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Preface: To God be the glory forever and ever, Amen.

Let me repeat that once more as even I fail to see its importance and depth on many ocassions. To God be the glory forever and ever, Amen.

Typical to form, as this weeks trials have been thrown in hard and fast, I have been a constant and rude fool in the face of them. Sunday night I chose to foolishly work on an assignment, though I got it finished, I am still to recover being several days post the binge. Come Tuesday morning when I had to demonstrate the assignment, I was rude and abusive towards the Lecturer for the subject. And that is taking a light hearted view on everything. In the lead up to the assignment, I was constantly bragging about the poor quality of the lecturer (feel free to read that as I arrogantly thought I new more) and his lack of mentioning the language required to implement the assignment in. In short, I do repent (publicly and also privately) as not only did I offend the lecturer of the subject, but more importantly I sinned against God as I blatently (and I do not try and excuse the fact) ignored the person that he chose to place in authority over me.

It is at times like these that I am reminded of Psalm 51, a Psalm of David in which he repents of his adultury and murder. David arrogantly thought that he would get away with everything, though God brought him to repentance through the Prophet Nathan.

For me, there was no prophet in this case. God chose to convict my heart and this brought me to my knees in repentance.

To see what David said, lets read Psalm 51:

Psalm 51:1-2

51:1 Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin! (ESV)

Here we hear just what David thinks of his sin. In truth, it is a good description of how sin is seen. Our sin is like dirty rags and needs to be washed clean.

Psalm 51:3-6

3 For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
4 Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment.
5 Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. (ESV)

This part of the psalm could be an entire blog post in itself, particularly verse 4. It is important to remember that David did wrong by Bathsheba and by Uriah. Though it is the root of his sin that is important. David sinned against God. Let me say that again David sinned against God. And for putting it plainly, I have sinned against God. Of personal interest is verse 6 which shows that God teaches wisdom in the heart. It is not knowledge from the head, but rather wisdom that is learnt through the heart. This is something profound and for David it was done in sorrow and pain as the child born to Bathsheba died.

Psalm 51:7-12

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and blot out all my iniquities.
10 Create in me a clean heart, O God,
and renew a right spirit within me.
11 Cast me not away from your presence,
and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
and uphold me with a willing spirit. (ESV)

Here we have David repenting of what he has done. He knows that he needs to be washed clean and we see that it doesn’t say he will offer sacrifices, instead David asks God to make him clean, to create in him a clean heart, to purge him with hyssop and wash him with water.

Further, David understood that it is by God’s work in him that he is made clean. David asks for a restoration of the joy of God’s salvation. This too is what I seek, I know I may be being a bit harsh with only providing one example, yet it is indicative of my current attitude and vile arrogance not only towards said lecturer, but also towards others whom I would consider friends.

Psalm 51:13-17

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. (ESV)

Here David again seeks salvation from the LORD, he asks for forgiveness. He also promises to teach sinners the error of their ways. David desires nothing more than to praise God knowing just what God has done. We also see that God values repentance over sacrafice, though there is the need of sacrafice and that sacrafice was Jesus.

Psalm 51:18-19

18 Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19 then will you delight in right sacrifices,
in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings;
then bulls will be offered on your altar. (ESV)

The Psalm ends with David asking God to do to Zion what is in his will. He understands that it is God who builds up and also God who destroys. We also see that when God has made a person clean, he delights in their sacrafices which are pleasing to him.

A rather long winded post it seems, though one which many people should read time and time again. Our sin is like filthy rags before God and it is only by his grace that we in fact realise such things.

I’m always thankful for everything that God does, in the good and the bad. Particularly I’m thankful that he sent his Son Jesus to die for the sins of all people. That is, Jesus death and resurrection is sufficient for the salvation of all people, though all people may not be saved.

So, I shall say God bless and fare thee well in serving the LORD of all peace and Glory.

God bless,

Matthew Delves