RETURN TO SYLLABUS
PSALMS 51
LESSON #09/P2
DAVID, A REPENTANT SINNER

• MEMORY VERSE: PSA 51:17

• THE SUB-TITLE: "To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba."
• THIS PSALM IS ONE OF THE MORE FAMOUS PSALMS AND OFTEN CALLED THE PENETENTIAL PSALM. THE SUB-TITLE TELLS US THE SPECIFIC INCIDENT IN DAVID’S LIFE TO WHICH THIS PSALM IS RELATED.
• IF YOU ARE UNFAMILIAR WITH THE STORY OF DAVID AND BATHSHEBA, YOU WILL NEED TO READ THE FOLLOWING SCRIPTURES:
• READ 2SAM 11:2-27 AND 2SAM 12:1-14 FOR BACKGROUND.

• PRIMARY INTERPRETATION:
• READ PSA 51:1-4 DAVID’S REQUESTS:
• DAVID REQUESTS GOD’S LOVE AND MERCY NOT BECAUSE DAVID IS WORTHY OF IT BUT BECAUSE LOVE AND MERCY ARE CHARACTER TRAITS OF GOD HIMSELF. (1)
• SOMETIMES WHEN YOU LISTEN TO CHRISTIANS PRAY, THEY BASE THEIR REQUEST ON THE GOODNESS OF THE PERSON.
• "OH GOD, HEAL DEAR SISTER BERTHA BECAUSE SHE IS SUCH A GOOD AND WONDERFUL PERSON!"
• THAT EVALUATION MAY BE TRUE ONLY FROM YOUR PERSPECTIVE, BUT YOU AREN’T BRINGING THE ANSWER TO THE PRAYER.
• DAVID UNDERSTANDS VERY WELL THAT NO PERSON IS GOOD, (MAT 19:17) AND THAT ONLY GOD IS GOOD.
• ALL PEOPLE ARE SINNERS AND NO ONE IS WORTHY OF ANYTHING FROM GOD.
• MAN’S GOODNESS IS SO FAR BELOW THE CHARACTER OF GOD, THAT IT IS BETTER TO BASE OUR PRAYERS ON A MUCH HIGHER LEVEL...ON THE VERY NATURE OF GOD HIMSELF.
• DAVID REQUESTS THAT GOD "BLOT OUT" HIS TRANSGRESSIONS. (1)
• THE HEBREW WORDS, "BLOT OUT", REFER TO A DEBT THAT IS OVERDUE AND IS STILL UNPAID.
• IN OTHER WORDS, IT IS THE SAME AS WHEN A PERSON HAS A FINANCIAL LEDGER AND WRITES DOWN EVERY TIME YOU OWE HIM SOME MONEY. HE WRITES YOUR NAME, AND THEN HE WRITES THE AMOUNT OF MONEY YOU OWE HIM NEXT TO YOUR NAME. WHEN YOU PAY YOUR DEBT, HE BLOTS OUT THE AMOUNT YOU OWED.
• DAVID REQUESTS THAT GOD "BLOT OUT" DAVID’S DEBT FROM GOD’S LEDGER BOOK.
• WHAT IS THAT DAVID OWE’S GOD?
• HE OWES GOD OBEDIENCE.
• DAVID UNDERSTANDS THAT SIN HAS A PRICE THAT MUST BE PAID. (ROM 6:23)
• DAVID’S REQUEST IS THAT GOD CANCEL HIS DEBT.
• DAVID USES THE WORD, "TRANSGRESSIONS" SEVERAL TIMES IN THIS PSALM. (1, 3, 13)
• THERE ARE SEVERAL DIFFERENT WORDS WE USE INTERCHANGEABLY FOR SIN IN THIS CHAPTER. WHILE WE USE THEM INTERCHANGEABLY, THEY EACH HAVE SPECIAL BIBLICAL MEANINGS. WHAT ARE THESE WORDS AND WHAT DO THEY MEAN?
• =1= TRANSGRESSIONS (1,3,13) = CROSSING OVER THE LINE.
• IT IS AS THOUGH GOD HAS A LINE MARKED IN THE SAND AND SAYS, "DON’T CROSS THAT LINE."
• IT IS AS THOUGH THE POLICE DEPARTMENT PASSES A LAW AND SAYS THAT THE SPEED LIMIT IS 65. EVERY TIME YOU GO OVER 65, YOU HAVE CROSSED THE LINE. YOU HAVE TRANSGRESSED THE LAW.
• DAVID CROSSED THE LINE WHEN HE TOOK ANOTHER MAN’S WIFE. HE CROSSED THE LINE AGAIN WHEN HE HAD URIAH KILLED.
• NOTICE THIS WORD IS USED THREE TIMES IN THIS CHAPTER:
• THE NUMBER 3 IS THE SYMBOLIC NUMBER FOR THE TRINITY WHICH TELLS US THAT DAVID NOT ONLY TRANSGRESSED AGAINST GOD, THE FATHER, BUT ALSO AGAINST JESUS, THE SON, AND AGAINST THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• =2= INIQUITIES (2,5,9) = A DEVIATION OR PERVERSION OF RIGHT; AN INJUSTICE; A DEPRAVITY OR CORRUPTION OF MORAL PRINCIPLES.
