Making ‘Psense’ of Psalms—Psalm 73: Perspective

Part of a continuing series on selected Psalms.

Side by side: article about oppressive poverty,
and ads for homes costing millions

The contrast between the “have’s” and the “have-nots” was sharply drawn in the real estate ad adjacent to a recent Seattle Times newspaper article about impoverished garment workers in Bangladesh.  The article told about a destitute woman who lived in a shed the size of a parking space, and who once earned less than $100 a month for sewing up to 12 hours a day. She could no longer work, injured in a 2012 fire that killed more than a hundred co-workers. A year and a half later, another fire took more than 1,100 lives when a garment factory collapsed. Next to that article: eleven descriptions of luxury residences in western Washington, listed for sale from $3.1 million to $18.6 million. One ran like this: “Treasured western panorama. Glass walls to view, great gallery heights. 9,790 square feet. Contemporary! Superb dock. $10,885,000.” For half that price you could get: “Villa shining: European coastal autograph, endless breathtaking ‘scapes. Aperitifs on the loggia; whispers of Sausalito on the shores; recreating the spontaneity of romance. Deep water dock; seaplane adaptable.” 

Similar disparities bothered Asaph, a significant worship leader in King David’s time, giving us Psalm 73. He wrestled with the age-old question of why the ungodly can be healthy and wealthy, while good people suffer. Could he honestly lead praise to God when he was questioning God’s ways? His spiritual search still speaks to us.

UPWARD LOOK (v. 1)
Verse 1 is like a microphone check as Asaph looks upward to Heaven: “Surely God is good to Israel, to those who are pure in heart.” By “pure in heart” he meant people who are committed to God, as opposed to the “unfaithful” of verse 27. Asaph really wanted to believe that God honors those who follow Him. He grew up taught the covenant God gave Moses, that He would prosper those who honored Him. But as Asaph looked at real life, he had some problems and questions, reminiscent of the Bible’s Job.

THE OUTWARD LOOK (vv. 2-12)
As Asaph looked around, he saw the wealthy getting along quite well without God.  They seemed immune to disease and disaster. They were arrogant, big talkers, even conceited. Their popularity meant people turned to them as examples of how to live (v. 10). For me, that sounds like today’s pop magazines’ polls for “athlete of the year,” “most beautiful,” or “sexiest man alive.” It’s like our awards shows of the entertainment industry, focusing on glitz and glamour, not goodness and morality. Asaph saw people who felt they didn’t need God (v. 11), “free of care” as they went on “amassing wealth” (v. 12).

AN INWARD LOOK (vv. 13-16)
Asaph looked inward and wondered if his efforts to live in purity were really worth it. He knew he needed to be a spiritual leader in his family (v. 15), yet the whole scenario was getting more oppressive for him. Then he had an “aha’ moment: “I entered the sanctuary of God; then I understood their final destiny.”

Remember that Asaph’s job made the sanctuary his second home. Like people who’ve grown up in the church, faith can get “old hat” when the world presents us with what seems like a better alternative. But something happened as Asaph wrestled with his questions. Was it the awareness that all this worship system was ordained by the God who had miraculously rescued a whole nation from oppressive slavery? Was it the stark reality of a blood sacrifice for sins? Was it stories of the “glory” over the ark of the covenant, hidden behind a thick curtain? Was it truly engaging in worship, even as he led it? Was it a heightened God-consciousness and rediscovery that God cannot be put in a box? Whatever it was, he found the answer to his question.

A GOD-WARD LOOK (vv. 18-20)
Instead of seeing the ungodly as folks who get all the breaks in life, he saw them as God sees them: living on slippery ground. What they experienced now wouldn’t matter in eternity, when all their riches and influence would be as trash without faith in the God who created them. Note that God does allow some godly people to have wealth and influence, usually because He sees they are good stewards for kingdom work. But we’re not to set our hearts on riches or influence.

THE REPENTANT LOOK (vv. 21-22)
Asaph realizes his spiritual doubts were wrong.  They caused his heart and spirit to go awry, and he was like a “brute beast” before God when he went down the path of thinking God was unjust.  The book of Job tells how Job came to a similar conclusion as he wrestled with pain and loss. He finally confessed that God’s ways were beyond his understanding, but God was still righteous and good.

