David's Confession
In my home it is not always a peaceful environment , when raising 3 five year olds and a 12 year old, conflict is bound to happen. And when one of your kids takes the toy of the other, or claims that something is theirs that is very clearly not, just like every other parent, I will tell them to give it back and say I’m sorry. Confession is not always the easiest task and yet it is one of the most important pieces of our character that we long to instill in our children.
Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of confession. He had spent an entire year in misery trying to hide and cover up his compounded sins of adultery, betrayal, and murder not realizing that secret sin on earth is an open scandal in heaven. Once David was exposed by the prophet Nathan in 2 Samuel 11 and 12, it was clear that he wanted nothing more than for that scandal to be closed and forgiven. This Psalm is one of the most well-known, humbling, convicting and yet encouraging Psalms in the whole bible.
The first seven verses, David is crying out for God to cleanse him. He admits that he has stepped over the line and committed crime that deserves punishment. Further, he confesses his attempts at twisting the truth and spinning his sin to lessen the debt, but he knows in all of this that he has missed the mark, he has walked away from the life that God had created him to live. David knew that his sin was nothing more than a dirty, disease inflicting behavior that incurred a debt he could not pay.
So all he could was cry out for mercy. The biblical term for mercy is “hesed” which means the favor God built out of a covenant of love. In other words, God shows mercy to fulfill His commitment to us. He doesn’t leave us in our sin, but desires to pull us out. This mercy of God saves and speaks of an eternal commitment that God has made to each one of us, built on truth that forgives, preserves and restores. God who has mercies for us that are new every morning, will deliver peace, love and hope to your soul. Everyone needs mercy. Everyone can find mercy. But everyone like David must ask for mercy!.
The next few verses speak of David crying for God to restore him. He requests God to create in him a clean heart. God’s idea of restoration of the human heart is not fixing something, but rather creating something new, a transplant with a transformation. This new heart is meant to be steadfast and loyal, remaining faithful to the commands and purposes of God for your life. David makes this statement of “Do not take your Holy Spirit away from me”. In the Old Testament, the Holy Spirit would come upon people for acts of service and specific leadership roles. David is crying out for God to restore his position as king and that he would continue to be the man after God’s own heart. IN other words, don’t stop choosing me, don’t stop using me, don’t stop believing in me. Restore unto me the joy of my salvation, and uphold me by your generous Spirit.
In our lives, we must remember that we serve a generous God, who gently and kindly will restore us back to full health. No matter what the sin or wrong that you have committed, God is patient not wanting you to perish, but has an everlasting love and mercy that gently and generously restores you.
The last few verses of this prayerful psalm is a statement of surrender, where David is saying use me! He states I will teach transgressors your way. The darkest points in our lives when redeemed can become the brightest points of hope in someone else’s dark corner. The mistakes of your past, can help others from making those same mistakes. David then says I will sing about your righteousness and show forth your praise. I will bring sacrifices that please you. David was ready to sing a new song, a song that pleases God and not himself. He was done with living a life of pleasure unto himself, and now seeks to bring joy and pleasure to God. Finally, he states I will lead Zion towards your pleasure! This is a king, a leader, who says I will no longer use my position to manipulate and abuse those under my authority for selfish reasons, but I will consider others above myself and lead them to you!
A few things to take away from this Psalm. Sin is serious but God is gracious. Sin is comprehensive, pervasive and defying God and destroying man. It will harm deeply and control you quickly. But God is gracious, and even though his cleaning is costly, His forgiveness is free. Confession is what makes the connection to this wonderful grace, but confession must be built on honesty and humility. Then restoration is made, a new heart is created, joy is reestablished and we begin to walk and worship Him once again.
When you are sitting in the darkness, all your bones crushed by the weight of sin and guilt, remember this: Jesus is praying for you. With all the compassion of a father’s heart for a wayward prodigal, and with all the merits and rights of one who has paid the full penalty on your behalf, he is entertaining your case before the Father. It’s a staggering thought that the very one against whom you have sinned will plead your cause.
Such an incredible love changes the tone of our repentance and our confession.
God is a God of second chances. He is in every detail and is sovereign over all.
Although sin is never a part of his plan, he makes “light shine out of darkness” (2Co 4:6) and “in all things God works for the good of those who love him” (Ro 8:28). This was Jesus’ ultimate mission during his time on earth—to restore God’s people, giving them the gift of life instead of death (Jn 10:10). His blood covered over all the sins of humankind, washing them whiter than snow (Ps 51:7; Rev 7:14)—not because they deserved such a gift, but because of God’s great love for them (Jn 3:16; Eph 2:4). God promises “that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Ro 8:38–39).
My prayer for you today your find joy and gladness in the middle of the sorrow from your past.
That light might shine in the darkness of your shame and that the pain of those broken bones will find hope and healing and sing of God’s praise once again.
But a key phrase in 1 Samuel 12:13 is that Nathan told David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”
The scandal of every secret sin, when confessed and brought under the blood and ministry of Jesus Christ, will be closed in heaven and your eternal place with him is secure.
The Open Scandal has been closed through your confession of Jesus Christ!