A Clean Heart
As has become tradition, we’re taking a bit of the Summer to teach in The Psalms. The Psalms are an expertly and intentionally crafted collection of poems, songs, and hymns written by God’s people to reflect on the Story of God. If you haven’t already, we highly suggest you take a moment to watch the video overview our friends at Bible Project did for Psalms — it’s AMAZING!
For Week 6, we jumped into Psalm 51:
1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 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 judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.
7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar.
The ESV Gospel Transformation Bible sums up Psalm 51 well: “That David’s personal confession of adultery and murder could be turned into a divinely inspired congregational hymn proves that “whoever comes” to Christ will never be “cast out” (John 6:37). After Nathan’s rebuke, David went straight to the Lord, who had revealed himself as “merciful” and “abounding in steadfast love” (Ex. 34:6; cf. Ps. 51:1). David’s psalm is no proposal for rehabilitation, only a plea for cleansing (Ps. 51:2, 7; Titus 3:5).
There is no self-justification, only affirmation of God’s justice (Ps. 51:3–6; cf. 1 John 1:9). David does not blame his upbringing; he was a sinner before he was born (Ps. 51:5; Rom. 3:4). He does not claim mitigating circumstances; these were “sins” and “iniquities” (Ps. 51:9; 1 Cor. 6:9, 10). Only God can qualify a sinner to stand in his presence (Ps. 51:11). As a priest, God cleanses the confessing sinner (vv. 2, 7, 17; Num. 19:6). As a judge, he blots out his guilty record (Ps. 51:9, 14). As the Creator, he remakes his heart (v. 10).
But the gore of the sacrificial system hinted to David that supplying these needed graces would cost God personally (vv. 1, 4, 9, 12, 14). Only Christ’s innocent blood could ultimately erase human guilt (Heb. 9:14, 22). Only Christ’s perfect record of “righteousness” can substitute for iniquities (cf. Ps. 51:14). And only Christ’s Spirit can regenerate wills (vv. 12, 19; Titus 3:8). Christ’s is the only sacrifice God has permanently delighted in (Ps. 51:16; Heb. 10:5–10). Salvation is a gift granted by God’s “good pleasure,” never in response to merit or desert (Ps. 51:18; Phil. 2:13). Joyful obedience—never pride—is the response to grace (Ps. 51:12, 15).“
Give the sermon text a read and a listen as we close out the Book of Ruth and we hope to see you this week at a Family Meal and/or a DNA group to dive even deeper.