Magnificent skies, like this in eastern Washington,
remind me to look UP, to God's higher purposes.

THE UPWARD LOOK (vv. 23-26)
The heart of Psalm 73 rests in this section. The respected Bible teacher James Montgomery Boice called this “the very apogee of his [Asaph’s] testimony… filled with some of the finest expressions of true spirituality in all the Bible.  They deserve to be memorized by every true Christian.” (1) The vibrancy of this passage struck me one spring morning nearly forty years ago, when I was studying at a Bible college. I’d gone to see a friend who lived in a house with several other women, including one whose fiance had just retracted his marriage proposal. How I ached for this lovely, broken young woman. Coming in their house, I noticed her in a rocker at the top of the stairs, reading her Bible. After I expressed my sadness for her heartbreak, she held up her Bible and said, “God has comforted me with this.”  She then quoted Psalm 73:25: “Whom have I in heaven but you? And earth has nothing I desire besides you. My flesh and my heart may fail, but God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.”

CONCLUSION—THE CORRECTED OUTLOOK (vv. 27-28)
Asaph comes back to the truth that a judgment day will come. Those who don’t follow God--no matter how wealthy, accomplished or popular they were—“will perish.” Some of the greatest Christian leaders have struggled like Asaph, including Billy Graham. As a young, rising preacher, he went through some doubts about the faith. Shortly before a crusade in Los Angeles, he went to Forest Home, a camp in the mountains above Los Angeles. There he met with Henrietta Mears, the director of Christian education at Hollywood Presbyterian Church. She encouraged him to go out in the woods alone to listen to God.  There in the forests, Graham resolved his doubts about the faith. He went down into Los Angeles for widely-attended evangelistic meetings that led to his future role as evangelist to the world. His spiritual turning point resonates with the conclusion of Psalm 73:
But as for me, it is good to be near God. I have made the Sovereign LORD my refuge; I will tell of all your deeds.”

Psalm 73 reminds us that God is completely adequate for anything we face in life. Whether we are lonely, despaired, frustrated, disappointed, or sorrowful, He is able to supply all our needs. The rich and the famous are that only for a season. “Heaven and earth will pass away,” Jesus said, “but my words will never pass away” (Matt. 24:35).

Another who lived in material poverty but spiritual riches was David Brainerd, a missionary to native Americans in Delaware in the early 1700s. He died young, at 29, from the intensity and deprivations of his mission work. But words in his diary still speak, like that written in April 1742, when he was only 24: “Retired early for secret devotions, and in prayer God poured such ineffable comforts into my soul, that I could do nothing for some time but say over and over, ‘O my Saviour! O my Saviour! Whom have I but Three? And there is none upon earth that I desire beside Thee.”
 
(1) James Montgomery Boice, Psalms, Volume 2 (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996), p. 614.
(2) Oswald J. Smith Litt.D., compiler/editor, David Brainerd: His Message for Today (London: Marshall, Morgan & Scott Ltd., 1949), p. 32.

Next: Psalm 84

           

           

           

           

 

 

Making 'Psense' of Psalms--Psalm 69: Trampled

 Part of a continuing series on selected psalms.
A recent praise song alludes to Christ as a rose, trampled on the ground.* That image comes to me as I read through Psalm 69 and think first of David’s troubles, then of its amazing prophecies of Christ’s rejection and crucifixion. Living 1,000 years before Christ, David could not have known his words would match the experience of the future Messiah. The Jews were looking for a perfect king, one to end all the corruption and oppression of their times. Christ came instead as a suffering servant:  “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

GOOD AND ANGRY!

Psalm 69 should be read on two levels. The first is the laments of someone who is literally “good-and-angry,” meaning he considers himself a “good” person but he’s angry over how his enemies mistreat him. The second, prophetic level is of Someone who was perfectly good, but took the punishment of the divine anger over sin, dying on the cross. Psalm 69 is one of fourteen psalms have obvious Messianic references.

