New: 1 May 2025
A Prayer of
true Repentance
Psalm 51
Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness;
according to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
Psalm 51:1-2
The Beauty and Power of Forgiveness
Forgiveness is beautiful. Forgiveness is powerful. Forgiveness brings healing, reconciliation and restoration (see A8). But sin is an ugly, destructive force. It causes much harm. Yet God's lovingkindness and compassion are powerful to forgive, cleanse and restore. There is beauty and power in forgiveness despite the pain sinful actions cause. The forgiveness of God towards us empowers us to forgive others. We are instructed to forgive others as we ask forgiveness from God for our own sins (Matthew 6:12, 14-15; cf., Ephesians 4:32; Colossians 3:13; see D1).
Psalm 51 is a prayer of true repentance. David wrote it after he was confronted by a prophet over his sin with another man's wife and a delegated murder associated with it (see heading of Psalm 51). The story is told in the Bible in some detail (see 2 Samuel 11—12). The story speaks of the gravity of sin, the vastness of God's forgiveness of sin, and the lasting consequences of sin. All threes aspects are important. We live in a world whether sin is either down-played or normalised, but also exalted to the extent of people being unforgiving and judgmental. Neither is the biblical way. Jesus didn't come to condemn sinners, but to die for them and their forgiveness unto eternal life (John 3:16-17; 1 Timothy 1:15). Neither didn't He come to justify sin, but show people a better way as the Light of the world (John 8:1-12). The woman caught in adultery did wrong, yet Jesus saved her and told her not to go on in a life of sin. No condemnation of the sinner, no approval of sin. This is the way. David did wrong, but there was God's forgiveness and restoration. David wrote of the blessing of God's forgiveness (Psalm 32:1-2; E32), words Paul touted to explain the Gospel of forgiveness (see Romans 4:6-8) There is forgiveness in Christ (see A7). Christ came to extend the forgiveness of God as an expression of His love (Romans 5:6-8).
David's Sin and God's Forgiveness
While the soldiers were out fulfilling their duties, David stayed back and saw a beautiful woman bathing (2 Samuel 11:1-2). We may rightly assume that she was naked. What David did next was the real problem. Being in a place of temptation is not a sin; it is giving into temptation that causes us to sin. The difference is important. There are many temptations, yet we must do the right thing and use the way out of it (1 Corinthians 10:13). Instead of turning away from the sight of the beautiful woman, David inquired about her and was told that Bathsheba was someone's wife (2 Samuel 11:3). That should've been it for David. And it was not that he lacked wives and concubines! The next wrong step was that he took a woman belonging to another man and she got pregnant immediately (v 4). David was told that she was with child (v 5). James rightly explains the process of how sin of conceived: we are not tempted by God but our sinful desires; if we give in, we are enticed by lust and sin is conceived; the consequence is death )James 1:13-15). The wages of sin of death (Romans 6:23). In David's case, Bathsheba's husband paid the ultimate price for David's sin!
Not only did David sin (unlawful sexual relations), and there were consequences (pregnancy), he then tried to cover it all up. First in a clever way; after that in a deadly way. He called Uriah from the battlefield and had him spend the night with his wife, presumably in the hope that he would think the child was his. Uriah, an honourable man (and not even an Israelite!), refused to have pleasure in times of warfare. When David's clever plan didn't work out, he had him sent to the frontlines of the battle in order to be killed by the enemy. It was a deadly cover up (Samuel 11:6-25). Bathsheba mourned her husband's death (v 26) and then became David's wife (v 27). She bore him a son, yet 'the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD' (v 27b). Whatever our culture says about sin, what ultimately counts is what God thinks about it. He is the Law-giver and Judge. In his confrontation of the king, Nathan the prophet made clear to David that he 'despised the word of the LORD by doing this evil in His sight,' pointing out that both the murder (and war) and adultery were wrong (12:9). David took what belonged to someone else: the one wife of a faithful man, despite having abdunacen in all aspects of life. Nathan confronted the king with a parable to which David reacted fiercely, only to find out that he was 'the man' who caused the offence (vv 1-8). The good shepherd of Israel had failed in being a good shepherd by this grave sin he had committed. Nathan also spoke of the grave consequences of these sins (vv 9-12), including the most painful of consequences: the death of that child conceived in adultery (vv 13b-15). David himself would not die (v 13), yet caused reason for the enemies to blaspheme (v 14). There were immediate consequences (the death of the baby) and long-term consequences (trouble within his family). We better think of the consequences of our actions before we decide to do them.
David's response to Nathan was, 'I have sinned against the LORD' (v 13a). In the prayer of repentance, David reiterated that first and foremost he had sinned against God (Psalm 51:4). Sin is against God and affects people negatively. The 'child died,' although David pleaded with God (2 Samuel 12:15-19). What happened next, surprised the people. David had been in mourning over the chid while it was still alive, perhaps hoping God would relent from taking the child. But God's word stood firm, His will was not to be overturned. The child died and David got up, washed himself and went to worship God (v 20). The people asked him about his actions, and David explained why he did what he did. His fasting was on behalf of the child, yet when God took it, David accepted the judgment of God as a consequence of his sin as he could not bring him back to life (vv 21-23). When we accept the righteous judgment of God for our action, we show humility before God. Many people get angry at God when the conseuanece of their sins manifest. David was different; he accepted God's will. He also comforted Bathsheba and they had another child (v 24). Solomon would become the next king, which speaks of God's forgiveness despite the past sins. The prophetic name for Solomon was Jedidiah, which means, 'beloved of the LORD,' a name given for the Lord's sake (v 25). God's mercy is great despite human weakness. Mercy triumphs over judgment (James 2:13). God is righteous and loving. God's goodness is more than we deserve.
Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from Your presence
and do not take away Your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation
and sustain me with a willing spirit.
Psalm 51:10-12
The Goodness and Mercy of God
The mercy of God expresses the goodness of God. The beloved king of Israel experienced the love of God and called his son 'beloved of God.' God's mercy is beautiful; His goodness transforms lives. David's plea in his prayer of true repentance for God to plot out his transgressions was focused on God's lovingkindness and greatness of His compassion (Psalm 51:1). His desire was to be washed and cleansed (v 2). That's what forgiveness does: the shame and guilty is transformed into joy and peace. David's struggle with his conscience is a real one: he knew his transgressions and his sin was ever before him (v 3). It is no light matter to sin, especially the gravity of David's sins. He didn't take it lightly, and neither should be. Sin is, first and foremost, against God Himself (v 4a). God is righteous when He judges (v 4b). David's humility is seen in his acknowledgement of divine righteousness and human sin. We are born sinful (v 5), which explains our inclination towards sin. We have a sin nature and therefore David asked to be cleansed in the innermost being and the hidden part of his being. Unless there is a deep inner transformation, we tend to easily fall back into sin and the cycle of defeat repeats itself. God wants to liberate us to live a holy life. David sought purification and to experience joy again (vv 7-8). He wanted his sins to be blotted out (v 9). Repentance is a deep inner process, not some external ritual. No minister of priest can forgive sons; only God can. We forgive others when they sin against us; but we all need to repent before God for the sins we have committed. God is faithful and true to forgive a repentant sinner. He always was and Jesus demonstrated God's goodness and mercy is His treatment of forgiving sinners.
David asked God for a 'clean heart' to be created in him, as well as a steadfast spirit )v 10). He didn't want to repeat his sins. He didn't want to be apart from God (v 11), but be restored with a willing spirit that does thew right thing and doesn't give into temptation (v12). He would then go and teach sinners the right way (v 13). We may rightly assume that he would not do this with a proud, judgmental attitude and condemn sinners, but rather show them the way God forgives and restores those who have fallen. Jesus instructs us not to judge and condemn, but rather to see the beam in our own eye before we point to the speck in others' eyes. Human beings tend to be so quick to judge others for minor things while covering up their own major things. This is simply wrong and hypocritical (Matthew 7:1-5). We must speak the truth in love (Ephesians 4:15) as we help others grow in Christ and maturity (vv 11-16). We must correct those who are wrong in gentleness and humility (2 Timothy 2:24-26). If they refuse to listen, we shall not give what is precious to those who don't value it (Matthew 7:6). The goodness and mercy of God triumphs over judgment, but judgment prevails against those who refuse to be merciful (James 2:13). Only the merciful will receive mercy (Matthew 5:7). Those who refuse to forgive will not be forgiven (Matthew 6:14-15; cf., 18:21-35). In a very real sense, therefore, one of the unforgivable sins is unforgiveness. Forgiveness is an expression of love and godly character.
David, after being forgiven, would again rejoice in the God of his salvation and sing of His righteousness (Psalm 51:14). He would declare God's praise (v 15). Sometimes people will not only not forgive you for what you have done wrong, they want you to suffer in shame indefinitely. 'You must pay for your sins,' they say in a bitter judgmental way. But God is not like that. He receives the sinner with a prayer of true repentance and genuine heart. We all sin and need forgiveness. We all need to forgive others for what they have done wrong. Unforgiveness is, as someone noted, like drinking poison while hoping the other person would die. Burnt offerings, David stated, was not ultimately what God was after, but rather a broken spirit and contrite heart (vv 16-17). Sacrifices were part of the Levitical system of atonement. In the New Covenant (see A9) it is Christ's perfect sacrifice that gives us eternal salvation. But sacrifices are insufficient if the heart is not right before the God who sees the heart. God delights in righteous sacrifices once offered with a genuine heart (vv 18-19). We must have sincere heart as we approach God (Hebrews 10:19-22). God will not turn away a sinner who comes to Him with a prayer to true repentance from a genuine heart (Luke 18:9-14; see D2). The One called 'a friend of sinners' (Matthew 11:19) is gracious and merciful (see Q6). He is faithful and true to forgive (1 John 1:9—2:2; see A7). Once forgiven, 'go and sin no more' (John 8:11), but live in 'newness of life' (Romans 6:1-4; see A12). Enjoy the blessing of God's forgiveness (Psalm 32:1-2; Romans 6-8; E32) and rejoice in Him as you proclaim His goodness and mercy to others! He blesses us more than we deserve. God is good and does good.