity

For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise. Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, With burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar. Psalm 51:16-19

David closes the Psalm with the realisation about the nature of the heart with regards to the LORD. The merciful LORD does not require sacrifice or any grand event to grant us forgiveness. But the only thing the LORD looks for is a heart which truly wants to change its ways. A heart which is ashamed of its sins. A heart which is burdened by guilt and wants to reform. A heart which wants to repent and rejoice. A broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. The LORD does not despise broken people, but will strengthen them and make them rejoice.

So, if we have backslidden, it is time to humble ourselves, earnestly repent and return to the LORD. For the joy of salvation is great and we will be able to help others like us as well. In our quest to be holy as the LORD expects, let us ensure that our inner man which no one but the LORD can see is clean.