Psalm 51. If you will, notice in the title
to this Psalm, It is a psalm of David when Nathan the prophet
came unto him. A psalm of David when Nathan
the prophet came unto him. In first Kings 15 in verse five
we read, David did that which was right in the eyes of the
Lord and turn not aside from anything that he commanded him
all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the
Hittite. Save only in the matter of Uriah
the Hittite. There's only been one man who
has lived in this world that there cannot be a save only in
this matter or another. The Lord Jesus Christ is the
Holy One of God who lived in this world free from sin as the
Holy Son of God. This psalm records the repentance
of David when Nathan came to him. A psalm of David when Nathan the
prophet came to him. when the prophet Nathan came
to him to make known his sin, the sin of David, and the matter
of Uriah the Hittite, the husband of Bathsheba. It is called a
penitential psalm. There are several of these among
the 150 psalms. The matter of Uriah is the blood
guiltiness that he asked God to be to deliver him from, if
you look down in verse 14, deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God. And the blood that he is speaking
of especially was the blood of Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba
that he had murdered. Though he didn't kill him with
his own hands, he was responsible for his death. So three parts
to the message tonight. First of all, David's confession
of his sin. As I said, this is a psalm of
repentance, a penitential psalm. David is repenting. And I believe
that this psalm probably was written before Psalm 32, which
is also a penitential psalm, not near as long as this psalm. This is probably of all the penitential
Psalms, the one that is the best known and the one that God's
children have prayed over when we too have sought the Lord in
repentance. But first of all, David's confession
of his sin in verses three through five. For I acknowledge my transgressions
and my sin as ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have
I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight, that thou mightest
be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive
me." One of the Proverbs, Proverbs 28 and verse 13 says, he that
covereth his sins shall not prosper. But whoso confesseth and forsaketh
them shall have mercy. Now David, we know, had thought
to cover his sin with Bathsheba, which only led to a greater sin,
that is, the blood guiltiness that he has to be delivered from.
Now he acknowledges and confesses his sin to God. The prophet Nathan
said, you remember those words of the prophet, thou art the
man. Nathan told David a parable,
gave him a parable to remind David or to rebuke David for
his sin. And David was indignant when
he heard the parable because it was a rich man took the poor
man's lamb. He only had one lamb. And he
cherished that lamb, and the lamb lived in the house. He loved
it like his children. And someone came visiting, and
the rich man had large flocks, and rather than take a lamb out
of his flock to feed his company, he took the poor man's lamb. And David was so indignant. He
said, let him pay fourfold, fourfold. And it's interesting that four
of his children, David's children, died. Four of his children. He said, when he heard the parable,
the response of David was the crime was so great, let him pay
fourfold. And David had, we know, four
of his sons to die. But the prophet said to David,
thou art the man. And David, in this psalm, he
expresses the same. He said, I am the man. I am the
man. I acknowledge my sin, my transgression. I am the man. It is ever before me. It's strange that nine months,
more or less, nine months had passed since he committed adultery
with Bathsheba because the child was born shortly after Nathan
approached David. And he was not aware over that
time, not aware of his transgression of his sin, but now he's been
made aware. And he says, it is ever before
me. It's ever before me now. God
had brought guilt upon his conscience because of his sin. Matthew Henry
wrote, he never walked on the roof of his house without a penitent
reflection on his unhappy walk there when once he saw Bathsheba. And you could carry that on to
other things in David's life over those nine years, but the
thing after would bring his sin to his remembrance. It is ever
before me. And David confesses here that
his sin was against God only, against thee and thee only have
I sinned. Now, that doesn't mean that he
had not sinned against Bathsheba, had not sinned against Uriah,
had not sinned against the nation that he was a king over, because
he had. He had sinned against all of
these individuals, but Every sin ultimately is against God,
every sin. Against Thee and Thee only have
I sinned. The scripture says sin is a transgression
of the law of God. And when we think of the law
of God, if we think of the commandments that God gave to Moses, gave
to the nation of Israel, You think about David's sin. He was
guilty of coveting. He coveted another man's wife. That's one of those commandments. He lied. That's another one of
those commandments. He committed adultery. That's
another one of those commandments. He stole a person's life. That's another one of the commandments,
and murder. So, against thee and thy law,
sin is the transgression of the law of God, and David now is
confessing his sin. You know, in Hebrews 11, we read
the pleasures of sin for a season. Moses was in a position to enjoy
the pleasures of sin in the court of Pharaoh. But the pleasures
of sin is only for a season, isn't it? And now David is reaping
