Message Notes

SSS 4 9 October 2022
Book 2
Psalms 42-72

Text: Psalm 51

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.

6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may 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 steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

Psalm 51:1-19

THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT

1. David’s desire for Bathsheba

2. It led him to cause the death of Uriah, her husband

3. Nathan was sent to rebuke David for his sinfulness 2 Samuel 11-12

4. Psalm 51 reflects the repentance of David

THE CONFESSION OF DAVID

1 Have mercy upon me, O God,
According to Your lovingkindness;
According to the multitude of Your tender mercies,
Blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
And cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I acknowledge my transgressions,
And my sin is always before me.

4 Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight—
That You may be found just when You speak,
And blameless when You judge.

5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
And in sin my mother conceived me.

Psalm 51:1-5

1. Transgressions

2. Iniquity

3. Sin

4. Evil

5. Sin/ iniquity from birth (“original sin”)

THE PLEA OF DAVID

1. Pleading for:

a) Transgressions to be blotted out

b) Washing/ Cleansing thoroughly

2. Appealing to the LORD’s:

a) Mercy/ tender mercies

b) Lovingkindness

CREATION OF A CLEAN HEART

6 Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts,
And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may 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 steadfast spirit within me.

Psalm 51:6-10

1. Deep wisdom desired by God

2. Deep cleansing needed
Till one is whiter than snow

3. Restoration of joy and gladness

4. Blotting out iniquities

5. A clean heart created

6. A steadfast spirit emerges

FEARS OF DAVID

11 Do not cast me away from Your presence,
And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,
And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Psalm 51:11-12

1. To be cast away from God’s presence

2. To have the Spirit of God taken away

3. To be in misery because of sin

4. The plea to be fully restored to the LORD

THE PROMISE OF DAVID

13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,
And sinners shall be converted to You.

14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

Psalm 51:13-15

1. To teach transgressors the ways of God

2. To help sinners be converted

3. To be delivered from the guilt of bloodshed

4. To sing to the LORD of His righteousness

5. To show forth the praise of God

A DEEPER UNDERSTANDING OF GOD

16 For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.

18 Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;
Build the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;
Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

Psalm 51:16-19

1. What God not desire
The ritual of the burnt offering

2. What God desires

a) A broken spirit

b) A broken and contrite heart

c) The sacrifices of righteousness

3. Prayer for Jerusalem to be built up

a) For God to do good to Zion

b) To build up the (spiritual) walls of Jerusalem