DAVID’S TALE OF WOE

David wastes no time asking for God to intervene in his problems.  “Save me!” he cries. He compares his situation to drowning (vv. 1-4) amidst enemies who number more than the hairs on his head (v. 4). He claims his innocence (“I am forced to restore what I did not steal,” v. 4c) and then turns around and admits that God knows about his folly and guilt, too (v. 5).  He essentially says, “I’m not perfect, but I still look to you.”  He details the abuse he goes through: mocking, ridicule, shame, having no sympathizers, unable to get decent food.  In short, he experienced major “pain and distress” (v. 20). Finally, he prayed fiercely (vv. 21-29) for his enemies to get their just due. “Do not let them share in your salvation,” he urged, “May they be blotted out of the book of life and not be listed with the righteous (v. 27). On the other hand, Jesus said He came to seek to lost, and we should rejoice that our names are written in Heaven (Luke 10:20).

JESUS' TALE OF LOVE

In the midst of David’s woes, I see Jesus in these passages:
“Those who hate me without reason…” (v. 4). In His discourse about the vine and branches, Jesus quoted this phrase (also in Psalm 35:19) to show how those who opposed Him were fulfilling prophecies of His rejection ((John 15:25).

“I am a stranger to my brothers, an alien to my own mother’s sons (v. 8). The Bible says Mary bore at least six children (Mark 6:3) and that even his brothers didn’t believe He was the Messiah (John 7:2-5).

“Zeal for your house consumes me, and the insults of those who insult you fall on me” (v. 9). John 2:17 pictured that zeal when Jesus threw the dishonest moneychangers out of the temple. Romans 15:3 says, “For even Christ did not please himself but, as it is written: ‘The insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.’”

 “Do not hide your face from your servant” (v. 17). Shortly before His death, Christ called out from the cross, my God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” (Matt. 27:46, Mark 15:34).

“You know how I am scorned, disgraced and shamed; all my enemies are before you.  Scorn has broken my heart and has left me helpless; I looked for sympathy but there was none, for comforters, but I found none” (v. 20). Gospel accounts of the crucifixion tell of those who passed under the cross hurling insults at him. Hebrews 12:2 says of Jesus, “Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” Recently I attended a performance of Handel’s “Messiah” in its entirety—nearly three hours of scripture sung by students from two colleges. It all moved me, but probably more than ever before, the tenor’s rendition of Christ’s suffering left me feeling, “These are holy words. This has become a holy place. How He loved me to suffer so!”

“They put gall in my food and gave me vinegar for my thirst” (v. 21). The Gospel accounts of the crucifixion tell how Jesus was offered vinegar with gall (a sedative), then just vinegar for thirst (Matthew 27:34, 48 and John 19:28).

THE BETTER SOLUTION

The psalm concludes David’s tale of woe with a call to praise: “I will praise God’s name in song and glorify him with thanksgiving” (v. 30) and concludes, “those who love his name will dwell there” (v. 36). The references to “captive people” (v. 33) and “rebuild the cities of Judah” (v. 35) led commentators to believe that the concluding section wasn’t David’s lyrics, but added many years later, after the nation’s captivity and deportation. Also, David reigned over all Israel, and it wasn’t until his grandson’s reign that troubles erupted and the land was divided into kingships of “Israel” (the northern part) and “Judah” (the southern part). Later came the Assyrian and Babylonian captivities, which left both political entities desolate until a remnant of faithful ones returned.  

 Despite its questioned authorship, the concluding section is still consistent with David’s heart. I only need to turn back a few pages in my Bible to his Psalm 34 to read, “I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips…Glorify the LORD with me; let us exalt his name together” (34:1, 3).

Psalm 69 is clearly about “a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief”—and I don’t mean just David. From the other side of history from the crucifixion—from that pure Rose of Sharon trampled on the ground by scorning sinners--we can consider ourselves most blessed…because we have a Savior!

Next: Psalm 73.

*The © 1999 song is “Above All,” by Lenny LcBlanc and Paul Baloche.

Making 'Psense' of Psalms--Psalm 63: Sustained

Collapsed!  This old shed, found in a valley in our area, seemed
to symbolize times when life collapses in on us--the big
message of Psalm 63

Part of a continuing series on selected psalms.
Dusty whirlwinds spun across freshly-plowed fields as we traveled recently through desolate farm country. They didn’t last long, usually dissipating within minutes. But that same week, in middle America, the same physics of air created killer tornados that churned through towns, destroying homes and businesses and killing loved ones. How does one recover from something like that?  Likewise, how does one rebuild a life smashed by crime, betrayal or some other profound personal loss? King David suggests a way in Psalm 63, which he wrote out of a personal “tornado” that nearly cost his life and reign. It still speaks to how God sustains us when life seems to collapse around us.

