How to repent-Ps. 51

Since I have not memorized this one, but have only read it, and for other reasons, I will not write the entire psalm.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness; according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquities and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in they 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. Behold thou desirest truth in the inward parts; and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation, and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners will be converted unto thee. Ps.51:1-13

At the time David wrote this, he was king, and had been for many years. This is what he wrote after Nathan the prophet confronted him about his sin with Bathsheeba. Clearly he had sinned against her husband, and against his people who expected godly standards. Against his soldiers who at war did not deserve a king playing around instead of worrying about their lives and the battles. Perhaps this was a diversion to relieve stress. Bathsheeba had her own responsibility in it. But in comparison, he has been anointed to be God's king for God's people. He owes the Lord everything. And he is aware that God is holy, and therefore not tolerant of self-indulgance or impurity. So God, being the only truly pure and holy being, is the only one who can see sin and have the right to accuse. God is not silenced when we ignore His ways. In awareness of his own sinfulness, rightfully David repents to having betrayed God by his sin.

Since he was the youngest of seven brothers, or several anyway, his mother was married. Having sex with her husband was not a sin. (He is called the son of Jesse, with no indication of question of legitimacy.) Therefore, being conceived in sin, merely means he had a human nature that was bent on selfishness from the very beginning. Some will speak of the innocence of children. Yes, they have great purity not having been defiled by the world. Yet, even a screaming baby not picked up from its crib lets out fits of rage, whether out of boredom wanting out, wanting attention, wanting to be fed, changed or whatever. A child having a toy removed from it, or bottle, or being told he cannot have his way, is perhaps the clearest example of our human temperament. Rage may precede other behavior, but it is eventually followed by deception, and other manifestations. The rest of us learn to cover this up, gloss over with other words, and so on. But though we may know sweet people, no one can say that other person is sinless. It is out of knowing human behavior that David can address sinning against God as the main, and only significant issue. He has seen much of human betrayal, cowardice, lies and trickery, murder. His concern is to please God.

His predecessor, King Saul was renounced by God, after the Almighty appointed him. He took his Spirit away from him, not granting him the fellowship they had formerly had. This destroyed Saul. And it was one reason Saul had had David come in as a boy to play music for him-to heal his soul as he suffered. David took losing God's fellowship, or His anointing most seriously. He also did not relish the idea of going crazy as Saul had. Keeping communication free was, therefore, critical.

Sin had to be renounced. Having been in the temple, the king was aware of ceremonial anointings as well as the multitude of sacrifices. He wants real cleansing-of his heart, not just of form. Therefore it must be God who does the washing, not merely a priest. Later in the Psalms, he acknowledges that God doesn't really care about all the sacrifices of animals. (God owns the cattle on a thousand hills, so the offering is not something He needs.) He says the sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

After these serious issues are resolved, then he can perform the formalities in sincerity (To praise Him, tell others of Him, and sacrifice bulls.) He needs truth inside, not covering up or making excuses for sin. He needs God to not see his sins, and to remove them-because the Lord is a holy God and cannot play favorites, even for the king He has appointed. The only way is to humbly admit his sin and ask for the sin (all of it) to be forgiven. Not thinking he can do enough good deeds to balance what he has done, or blind God from seeing the truth.

He can only repent and trust to God's mercy. And yes, the purpose of the shedding of blood was to forgive sin, for without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin. Still it is not the animal's death alone that provides propitiation and justification. It is the repentance and the dependence upon the Lord's mercy. But the one animal, or a thousand did not last forever. It always required more. That is why there was a new covenant, so that we have a lasting sacrifice. But we all still must humble ourselves, repent of our works, acknowledge His holiness and ask for mercy, believing He cares enough to give it based on His loving kindness and tender mercies, not my own worthiness. Because honestly, sometimes we may know we are wrong, or that our desires are wrong, but not have power to overcome them. It is only his power and mercy that can give us a new heart, and create a right spirit within us.