• THIS WORD, INIQUITY, IS ALSO USED THREE TIMES IN THIS CHAPTER. THEREFORE, DAVID’S INIQUITIES OFFENDED GOD, THE FATHER, JESUS, THE SON, AND THE HOLY SPIRIT.
• =3= SIN (2, 3, 4, 5, 9, 13) = WANDERING FROM THE RIGHT WAY; MISSING THE MARK.
• IT IS AS THOUGH YOU ARE AIMING AN ARROW AT A TARGET. YOU NOT ONLY MISS HITTING THE BULL’S EYE, BUT YOU MISS THE TARGET ALTOGETHER.
• THIS WORD, SIN, IN SOME LINGUISTIC FORM IS USED 6 TIMES IN THIS CHAPTER.
• THE NUMBER 6 IS A SYMBOLIC NUMBER FOR MAN, WHO CONSISTENTLY FALLS SHORT OF GOD’S PERFECTION. (GOD’S PERFECTION IS SYMBOLIZED BY THE NUMBER 7)
• =4= EVIL (4) = HAVING BAD CHARACTERISTICS THAT TEND TO PRODUCE INJURY; OR HAVING BAD MORAL CHARACTER.
• THIS WORD IS USED ONLY ONCE IN THIS CHAPTER:
• THE NUMBER, ONE, IS A SYMBOLIC NUMBER THAT REFERS TO THE ONE TRUE GOD. THEREFORE, ANYTHING THAT IS NOT IN CONFORMITY WITH THE ONE TRUE GOD IS EVIL.
• =5= BLOODGUILTINESS (14) = LITERALLY IT MEANS GUILTY OF SHEDDING BLOOD.
• THIS WORD SPECIFICALLY RELATES TO DAVID’S GUILT IN HAVING URIAH KILLED ON THE BATTLEFIELD.
• THIS WORD IS USED ONLY ONCE IN THIS CHAPTER. THEREFORE, THE WORD HAS A SPECIAL SIGNIFICANCE TO GOD.
• THE TAKING OF A PERSON’S LIFE IS EXTREMELY ABHORRENT TO GOD BECAUSE YOU ARE KILLING WHAT GOD CREATED. (GEN 9:6)
• THE MOST VALUABLE THING ON THE PLANET IS A HUMAN SOUL BECAUSE GOD CREATED THAT SOUL TO LIVE FOREVER. WHEN YOU CUT SHORT A PERSON’S LIFE, YOU TAKE AWAY HIS OPPORTUNITY TO REPENT, PERHAPS SOME DAY, AND THEN TURN TO GOD, THUS GAINING ETERNAL LIFE.
• DAVID REQUESTS THAT GOD WASH HIM THOROUGHLY AND CLEANSE HIM FROM HIS SIN. (2)
• THE WORD, "WASH", REFERS TO A SURFACE WASHING, WHILE THE WORD, "CLEANSE", REFERS TO A DEEP, INWARD CLEANSING.
• DAVID REALIZES THAT SIN MAKES A PERSON "DIRTY". IT IS GUILT THAT MAKES A PERSON KNOW HE HAS SINNED, AND WITH SIN SOMETHING OF HOLINESS HAS BEEN TAKEN AWAY.
• DAVID ACKNOWLEDGES HIS SIN: (3)
• REPENTANCE MEANS THAT WE SEE OURSELVES AND OUR SIN FROM GOD’S VIEWPOINT.
• UNTIL YOU SEE YOUR ACTIONS IN COMPARISON TO GOD’S HIGH STANDARDS, YOU WILL NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE THAT WHAT YOU HAVE DONE IS SIN.
• USUALLY WE RATIONALIZE OUR ACTIONS BASED ON SEEING THEM IN COMPARISON TO WHAT OTHER PEOPLE DO.
• IF WE FALL INTO THIS TRAP, WE ONLY JUSTIFY OUR ACTIONS AND NEVER ACKNOWLEDGE THAT THEY ARE SINFUL.
• THEN, IF WE DON’T ACKNOWLEDGE THEM AS SIN, WE WILL NEVER REPENT.
• IF WE NEVER REPENT, WE WILL NEVER BE FORGIVEN.
• NOTICE THAT DAVID SAYS THAT HIS SIN IS EVER BEFORE HIM. (3)
• HE WILL CONTINUE TO FEEL GUILTY UNTIL GOD FORGIVES HIM.
• ONLY GOD CAN FORGIVE SIN. (MAR 2:5-11)
• PEOPLE TRY ALL KINDS OF REMEDIES TO EASE THEIR GUILT. FOR EXAMPLE, THEY TRY TO IGNORE IT OR DENY IT. THEY TRY DOING GOOD WORKS TO BALANCE IT OUT. THEY TRY COMPARING THEIR ACTIONS WITH OTHER’S ACTIONS.
• HOWEVER, THERE IS NO REMEDY BUT JESUS CHRIST.
• DAVID RECOGNIZED THAT HIS SIN WAS AGAINST GOD. (4)
• HE KNOWS THAT IT IS GOD WHO WILL JUDGE HIM. (4)
• YES, HE WRONGED BATHSHEBA AND HER HUSBAND, URIAH. HOWEVER, THE GREATER WRONG WAS AGAINST GOD AND IT IS GOD WHO FORGIVES SIN.
• AFTER THAT, HE ALSO NEEDED TO ASK BATHSHEBA FOR HER FORGIVENESS, AS WELL.