THE BACKGROUND

The prelude says David wrote this while “in the desert of Judah,” which describes two times in his life. In the first, when jealous King Saul sought to kill him, David fled to enemy territory, Philistia, thinking Saul wouldn’t dare go there. But the Philistines unhappily recognized David as killer of their once invincible Goliath. David fled again, alone, to a wilderness cave. Psalm 56 grew out of this time (see May 9 blog).

Psalm 63 comes years later, when he is king (verse 22 says, “the king will rejoice in God”). Hs son Solomon (birthed by Bathsheba) was the heir-apparent, but another son, Absalom, from another wife, also aspired to the throne. Second Samuel 15-19 tells how Absalom spent four years wooing the peoples’ allegiance, and set out to establish a rival kingship in nearby Hebron. Attacking and dethroning his father was the next step. David fled for his life to the wilderness east of the Jordan. This psalm was composed in that time of brutal, soul-searching uncertainty. David didn’t know if he’d live through Absalom’s coup. A messy, bloody battle would follow, with Absalom killed.

THIRSTY GROUND

This psalm begins with David hiding in the desert wilderness with his entourage of family and faithful followers. Shortly after fleeing Jerusalem, David saw God provide for their exile when a loyal servant showed up with donkeys laden with food. Still, David needed assurance of God’s presence even in exile:
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water. (63:1)
The way David expressed his spiritual thirst is similar to Psalm 42, written by the sons of Korah: “As the deer pants for streams of water, so my soul pants for you, O God” (see April 18 blog). Parched for spiritual assurance and comfort, David’s plea could be that of any of us in a desperate life situation, like the death or rejection of a loved one, or the traumatic removal of a job, home, or status.

HOLY GROUND

In exile, David longed for the way things used to be. He remembered the vibrant, even boisterous, worship he participated in at the “sanctuary,” which was the Exodus-era tabernacle relocated in Jerusalem. Worship there brought him as close on earth as he could get to witnessing God’s power and glory (63:2). Especially was the tabernacle’s ark (holding the Ten Commandments, a jar of manna, and Aaron’s bud that bloomed) precious to him. He’d rescued it after it was captured and shuttled around enemy territory. Now it sat behind heavy curtains, the top of it sprinkled with blood on the Jews’ most holy day of the year. Interestingly, the ark of the covenant almost followed David into the wilderness. Zadok and other priests joined those leaving Jerusalem, taking along the ark and stopping occasionally to offer sacrifices. But David told Zadok to take the ark back to Jerusalem. If God was on his side, he’d be able to return to worship at the tabernacle (2 Samuel 15:24-29).

SATISFIED SPIRITS

Could David worship God away from all the beauty and ritual of the tabernacle? Could God possibly be in the desert? The answer comes in these key verses:
Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you. (vv. 3-5)
God is not bound by church architecture. However, disbelief and disobedience can move us away from His intimate presence. In exile in the desert, David didn’t have the rich foods he enjoyed in his palace. But dwelling on God, worshipping Him, and lifting up holy hands (see 1 Timothy 2:8) gave David the spiritual feast he needed. Out of his painful personal example, David is teaching us that the more our difficulties, the more important worship should become to us.

I recently read the newest book by international author-speaker Carol Kent, titled Unquenchable (Zondervan, 2014). Carol was thrust into a “dry and weary land” in 1999 when her only child, Jason, a U.S. Navy Academy graduate, was arrested for the murder of his wife’s first husband, who was suspected of sexually abusing his daughters. After many delays and a trial sensationalized by the media, Jason was sentenced to life in prison. In this book, Carol shares her own and others’ “faith firestorms” of profound loss and betrayal, to the point that the flame of faith dropped to a weak flicker. Carol remarked that when life’s challenges seem to douse our feelings of closeness to God, “we must never confuse feelings with faith. When our feelings wane—and they will, for all sorts of reasons—we must stir through the ashes to reveal the glowing embers of our still-living faith. Embers…are critically important to an enduring wildfire faith” (p. 70).

