Ps 51, Effects of sin

• Background (9 month period of time)
• 2 Samuel 11:1 (ESV) — 1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
• He wasn't doing what he was supposed to be doing
• He wasn't working -- God created man for work -- it is good for our soul
• Leads to an adultery opportunity
• 2 Samuel 11:4–6 (ESV) — 4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. 5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.” // 6 So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David.
• He tries to cover up his sins
• He abuses his authority
• Leads to murder (believing that somehow it is alright) -- sin affects our thinking (what is wrong becomes right)
• 2 Samuel 12:1–7a (ESV) — 1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” // 7a Nathan said to David, “You are the man!
• Nathan rebukes David for his sin
• At this point, David has a few choices
• Ignore
• Repent
• Cut off Nathan's head
• David was a soldier, a man of great passion, an oriental monarch with despotic power -- no king at the time would have felt any compunction to do as he does
• That doesn't diminish his sin


Psalm 51:1–2 (ESV) —
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!


• It is easy to be very critical of David.  I doubt any of us have committed adultery or murder, but I am pretty sure most of us have lied
• Proverbs 6:16–19 (ESV) —
16 There are six things that the Lord hates,
seven that are an abomination to him:
17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue,
and hands that shed innocent blood,
18 a heart that devises wicked plans,
feet that make haste to run to evil,
19 a false witness who breathes out lies,
and one who sows discord among brothers.
• Notice the things that the Lord hates -- murder is one of the seven detestable  sins
• But on the same level is what else? Pride, lying, scheming, running to evil, sowing discord
• The opening statement or thesis is often times the most important.  What is David looking for?
• David needs God's mercy.  David can count on God's mercy because of God's love (some say loving kindness)
• David needs his sins taken away.  David needs God's mercy to take away his sin
• Spurgeon says the Hebrew word, chanan, translated for mercy signifies "without cause or desert" and "without paying any price" based on other uses in the OT (LOOK UP). What do you notice?
• Very first word of the Psalm (after instructions)
• David is forgiven (by asking forgiveness), but he wants more, why?
• Sin makes us feel dirty.  Some have so seared their conscience that it is covered with hardness, but it is still there
• Technically or at least as I understand it, God forgave sin, and the sacrifices covered it ceremonially, but only Jesus' death later could completely remove the stench from our bodies.  Which is probably why, all went to Hades in the OT, some to Abraham's bosom and some to the other side, and after Jesus' death, it say that Jesus led captives in his train ascending to Heaven
• He doesn't just asked to be washed, but also cleansed.  Why and what are the consequences?
• Sometimes, the things God has to do to cleanse us are very painful
• But a person who truly wants to please God will want to be cleansed
• APPLICATION:  David's sin was horrendous, but each of us don't realize how terrible our sin is as well.  Isaiah said, "woe is me, for I am of unclean lips, …, and I stand before God"


Psalm 51:3–6 (ESV) —
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.


• David's first step is asking God for mercy, and in his mercy ask for forgiveness, washing, and cleansing.  What is David's next step?
• Admitting our sin
• Admitting who our sin is against
• Sin is primarily opposition to God.  Why?
• It is saying to God that "I will have my way"
• Also "I don't want to live as you command"
• Also " I don't believe your way is best, fulfilling, or satisfying"
• Recognizing that God sees my sin.  I may try to hide my sin from people, but I always commit my sin openly before God
• Admitting God's truth is right
• Admitting his judgment is correct (God has every right to discipline me for my sin).  Of course, my forgiveness cleans my slate with God but it does not take away the consequences of my actions
• Recognizing I have a sin problem, in fact, a sin nature (not sure how some people say that Jews do not believe in original sin)
• But David realizes that the problem is not external, i.e., his actions, but …
• David's problem starts from the inside
• We need truth in our inmost soul
• How do we get truth in our inmost soul?
• It is not by just hearing the word
• James 1:22–25 (ESV) — 22 But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. 23 For if anyone is a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like a man who looks intently at his natural face in a mirror. 24 For he looks at himself and goes away and at once forgets what he was like. 25 But the one who looks into the perfect law, the law of liberty, and perseveres, being no hearer who forgets but a doer who acts, he will be blessed in his doing.
• We must apply the word to get it into our inmost place
• APPLICATION: Importance of application.


Psalm 51:7–12 (ESV) —
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.


• For the Jews, hyssop was used as part of a ceremonial custom.  It is used for leprosy, but only after the leprosy is gone.  Also, used in the altar sacrifices (and I remember in the holy of Holies). Given that, what is David saying?
• If you say I am clean, I am clean
• If you say I am washed, I am whiter than snow
• => it seems to be an expression of David's faith, i.e., just say the word
• Why did he want to hear joy and gladness?
• God had condemned him
• The law had condemned him
• His conscience had condemned him
• => the feeling was that of an overwhelming weight wanting to crush you, and that is the feeling of unconfessed sin
• Why did David not want the Lord to see his sins?
• He was ashamed
• He repeats the blotting out request but now expands it to all his sins
• It is interesting that David asks for a new heart, a new creation … in the new covenant, we are a new creation
• To create is to make something that did not exist before
• The Hebrew word for renew, chadash, means to be new
• David fears the effect of his sin, why?
• Clearly the OT does have a works-oriented blessing structure (not here in the passage)
• But faith is still credited outside of works (seen in Abraham)
• And here is where the Psalms represents the very heart of the worshipper and not necessarily doctrine.  We are not completely sure what David meant by the Holy Spirit, although in the OT, we do see the spirit of God working through the prophets.  Plus, the spirit did come and go.  Saul had it and then it left him.  So possibly David fears that he has made the same grave error as Saul
• Saul did not wait on God.  David committed adultery and murder.  But there was a difference between the two?
• One recognized his sin
• Saul also asks for forgiveness, but his heart was never right. His heart was always on what he wanted now
• When David prays to be restored to the joy of salvation, what is the implication?
• He lost the joy of salvation
• It doesn't say he lost his salvation, but rather the joy was gone
• I think this can happen to believers who are struggling in sin.  They feel at times as if they have no salvation
• And David recognizes his frailty -- he needs a willing spirit and he needs the Lord's help
• APPLICATION: I still find difficulty with this and verses like it -- finding the balance between my effort and God's power working through me.  I know I need God.  I know I need to lean on him and trust him, but I don't know, completely, what that looks like in practice


Psalm 51:13–19 (ESV) —
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.


• David is forgiven, what is the next step in David eyes?
• To be a teacher
• To tell others
• To turn others back to God
• APPLICATION: theology doesn't save people.  A sinner's story saves people.  Apologetics doesn't save.  Hearing how the gospel impacted a life saves.  Each of us has a story of salvation, our testimony.  It is the most effective tool we have for evangelism.  Sadly, too few of us share our story
• Why the phrase "Save me from bloodguilt?"
• Clearly, it is referencing Uriah
• Not sure why it comes up at this point
• He continues to emphasize  a response of his that is important, what is it?
• Sing of your righteousness
• Open lips
• Mouth declare praise
• APPLICATION:  This is different.  The first part is about a witness.  Now David wants to worship with his mouth
• He continues from witnessing to worship.  Worship does involve our lips, but it also involves what?
• A broken spirit
• A broken and contrite heart
• APPLICATION:  Worship should affect us emotionally as well.  If we never break down in worship, I would say it is because we don't see our sin the way God sees our sin
• We have testimony, worship, and the last part of the healing process, … is?
• Concern for others
• Concern for the kingdom of God
• APPLICATION:  David has his priorities right now.  He can now lead his people.  Sin, unconfessed, can mess up our priorities