• READ PSA 51:5-9 LEARNING TRUTH THROUGH SINFUL MISTAKES:
• TRUTH #1:
• "Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me."
• THIS VERSE DOES NOT MEAN THAT DAVID’S MOTHER COMMITTED A SEXUALLY IMMORAL ACT WHEN SHE CONCEIVED DAVID.
• THIS VERSE REFERS TO MAN’S FALLEN STATE AS A SINNER.
• BECAUSE OF ADAM AND EVE’S SIN, ALL MANKIND ARE SHAPED IN INIQUITY AND CONCEIVED IN SIN.
• WE ARE BORN AS SINNERS IN A SINFUL WORLD. (ROM 3:23)
• TRUTH #2:
• DAVID HAS THE CORRECT ATTITUDE:
• HE CANNOT UNDO HIS SIN. THEREFORE, THE BEST ATTITUDE IS TO LEARN GOD’S WISDOM THROUGH IT. (6)
• TRUTH #3:
• "PURGE ME WITH HYSSOP…" AND "…WASH ME…"
• HYSSOP IS A SMALL PLANT THAT WAS USED TO APPLY THE LAMB’S BLOOD TO THE DOOR POSTS ON THE FIRST PASSOVER IN EGYPT. IT WAS ALSO USED TO APPLY THE BLOOD OF SACRIFICED ANIMALS IN THE TABERNACLE AND TEMPLE. (LEV 14:1-7 NUM 19:1-19)
• IN THE OLD TESTAMENT PERIOD, NO SIN WAS EVER FORGIVEN BY ANIMAL SACRIFICE. SIN WAS SIMPLY COVERED OVER BY THE BLOOD OF SACRIFICED ANIMALS. THAT IS THE REASON ANIMAL SACRIFICE HAD TO BE DONE OVER AND OVER AGAIN.
• IT WAS NOT UNTIL JESUS CAME AND DIED ON THE CROSS FOR THE SINS OF THE PEOPLE THAT SIN WAS EVER FORGIVEN. (HEB 9:13-15 HEB 10:4-10)
• THIS IS WHY WE DO NOT SEE DAVID USE THE WORD, FORGIVENESS, OR THE WORD, FORGIVE.
• CLEANSING FROM SIN IN SCRIPTURE HAS TWO ASPECTS. DAVID MENTIONS BOTH:
• =1= MAN NEEDS CLEANSING FROM THE GUILT OF SIN.
• THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE BLOOD OF JESUS CHRIST APPLIED TO A PERSON’S SINFUL HEART.
• IN DAVID’S DAY, BY THE APPLICATION OF THE BLOOD OF A SACRIFICED ANIMAL.
• =2= MAN NEEDS CLEANSING FROM THE DEFILEMENT OF SIN.
• THIS IS ACCOMPLISHED BY THE WATER OF THE WASHING BY THE WORD OF GOD. (EPH 5:26-27)
• THE REPENTANT SINNER NEEDS TO LEARN A NEW WAY TO LIVE SO HE DOES NOT REPEAT THIS SAME SIN AGAIN. GOD ACCOMPLISHES THIS AS THE BELIEVER LEARNS TRUTH IN THE WORD OF GOD.
• TRUTH #4:
• SIN CAUSES JOY AND GLADNESS TO LEAVE. DAVID WANTED THAT JOY AND GLADNESS BACK. (8,12)
• DAVID REFERS TO HIS BONES WHICH ARE BROKEN. (8)
• HE DOES NOT MEAN LITERALLY THAT THESE SINS CAUSED HIS BONES TO BREAK. THE WORD, BONES, ARE SYMBOLIC OF ONE’S WHOLE PHYSICAL STRUCTURE.
• DAVID IS SAYING THAT HE IS IN TOTAL PHYSICAL, SPIRITUAL, AND EMOTIONAL ANGUISH OVER HIS SINS. IT IS THIS TOTAL ASPECT OF SIN THAT CAUSES JOY AND GLADNESS TO FLEE.
• TRUTH #5
• DAVID REALIZES THAT SIN SEPARATES MAN FROM GOD, AND THAT GOD’S HOLINESS CANNOT LOOK UPON SIN. (HAB 1:13)
• DAVID WANTS THAT CLOSE RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD BACK AGAIN SO HE REQUESTS THAT GOD HIDE HIS FACE FROM DAVID’S SIN AND THAT GOD BLOT OUT DAVID’S SIN. (9)