This is what I sense communicated in Psalm 63. David is down to barely flickering embers. But he doesn’t give up on God. He worships God even in barren circumstances. At night, when he can’t sleep (understandable, considering all that’s happening!), he thinks of God. He claims God’s help. He pictures himself as under God’s protective wings. And he sings! As he clings to God, he senses God upholding him. Or, to match this to Carol’s imagery, he stirs the last embers of faith to keep going.

DUE PROCESS

The psalm ends on what seems a harsh, imprecatory note, wishing woe on his enemies. He wants them destroyed, sent to hell (Sheol), killed by the sword, and fed to jackals (not given a decent burial), their mouths silenced. This could be David expressing confidence that punishment would come to the enemies of God. But we also need to read this in light of the New Testament: “God, our Savior…wants all men to be saved and to come to a knowledge of the truth” (1 Timothy 2:5). No matter who is our “enemy,” they still need a Savior. And they need to see people who “rejoice in God,” even when they’re alone, discouraged, or in danger.

Like David, the apostle Paul suffered greatly under enemies who wanted him dead. Yet he found himself sustained by this truth, which sounds so much like Psalm 63: “The Lord will rescue me from every evil attack and will bring me safely to his heavenly kingdom. To him be glory for ever and ever. Amen” (2 Timothy 4:18).

 

Next: Psalm 69      

 

Making 'Psense' of Psalms--Psalm 56: Fears and Tears

A "tear bottle" gift, symbolizing God's
watch-care and profound love

Part of a continuing series on selected psalms.
If you’re at a point where you wonder if life can get any worse, or if you can even hang in there now, this is your psalm. It bleeds with David’s despair over his circumstances and mistreatment by enemies. They’d like him dead. Emotionally wrung out from so many negatives, David lets the tears flow. But he also clings to his last shred of hope: God’s faithfulness.

Like several other psalms (including #34, March 28 blog), Psalm 56 records David’s life-threatening predicament in seeking refuge among tribal enemies, the Philistines (1 Samuel 21:10-15). David had gone alone to Gath, thinking mad King Saul wouldn’t pursue him there. But David was recognized as the one who slayed their native son, the giant Goliath. The introduction to this psalm says the enemy seized him, and the first few verses list hot day-long pursuit, attacks, twisted words, conspiracy, lurking, and eagerness to take his life.

You can almost hear his sighs of hopelessness—indeed, the prelude hints at a melody of sadness when it directs musicians to sing it to the tune of “A Dove on Distant Oaks.” The original tune is unknown, but in Psalm 55 David had prayed, “Oh, that I had the wings of a dove! I would fly away and be at rest—I would flee far away and stay in the desert!” He may have identified with the mournful coos of doves, and wished he could fly like them at will to another place. But he couldn’t. Yet out of this place of deep frustration and fear, David finds hope in God. The legacy of Psalm 56 is several verse-gems that, by themselves, have comforted and held steady millions through the ages who also needed to affirm God’s faithfulness.

FEARS AND TRUST

“When I am afraid,” David wrote (v. 3-4), “I will trust in you.  In God, whose word I praise, in God I trust; I will not be afraid.  What can mortal man do to me?”  In Psalm 55, he had also expressed this idea of trust: “Cast your cares on the LORD, and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall” (55:22). I wonder if these were verses the prophet Isaiah also memorized, as he wrote many years later: “You will keep in perfect peace him whose mind is steadfast, because he trusts in you” (Isaiah 26:3). And certainly, these verses were part of the spiritual fiber of the early church leaders. Peter wrote, “Cast all your anxiety on him because he cares for you” (1 Peter 5:7). The author of Hebrews quoted, “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?” (Hebrews 13:6).

In a quick reading of this psalm, it’s easy to miss another message in verses 10-11, which seem to repeat verses 3-4.  In both, David counsels trusting in God and His Word. In David’s time, that was the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible) and maybe Joshua and Judges.  How blessed we are to have not only those, but Psalms and 58 other books of scripture! There’s one tiny word change in verse 10, but it means a lot.  Instead of “in God, whose word I praise” (v. 4), David wrote, “In the LORD, whose word I praise.”  “God” was from a word referring in general to the great God of the universe. “The LORD” was the covenant name of God, which reflected His promises to watch-care His own. In that tiny word, change, David was reminding us of God’s personal and trustworthy care.  How much we need such reminders when the odds seem stacked against us!

