Psalm 51

{1}Have mercy upon me, O God,
according to thy lovingkindness:
according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies
blot out my transgressions.

{2} Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin.
{3} For I acknowledge my transgressions:
and my sin is ever before me.

{4} Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight:
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest,
and be clear when thou judgest.

{5} Behold, I was shapen in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.

{6} Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts:
and in the hidden part thou shalt 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 to hear joy and gladness;
that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

{9} Hide thy face from my sins,
and blot out all mine iniquities.
{10} Create in me a clean heart, O God;
and renew a right spirit within me.

{11} Cast me not away from thy presence;
and take not thy holy spirit from me.
{12} Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation;
and uphold me with thy free spirit.

{13} Then will I teach transgressors thy ways;
and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
{14} Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
thou God of my salvation:

and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
{15} O Lord, open thou my lips;
and my mouth shall show forth thy praise.

{16} For thou desirest not sacrifice;
else would I give it:
thou delightest not in burnt offering.

{17} The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit:
a broken and a contrite heart, O God,
thou wilt not despise.

{18} Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion:
build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
{19} Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,
with burnt offering and whole burnt offering:
then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar."

The superscription of this psalm tells us it was written by David after Nathan had called him on his sin with Bathsheba. It is not hard to credit that. This psalm was written by a man who had been cut to his very soul with what he had done.

Most of us, sometime in our life will sin and sail on as though nothing had ever happened. But then, God in his mercy will call us on it. There will come a moment when we realize what we have done and a cold finger of fear will touch our heart.

This man had been there. He knew to the depths of his being that what he had done was not only wrong, it was inexcusable.

Yet in his depths of remorse, he could call out to God and repent bitterly for what he had done. He could confess his sin without any excuses. Here I am, Lord. I am guilty, Lord. I am sorry. And there is nothing I can do to redeem it. The only sacrifice I can bring is a broken and crushed heart.
 

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