• READ PSA 51:10-14 LOOKING UP FOR A NEW BEGINNING:
• DAVID REQUESTS A NEW CLEAN HEART AND A NEW SPIRIT. (10)
• AS NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVERS WE NEED TO UNDERSTAND THAT THE ROLE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT WAS DIFFERENT IN THE OLD TESTAMENT DISPENSATIONS OF TIME.
• TODAY THE HOLY SPIRIT COMES TO DWELL INSIDE THE BORN AGAIN BELIEVER. ONCE THE HOLY SPIRIT IS INSIDE THE BELIEVER, HE DOES NOT LEAVE. INSTEAD HE IS THE ASSURANCE OF SALVATION IN THE SAME WAY THAT THE ENGAGEMENT RING IS A MAN’S ASSURANCE OF A COMING MARRIAGE. (EPH 1:13-14)
• IN THE OLD TESTAMENT TIME PERIOD, THE HOLY SPIRIT DID NOT INDWELL THE BELIEVER ON A PERMANENT BASIS. THE HOLY SPIRIT CAME TO ANOINT, STRENGTHEN, AND GUIDE A BELIEVER TO ACCOMPLISH SOME SPECIFIC TASK FOR GOD. WHEN THAT TASK WAS COMPLETED, THE HOLY SPIRIT LEFT.
• WITH THIS UNDERSTANDING, WE CAN SEE WHY DAVID PRAYED THAT THE HOLY SPIRIT NOT BE TAKEN FROM HIM. (11)
• THIS IS NOT A PRAYER THE NEW TESTAMENT BELIEVER NEEDS TO PRAY.
• DAVID HAS A DESIRE TO SHARE WITH OTHERS ABOUT GOD’S WONDERFUL FORGIVENESS. (13-15)
• DAVID WILL NOT HIDE HIS SINS AND MISTAKES. INSTEAD HE WILL USE THEM FOR THE GLORY OF GOD. HE WILL BE ABLE TO SAY TO OTHERS, "I HAVE BEEN THERE AND DONE THAT, AND THIS IS WHAT GOD DID FOR ME."