Note, too, that David trusts in God and His Word.  I cannot begin to tell you how many times a previously-memorized scripture has come to mind just as the time I needed its reminder of God’s watch-care and direction. David praised God’s Word. He proclaimed its beauty and holy purpose. Should we not do the same?

TEARS AND TRUST

The other memorable portion is verse 8, rendered by King James translators as “Thou tellest my wanderings, put thou my tears in thy bottle; are they not in thy book?” The original Hebrew is a bit sketchy here (original manuscripts had no vowels or pronunciation guides), causing other translators to offer, “Record my lament; list my tears on thy scroll—are they not in thy record?”  Those leaning toward the "tear bottles" translation should know that they were common about a thousand years after David wrote this psalm.  Mourners filled small glass bottles or cups with their tears, placing them in tombs as symbols of respect. Sometimes hired “criers” filled the bottles!  The custom reappeared during the American civil war and in Victorian times.
 

However you translate that portion, these truths emerge.  God does keep track of our circumstances. God does see our every sorrow.  If God had a “tear bottle” (and it would be huge), we’d know how much He loves us and how diligently He takes note of our difficulties.  When He permits hardship and trials, it’s because He knows we will grow in faith through them. It’s a beautiful symbol that we can still use today in comforting those going through unspeakable pain. One of my friends beautifully packages little glass bottles as a comfort gift to those experiencing profound loss.  Her note to them references Psalm 56:8. Several years ago she gave a “tear bottle” with a note about Psalm 56:8 to a young woman who had lost her mother in a car wreck. The young woman still has the bottle, and recently mentioned to my friend how meaningful that gift was.

THANKS AND HOPE

Psalm 56 ends with the plea, “Be merciful to me,” and a huge list of terrorizing circumstances.  Then it concludes with thanksgiving and hope. David acknowledges God’s hand in sparing him from death.  He knows God has a purpose for his life: “that I may walk before God in the light of life” (v. 13). This was a prophetic statement, looking forward to the Messiah, Jesus Christ, who would call Himself the light of the world: “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness but will have the light of life” (John 8:12). As customary for profound thanks, David wanted to offer up a “thank offering.”  This was a special sacrifice in which part was reserved to share in a meal with family and friends. 

We don’t need to wait until “Thanksgiving” in November to express our thanks to God. It should be a part of every meal (many of us do, anyway, by preceding a meal with a prayer of thanks).  As we look at a lovingly-prepared meal and inhale its fragrance, may we be reminded that every good gift is from above. That includes God’s presence and hope in our most desperate times.

 

Next: Psalm 63.

Making 'Psense' of Psalms--Psalm 51: Mercy

Part of an ongoing series on selected psalms.
The young man giving his testimony in the morning service would be baptized in a few minutes. He told of a life gone haywire until he hit bottom. One night, overcome with sorrow for his sins, he slid to his knees by his bed, crying out for a fresh start with Jesus. I listened with tears filling my eyes, thinking how for millions those low points become our highest points as we claim the mercy of God in Jesus Christ.This is the thrust of Psalm 51, which is a king’s confession of sin and prayer for mercy and a changed life.  It’s deeper than deep. Eighteenth century preacher Charles Haddon Spurgeon, who could preach hours off one verse, found himself so overwhelmed by the truths in this psalm that he procrastinated for weeks before trying to write about it. I can understand his reluctance. What more could I add to what is said so well here about God’s mercy and loving us so much that He gave!

Psalm 51 is the fourth of the seven so-called “penitential psalms” (6, 32, 38, 51, 102, 130, 143). The March 21 blog on Psalm 32 (“Hidden Places”) considered David’s later-in-life perspective of what he learned from his fall into sin. Psalm 51 was probably written closer to his confession of sin after confrontation by the prophet Nathan (2 Samuel 11-12).

HAVE MERCY! (1-2)

 Under the Mosaic law of the Old Testament, no sacrifice could be offered to forgive adultery and murder, both of which David committed. His only hope of forgiveness was God’s “mercy.” The Hebrew word for mercy (hānan) pictures bending or stooping in kindness to an inferior. Don’t skip over the “O” in front of “God” (the Hebrew “Elohim,” referring to the most high God). In English, the “O” indicates intensity of expression, almost a deep sigh. He precedes God’s name with “O” four more times (vv. 10, 14, 15, 17). He appeals to God’s “unfailing love,” from the Hebrew hesed, referring to God’s covenantal love. Then he appeals to God’s great compassion before three specific sin-descriptions (the same as in Psalm 32).

