Psalms 51 | David's Prayer of Repentance
Background
Author: David
Based on: 2 Samuel 12:1-15
Type: Penitential Psalm (expressing penance, deep sorrow, & regret)
Read with: Psalms 32
Nathan had just left David. The parable about the rich man taking the poor man’s little ewe lamb and making a meal to feed a traveler really angered him. But, when Nathan told him, “You are that man,” anguish filled his heart and it spread to his bones. He knew immediately that he had sinned towards God, and God alone. He had taken another man’s wife and then killed that same man.
“I have sinned against God and God alone.”
The issue was bigger than committing adultery. It was even bigger than murder. He thought that he was above the law and abused his kingly power. He believed he could take whatever he wanted. He was dissatisfied. Whoa. How many times have we been dissatisfied?!
Here he must be judged by God, alone.
What is True Repentance?
“For I acknowledge my transgressions. And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done evil in Your sight — that You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge.” verses 3-4
This prayer really spoke to my heart because of how honest David was with God. He without second thought came before Him and acknowledged what he had done. He took full responsibility for all of it. How many times have I for a fleeting moment made a mistake and immediately started to shame myself or even worse, blame someone else for it happening? Repentance is a concept that I believe needs to be fully understood. Being a Christian depends upon it. This psalm of David is a good place to start.
Repentance is owning our mistakes and calling them out for what they are. It is standing confidently before God alone and saying, “Yes, I did this thing and it saddens my heart that I have done it toward You.” But why is it so hard for us to own our mistakes? Why is it so hard to stand before God? I believe that it is because we are afraid of God. We are afraid of His wrath. Somewhere along the way, we started to believe that He was not a safe place to land. Maybe it was because of how we were treated for years when we did make a mistake, even for the littlest things. Maybe it is because we haven’t had the chance to experience a healthy relationship with someone we look up to.
Repentance happens in a safe place. Not during moments of fight or flight.
So is god a safe place? What does he desire in me?
“Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” verse 6
“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.” verses 16-17
“Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the Voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, and to heed than the fat of rams. For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as iniquity and idolatry.” 1 Samuel 15:22-23
We can find in this same prayer what God desires from us. And when we look, we will find that His desires are merciful and full of life for the soul. God wants us to be honest with Him! If you have a child that you know is not being honest with you, don’t you just wish they would be honest with you? I know that when my son finally admits he was wrong in his own 3-year-old way, it just melts my heart. The embrace is powerful.
God is not looking for our offerings and sacrifices. You know what those are. God takes more delight in you being upfront with Him about your condition. He wants us to obey and heed Him. He wants our contrite hearts and broken spirits. What does it mean? Well, first I found that “to obey” in Hebrew means to hear intelligently, discern, and consider. "To heed” means to regard, incline, and hear. This really impacted me because it really shows that God doesn’t run a dictatorship. He wants us to consider and listen to Him using our intelligence. THAT is a healthy relationship right there.
I then went on to look up what it means to have a contrite heart: “broken feelings, will, or intellect” and a broken spirit: “break down, bring to the birth the breath.” This bolded phrase immediately brought me to the story of Nicodemus in John 3:19-21 when Jesus said,
“Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.
“For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved. He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe is condemned already, because has not believe in the name of the only begotten Son of God. And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil. For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed, but he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God.”
This story really brought this prayer and my questions about repentance and my relationship with God to light! In order to experience the Light (Christ) and what has been done for me, I need to be honest with God. He will not condemn me when I am vulnerable and broken before Him. He is a safe place. Here I can understand why Christ died for me. That “new birth” is “truth in the inward parts”.
so what now?
“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 right spirit within me.” verses 7-10
“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.” verses 12-13
“But we have renounced the hidden things of shame, not walking in craftiness nor handling the word of God deceitfully, but by manifestation of the truth commending ourselves to every man’s conscience in the sight of God. But even if our gospel is veiled, it is veiled to those who are perishing, whose minds the god of this age has blinded, who do not believe, lest the light of the gospel of the glory of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine on them. For we do not preach ourselves, but Christ Jesus the Lord, and ourselves your bondservants for Jesus’ sake. For it is God who commanded light to shine out of darkness, who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.” 2 Corinthians 4:2-6
Here we are, our hearts open before God. What happens next? David explains this in his prayer. We are restored. Our hearts are completely changed. God provides a way to move on and learn from it. Because we have allowed God to access those hidden parts of our hearts, He can make us know wisdom. That wisdom is the Light of Christ. No longer will we act passive-aggressively to weasel our way into being the one that is right, when we have been wrong. No longer will we use the word of God wrongly to appease our guilt. The only way to have a pure heart is through Christ! And to get there we need to acknowledge the problem.
There is one other thing that happens after we find safety in God, repent, and then become changed. What happens when we learn something that changes our lives for the better? What happens when we have that eureka moment? We want to share it! We will share with others what God has done and they will be drawn to God as well! It just keeps growing and growing!
This is the gospel.
Other verses to consider
Luke 11:9-10
Psalm 4:6
Isaiah 1:11
Hosea 6:6
Micah 6:6-8