• READ PSA 51:15-19 THE SACRIFICE GOD DESIRES:

• THROUGH THE OLD TESTAMENT, THE RELIGIOUS SYSTEM OF JUDAISM REQUIRED ANIMAL SACRIFICE. DURING DAVID’S TIME PERIOD, IT WAS THE DISPENSATION OF THE MOSAIC LAW WHERE ANIMAL SACRIFICE WAS INSTITUTIONALIZED INTO THE RELIGION OF JUDAISM.
• UNFORTUNATELY INSTITUTIONALIZED RELIGION EVENTUALLY BECOMES TRADITIONS OF CEREMONIES AND PRACTICES WITHOUT MEANING AND HEARTFELT SIGNIFICANCE.
• THIS IS EXACTLY WHAT DAVID REALIZED IN THIS PSALM. HE WAS PROBABLY CONTINUING TO DO ANIMAL SACRIFICE BUT REALIZED THE PRACTICE DID NOT RELIEVE HIS GUILT BECAUSE HE WAS NOT FORGIVEN.
• AFTER A HEARTFELT FORGIVENESS, THEN DAVID WOULD DO ANIMAL SACRIFICE AGAIN REALIZING THAT THEY ONLY POINTED TO CHRIST WHOSE SACRIFICED BLOOD WOULD TAKE AWAY SIN ONCE AND FOR ALL.(19)
• THE SACRIFICE GOD DESIRES IS "A BROKEN SPIRIT AND A CONTRITE HEART". (17)
• IT IS NOT OUTWARD OBSERVANCE OF THE LAW THAT GOD DESIRES.
• GOD DESIRES AN INTERNAL REPENTANCE IN THE HEART.
• THIS IS EXACTLY THE NATURE OF DAVID’S PENETENTIAL PSALM. THESE WORDS ARE FROM DAVID’S HEART TO GOD’S EARS.
• THIS IS EXACTLY THE REASON THE BIBLE CALLS DAVID A MAN AFTER GOD’S OWN HEART (ACT 13:22)
• GOD WANTS REPENTANCE AND DAVID DID EXACTLY THAT.
• THE RESULTS OF RIGHTEOUSNESS IS PEACE AND PROSPERITY. (PSA 85:10)
• BECAUSE DAVID IS KING AND LEADER OF HIS PEOPLE, HE REALIZES THAT HIS ACTIONS HAVE A DIRECT EFFECT ON HIS CAPITAL CITY AND HIS NATION.
• THEREFORE, HE PRAYS FOR THE MORAL RIGHTEOUSNESS AND STRENGTH OF THE CITY OF JERUSALEM WHEN HE REQUESTS THAT THE WALLS BE BUILT UP. (18)

• SUMMARY AND APPLICATION:
• AS WE HAVE SEEN, THERE ARE 5 WORDS USED FOR SIN IN THIS PSALM. THE NUMBER 5 IS A SYMBOLIC NUMBER FOR GOD’S GRACE.
• IT IS ONLY BY THE GRACE OF GOD THAT DAVID’S PRAYER WAS ANSWERED AND HE FOUND GOD’S FORGIVENESS FOR HIS SIN. HE KNEW HE WAS NOT WORTHY.
• THE GRACE OF GOD IS UNMERITED FAVOR BASED ON GOD’S LOVE AND MERCY.
• WE HAVE THE SAME GRACE OF GOD AVAILABLE TO US IF WE REPENT OF OUR SINS AND ASK HIM TO FORGIVE US, JUST AS DAVID DID.

• APPLICATION OF PSA 51
• WHAT NEW THINGS HAVE YOU LEARNED ABOUT SIN FROM THIS CHAPTER?

• ARE THERE ANY SINS YOU HAVE COMMITTED THAT YOU HAVE NOT ASKED GOD TO FORGIVE YOU?

• IF THERE ARE, READ THIS PSALM AGAIN AND PERSONALIZE IT AS YOUR PRAYER OF REPENTANCE TO GOD. THEN READ 1JOH 1:9.

• PREPARATION FOR PSA 52
• READ PSA 52:1-9
• READ 1SAM 21:1-9 FOR BACKGROUND.
• DOEG IS AN ILLUSTRATION OR PREFIGURE OF THE ANTICHRIST. WHAT CHARACTERISTICS DO YOU DISCOVER ABOUT THE ANTICHRIST IN THIS PSALM?

• FROM THIS PSALM, HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE DAVID’S ATTITUDE IN A TIME OF DECEPTION? (8-9)

• MEMORY VERSE: PSALMS 52:8