I SINNED! (3-6)

We want our elected officials to rule with integrity, but many fall. How well I remember the sad episode of a former president accused of adultery—in his oval office!—who tried to weasel out of the accusations that nearly removed him from office. David didn’t shrug off his wrongs with a casual “I blew it.” He was specific about the scope of sin against a holy God:
            “Blot out my transgressions”—sin that crosses over into forbidden territory.
            “Wash away all my iniquity”--perversion, what we call “original sin.”
            “Cleanse me from my sin”—falling short, missing the mark, like an arrow missing a target.
David didn’t say, “Everybody sins a little once in a while.” He looked at himself as one tainted with the original sin passed through Adam and Eve (v. 5), and confessed his great fall: “Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight” (v. 4). Today, pride and being “culturally correct” keep us from the flat-out honesty about the seriousness of sin. “One of the greatest crises of our day,” wrote Oswald Chambers in Devotions for the Deeper Life, “is that we are contented with easy satisfaction in our spiritual lives. We are content with moral fastidiousness.  If we are to get at the heart of the religion of the Cross, we will have to forget such religious trivialities. We must be ‘unblamable in holiness before God’….We need broken-hearted preachers with an awful conviction of sin, preachers who cry, ‘My God! My God! Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned!’” (Zondervan/God’s Bible School, 1986, p. 83).
 

CLEAN! (7-9)

David wanted:
*Cleansing (literally, purging) “with hyssop.”  This small, rock-clinging plant was used as a brush or to sprinkle. In the Exodus, the Hebrews used it to smear blood on their doorways to alert the angel of death to pass over them.  It was also used in ceremonial cleansing for people with skin diseases (Lev. 14:4, 6) or who had touched a dead body (Num. 19:18). Hebrews 9:19-22, in pointing to Christ’s death, explained, “Without the shedding of blood there is no forgiveness.” In asking cleansing with hyssop, David was literally saying, “De-sin me.”

*A new, pure spirit, clean like new-fallen snow. Though rare, Jerusalem does get some snow, and David had probably witnessed a morning when pure white covered the usual dirty landscape. This part of Psalm 51 inspired James Nicholson, a devout Christian and postal worker, to write this much-loved Gospel hymn, published in 1872:

            Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole;
            I want Thee forever to live in my soul.
            Break down every idol, cast out every foe.
            Now wash me and I shall be whiter than snow.

RENEWAL (10-12)

David wanted a fresh start, so he asked God to:
 *Create a pure heart for him. This was a bold request, for in asking God to “create” this new heart, he used the word “bara” which was also used in Genesis for the creation of the heavens and earth.  In other words, he was asking God to create something brand-new out of nothing! He couldn’t have made a bolder request.
*Never cast David away. This verse has stirred up a lot of controversy among those who dispute “eternal security.” But what David seems to be saying is not a matter of “losing” salvation but that he needed God’s help to live in holiness.
*Restore the joy of salvation. Sin took away his joy. Momentary pleasures brought long-term grief. Now, with repentance and cleansing, he wants to enjoy again his sweet fellowship with God.

PROOF OF A CHANGED HEART (13-17)

Today, people who commit a crime are often “sentenced” to a community service that seeks to compensate a wrong or convince others not to follow the same negative paths. For example, a teen arrested for drunken driving might speak to student groups about what he or she learned from breaking the law. As Psalm 51 ends, David promises to warn others not to make his mistake. “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you” (v. 13). An obedient life is far better than a cycle of sinning and sacrifices.

CHANGED PEOPLE=CHANGED NATION (18-19)

Proverbs 14:34 says: “Righteousness exalts a nation, but sin is a disgrace to any people.” We don’t know if David influenced the writing of that proverb, but we do that the ending of Psalm 51 is a similar appeal to his nation to turn from sin and serve the living God. With such an ending, Psalm 51 leads us to look in the mirror ourselves and ask: Am I the weak link of national health? Am I open to the counsel or rebuke of a godly, caring person? Have I thoroughly faced my sin and sought forgiveness?  And am I praying for loved ones who haven’t yet made that decision?
Next blog: Psalm 56