Psalm 51

When we sin, wouldn’t it be better to run from God and avoid him—at least for a while? After all, we learned in Genesis that sin is an act of rebellion against God, the righteous Judge, and that it carries consequences. Wouldn’t it be wiser to keep our distance?

Throughout the pages of Genesis, we see that God is both powerful and personal. He spoke the world into existence and entered time to interact with his people individually. He is compassionate and merciful. The apostle Paul states that God’s kindness leads us to repentance (Rom. 2:4). The believer understands that God, rich in lovingkindness, is always ready to forgive.

In our study of the steps of true repentance, as expressed by David in Psalm 51, we have learned:

1. True repentance begins when we own our sin (Ps. 51:1b-2).
2. True repentance is based on God’s mercy (Ps. 51:1a).
3. True repentance means understanding that my rebellion is against God (Ps. 51:3-4a).
4. True repentance accepts sin’s consequences (Ps. 51:4).
5. True repentance understands sin’s battle (Ps 51:5-6).

Today, let’s consider three final steps.

6. True repentance calls for God to do a major work (Ps. 51:7-11).

Psalm 51:7-11
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.

When sin crouches at our door, it doesn’t always strike immediately. While there are times we may blurt out a careless word without thinking, disobedience usually follows a particular process. Cain brought an offering, but God did not accept it as genuine. Cain became furious, and his anger then turned to envy because God accepted Abel’s offering. God warned Cain that sin was lurking at his door and that he needed to gain control over it. Cain disregarded the warning. Eventually, he lured Abel to a secluded field and killed him.

There is no indication that Sarah woke up one morning and told Abraham to take Hagar as his wife. She undoubtedly contemplated this long and hard. Rebecca’s scheme to deceive Isaac so Jacob would receive the firstborn’s blessing was intricately detailed. David’s sin followed a familiar pattern—he saw, desired, and took. Then, he devised another game plan to cover up his sin.

My point is this: It takes time to dig deep into the actions of our sins and time to dig out from them. God’s forgiveness is immediate. However, restoration is a process.

David asks God to “purge him with hyssop.” Hyssop, a small leafy plant, was used in Old Testament sacrifices for applying water or blood. David is seeking spiritual cleansing.

David asks God to “wash” him. Sin had stained his heart, and he needed to be purified from the inside out. Only God could make him “whiter than snow.”

David knew he couldn’t restore his heart, so he asked God to create a clean heart within him and renew it for obedience. The guilt of his sin burdened David, and he longed to experience joy and gladness once more.

In the New Testament, we learn that the Holy Spirit is given to every believer and, once given, will never leave us. However, in the Old Testament, the Spirit could come and go with certain individuals to empower them for specific purposes. David experienced firsthand the consequences for King Saul when God withdrew his Spirit due to Saul’s persistent sin. This is why David begs God not to take the Holy Spirit away from him; he yearns for restoration. 

7. True repentance comes with a willingness to humbly teach others about the seriousness of sin (Ps. 51:12-13).

Psalm 51:12-13
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.

Interestingly, Cain feared that others would learn of his crime against Abel and attempt to kill him. However, God graciously protected Cain, stating, “‘If anyone kills Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold.’ And the Lord put a mark on Cain, lest any who found him should attack him” (Gen. 4:15). While we do not know what the mark was, it acted as a sign of mercy, safeguarding Cain from those seeking revenge. This sign illustrated God’s kindness toward sinners. This is what David seeks in Psalm 51:12-13. He intends to use his failure and restoration to lead sinners back to God.

I have a friend who committed adultery. Through a painful process, God graciously forgave him and restored his marriage. Today, when I hear someone is involved in adultery, I call my friend and ask for his involvement. He understands what that journey entails and can provide warnings and assurances of forgiveness from personal experience. He always says, “I hate that I have this in my past, but I am willing to use it to teach others.”

8. True repentance comes to God with a broken spirit (Psalm 51:14-17).

Psalm 51:14-17
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.

In Genesis 3:15, God promises to send One who will crush Satan’s head. We now understand that this One was Jesus, who died on the cross as the once-for-all-time substitute sacrifice for our sins. God declared that sin deserves death, so until Jesus came, he required a sacrificial system of offerings. This is where the problem with Cain and Abel began. God accepted Abel’s offering but rejected Cain’s. However, the issue with the offerings was never about what was given but about the giver’s heart. God looked beyond the sacrifice or burnt offering and focused on the heart. He is not pleased with someone simply going through the motions as Cain did. God seeks a person who acknowledges their sin, seeks his mercy, and desires a purified heart. He looks for a “broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart.” God rejected Cain’s offering due to Cain’s heart state.

God examined the hearts of those who followed Him in Genesis. He saw Noah’s heart when he stepped off the ark and offered sacrifices to the God who saved him from the floodwaters. These acts of worship and thanksgiving pleased God (Gen. 8:20-21). He recognized a heartfelt devotion to him when Abraham was willing to sacrifice Isaac (Gen. 22:1-14). Similarly, God is testing the hearts of those who follow him today.

Attending church, donating money, and helping others are all secondary to one thing—the condition of our hearts. True repentance happens when we humbly seek God’s forgiveness. God will never reject a broken and contrite heart.

PERSONAL TIME WITH GOD
Read Psalm 51. Read thoughtfully. See in today’s passage the mercy and grace of a loving God who seeks to restore a contrite heart.

Talking to God
Talk to God about the state of your heart. Have you become comfortable with sin? Is your heart broken and contrite from your rebellion against God? Own your sin and ask God for cleansing and restoration.

Have Questions?
If you have any questions about today’s reading or teaching, please ask. Our team is here to assist you as you explore God’s Word. Submit your question below, and we’ll respond shortly. 

Two more things:

1. Visit ronmoore.org/lifemap for an exercise that will help you explore how God is writing his story in your life. I have included a life map of Joseph as an example.
2. We will meet tomorrow on a Zoom call at 7:00 p.m. to review what we have learned in Genesis and answer questions. If you wish to participate, we will provide a link for the call in tomorrow’s devotion email.