the whirlwind, the guilt that is upon his conscience. If you look at David's words
in verse 5, David confesses to having a fallen nature from birth. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me. As I looked at this, I see
this not as David using this as an excuse for his sin. He's
not trying to accentuate his sin because he had a fallen nature
and had inherited that fallen nature from birth. But I believe
what he is saying, I knew this about myself. I knew that I had
a fallen nature. I knew that I had an old man. The flesh, I knew that, and I
didn't watch, and I didn't pray against temptation as I should
have done. I did not heed, and thinking
I stood, I fell. I believe that's what David is
saying here in those words. He's not trying to put the guilt
off on Adam, his father. No, I knew this about myself,
and yet I failed to watch, I failed to pray, and I entered into temptation. Now, second, so David's confession
of his sin. Second, David's petition for
forgiveness in verses one and two. Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy loving kindness, according unto the multitude
of thy tender mercies, blot out my transgressions, wash me throughly
from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Now, you notice
he asked to receive God's abundant, tender mercies, and not because
he deserved it. He's not asking to be forgiven
because he deserves it. But he's asking for mercy according
to that loving kindness, as it would be in the New Testament
for Christ's sake. He's asking forgiveness for Christ's
sake. Have mercy upon me according
to the multitude of thy tender mercies. Keep your places here,
but turn with me to Luke chapter one. These words of Zacharias,
the father of John the Baptist, who spoke being filled with God
the Holy Spirit. But just a few of these verses
in Luke chapter one, beginning with verse 76. And thou, speaking
of John, his son, child, shall be called the prophet of the
highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare
his ways. to give knowledge of salvation
unto his people by the remission of their sins. Now notice, through
the tender mercy, the boughs of mercy of our God, whereby
the day spring from on high hath visited us. To give light to
them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, to guide
our feet into the way of peace. For forgiveness of sin, comes
through the blood and sacrifice of Christ. We know that. But
it is the free grace and the abundant mercy of God that provided
Christ. That provided Christ and accepted
His payment on our behalf. Accepted His payment for us and
for our sins. Now back in our text, the forgiveness
of sin that David desired included First of all, blotting out, the
blotting out of his sin. And second, the cleansing. Now,
let's read that again. Have mercy upon me, O God, according
to thy loving kindness, according to the multitude of thy tender
mercies. Blot out, blot out my transgressions. The sins of God's people have
been blotted out. If you are a child of God tonight,
your sins have been blotted out. They've been blotted out. In
Isaiah chapter 44 and verse 22, God says, I have blotted out
as a thick cloud thy transgression and as a cloud thy sins. The sins of God's people have
been blotted out before God. But as John Gill wrote, it is
out of the table of his own heart. Now, this is what David is praying
for, that the sins that now lay heavy upon his heart, upon his
conscience, he's asking the Lord that they be blotted out. They
were ever before him, that they might be caused to pass from
him, and he might have no more conscience of them. And then
the sins of God's people defiles. David desired to be washed. Wash
me throughly. You know, that word is a word
we don't use, throughly. And I think it's necessary here
because the washing David desired started on the inside. Throughly,
completely, absolutely wash me. His soul, His inmost being, He
pleaded, would be cleansed if sin defiles. It not only brings
guilt upon the believer when we sin, brings guilt upon our
conscience, but it also defiles us. Sin is defiling. And then the third part of the
message, David, I want us to look at these requests, five
requests. that David has of the Lord. First of all, I want you to look
in verse 7 where he requests to know his washing. Let me explain what I mean. Verse
7, Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and
I shall be whiter than snow. David here, when he mentions
hyssop, I believe what he's asking is that he might know. He's asking
for forgiveness and yes, he prays and asks the Lord that he might
know in his soul that he has been forgiven. And I say that
because he uses the word hyssop. In the law of Moses, there were
certain things that would defile a person. And there were many
times they were necessary things, things that could not be avoided. But they would defile a person
and that person would then not be allowed in the camp, in the
congregation of the saints to worship God. If you look back
to Numbers chapter 19 with me just a moment, we see an example
of this. Numbers chapter 19 and beginning
with verse 14. This is a law when a man dies
in a tent. Now that's just going to happen.
People die. Someone said that incurable disease
of old age. People die, die in a tent. All that come into the tent,
and all that is in the tent, shall be unclean seven days.
And every open vessel, which hath no covering bound upon it,
is unclean. And whosoever toucheth one that
is slain with a sword in the open fields are a dead body."
Well, a person dies, his family has to bury him. That's just
necessary. Touch a dead body, touch a bone. Out plowing and turn over a bone. You didn't even know it was there.
