Psalm 51: There's Hope For Us Yet!

If you have any knowledge of Old Testament figures, you probably recall King David being referred to by the Lord as "a man after God's own heart."  That is quite a statement to be made about anyone, let alone a man who, while a king who loved God and penned many a beautiful worship song, had a far-from-perfect history as a follower and man of God.

David was an amazing Biblical figure, no doubt, but he was also a perfect picture of the human condition, constantly battling between holiness and sinfulness.  He loved God and led with integrity and conviction in one moment, and in the next he gave into his lustfulness, sleeping with another man's wife and then having that man sent to slaughter.  He trusted God one moment, and then took matters into his own hands in the next.  He blessed God, then later cursed His name.

And yet God called Him a man after His own heart.

At first thought, my pious, judgmental nature protests, "But how can that be?  He was not worthy of such a title!"

And then, in the next moment, when I hold up a mirror to my own heart, my own sin, and my own shame, I simply say, "thank you, God, for choosing to give such a name to David thousands of years ago, for in that name I see Your compassion and Your unending patience with David, and with me."

I have not committed adultery, but I have lusted in my own heart.

I trust God, until I don't.

I have not cursed the name of God, but I have dragged His name through the proverbial mud by way of my actions and words.

I would like to believe that I am one that God would see as a pursuer of His heart, as a shining example of what it means to be His child.  And in that desire, in that very thing, is an element of pride, which is sin, and that in and of itself points to my complete brokenness, my complete depravity and inability to do anything at all with truly pure motives.

I scoff at what a fool David was, ignoring the plank in my own eye.

I judge others' actions and weigh them on my own sin scale, as though my opinions and judgments matter one hill of beans.  Which they don't.

God never said that David was without sin, but instead that he was a man after God's own heart.  And this isn't more evident than in the Psalm he wrote after committing adultery with Bathsheba, decimating her marriage, killing her husband, and breaking his relationship with God.  His sin was deplorable, but his repentance was real and gritty and desperate.  And his heart was after full restoration with the Lord.

Imagine the following words being penned by David after the most humiliating, offensive sin he had ever committed.  Then picture yourself, as I am picturing myself, being desperate enough for healing in your relationship with God that, no matter the magnitude of the sin, you seek God's forgiveness in this way.

"Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.  Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.  Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgement.  Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin did my mother conceive me.  Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.  Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken 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.  Cast me not away from your presence and take not your Holy Spirit from me.  Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.

Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.  Deliver me from my bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.  O Lord, open my lips and my mouth will declare your praise.  For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.  The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.

Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem; then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar." -- PSALM 51 (ESV)

My plan is to break this apart into a few more detailed studies, but as I prayerfully consider this entire Psalm, the thing that strikes me most is that David unabashedly and unashamedly approaches the throne of God (with confidence) to seek His forgiveness and restoration.  He knew that, no matter the gravity of our sin, God can redeem, restore, and heal.  And God called Him a man after His own heart.

May my conviction, no matter the sin, be so great that I RUN to the foot of the throne of God and beg His forgiveness and cleansing power in my own life.