Touch a bone. Or a grave shall be unclean seven
days. And for an unclean person, they
shall take of the ashes of the burnt heifer. Remember the red
heifer? ashes of the burnt heifer of
purification for sin and running water shall be put into a vessel
and a clean person shall take hyssop and dip it in the water
and sprinkle it upon the tent and upon all the vessels and
upon the persons that were there and upon him that touched a bone
or one slain or one dead or a grave And the clean person shall sprinkle
upon the unclean on the third day. And then on the seventh
day, and on the seventh day, he shall purify himself and wash
his clothes and bathe himself in water. Now notice, and shall
be clean and even. When David here in this Psalm
asked to be purged with hyssop, When that man who was unclean,
or woman who was unclean by touching a dead body, on that seventh
day when that hyssop was taken and that water was sprinkled
on them, they knew. They knew they were clean. They
had followed the law and they had a right now to come into
the congregation of the Lord. David in this prayer, this repentance
is praying and asking God that he might know that God would
vouchsafe to him the knowledge that yes, he was forgiven. Not only forgiven, but restored
to fellowship. And then if you will look in
verse eight, where he requests to experience joy and gladness. Make me to hear joy and gladness,
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Now he didn't
have any bones in his body that had been broken, but he's speaking
as it would hurt to have broken bones, so his soul, he experienced
the pain in his soul. He no longer had the joy in his
soul that he was accustomed to. And then along the same line,
he requests to experience joy and gladness in verse 12, restore
unto me the joy of thy salvation. You see, sin, it not only defiles, but it separates. It separates. You say, you mean
a person loses their salvation? Of course not. The relationship
a man or woman has or boy or girl has with God once they've
been born of the Spirit of God and believe in Christ, that relationship,
father, son, father, daughter, relationship can never be broken. Once a son, always a son. The
relationship cannot be broken, but the fellowship. The fellowship,
yes, it may well be broken. You know, in 2 Samuel chapter
11 and verse 27, we read, the thing, speaking about David's
sin with Bathsheba, the thing displeased the Lord. We know this, God is not indifferent
to sin. God hates sin. He loves righteousness. And when God's children, when
we, fallen to sin or going to sin like David did, the relationship
doesn't change. He's still our father. He's still
our God. But the fellowship is broken
and needs to be restored. And that's what David is praying
for here. I think of that verse in Amos.
When we think about the fellowship being broken in Amos, the scripture
says, can two walk together? except they be agreed? Can they? No. And man that has sinned against
God, a believer that sinned against God, how's he going to walk with
God? The two be in agreement that
repentance is necessary. And then if you will, In verse 14, he requests deliverance
from repeating the sin. Deliver me from blood guiltiness,
O God, thou God of my salvation. He was guilty of the death of
Uriah. He was guilty of shedding blood. And David recognized without
God's keeping grace, he could well repeat the sin. He could
well be responsible again for the murder, for the killing of
someone else. He was guilty of the death of
Uriah, and without God's keeping grace, he could well repeat the
sin. You know, the Lord Jesus Christ
taught us to pray, lead us not into temptation, but deliver
us from evil. Watch and pray. How many times,
let me ask you this, how many times have you, how many times
have I said, or at least thought, if we didn't say it, I'll never
do that again, only to do it again? You see, David, he recognized,
yes, he was guilty of the murder of Uriah, and without God's keeping
grace, he could fall into that sin again. Take heed, lest thinking
you stand, you fall. Now, look in verses 13, 14, and
15, where he requests that his tongue be used first to teach,
then to sing, and to praise. Verse 14. Or verse 13, rather. Then will I teach transgressors
thy way, and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation, then will I teach transgressors thy ways. Now David
was a king. He was a great king. Had a great
dominion, great kingdom. But this great man was not above
teaching. You say, teaching who? Well,
he says here, teaching transgressors. But I want you to look back to
Psalm 34. In Psalm 34. Verse 11. Come, you children, hearken unto me. And notice, I will teach you
the fear of the Lord. He wasn't above teaching children. You know, children, it's a challenge
to teach children, isn't it? Sunday school teachers that teach
the little children and teach the junior class, that's a challenge,
I tell you, to keep their interest and to teach them. I'm so thankful
for the teachers we have in our church that teach the small children
when they're just barely starting. And what they learn about God
will stay with them the rest of their life. What they learn
about God, who he is, and what he said will stay with them the
rest of their lives. It's such a important... David,
he said, come now, little children, and I will teach you the fear
the Lord. Restore unto me the joy of thy
salvation, then will I teach transgressors thy ways. And then
in verse 14, he said, deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God,
thou God of my salvation. And notice now, my tongue, my
tongue shall teach, yes, but my tongue also shall sing aloud
of thy righteousness. Look in Psalm 89, you know, this,
this first few verses, I know we have sung this as a course,
but David said, I will sing of the mercies of the Lord forever. Oh, this mercy of forgiveness
that he desired. And he received, he received
this forgiveness as well. I will sing of the mercies of
the Lord. Forever with my mouth will I
make known thy faithfulness to all generations. And then in
verse 15 in the Psalm, O Lord, open thou my lips and my mouth
shall show forth thy praise. So teach, sing, praise. Look
at Psalm 146, verse two. Verse one and two, praise ye
the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul. While
I live will I praise the Lord. I will sing praises unto my God
while I have any being. And then the last thing back
in the Psalm, in verse 18, if you notice, he prays, or he requests
rather, that God would bless the church. Psalm 51, verse 18. Do good in thy good pleasure
unto Zion. Now Zion, of course, is the church. We've come to Zion, the city
of our God. Do good in thy good pleasure
unto Zion. Build thou the walls of Jerusalem. He prays for others. You know,
in the book of Job, when we come to the end of it, Job prayed
for his friends, didn't he? Prayed for his friends, and that's
when God restored everything to Job. David, his psalm of repentance,
and there's so much in this psalm, and I trust and pray that the
Lord would bless these thoughts and words that I've given us
tonight for