Read: Psalm 51
Cleanse me from my sin! (v. 2)
David was the king by which all future kings of Israel would be compared. He foreshadows our eternal King, Jesus. And he sinned royally. In 2 Samuel 12, we read of his affair with a married woman who became pregnant. To cover up, David had her husband killed and took her as yet another wife. When the prophet Nathan exposed his sin, the ruse was over. Psalm 51 records David’s prayer and provides us with a model for our prayers when we realize we cannot any longer carry or cover our sin.
The Psalm begins with God’s mercy (v. 1). God’s mercy is the only grounds for forgiveness. David doesn’t make excuses or claim royal immunity. “There is none who does good, not even one” (Ps. 14:3). Next, he acknowledges the true depth of his sin (51:3-6). David says, “Against you, you only, have I sinned” (v. 4). At its root, sin is an affront to a holy God because it reveals our failure to worship him alone. One of the 12 steps in the Alcoholics Anonymous program for recovery reads, “[We] admitted to God, to ourselves, and to another human being the exact nature of our wrongs.” Confession takes responsibility. The fault is ours.
Finally, David pours out his longing for what he wants and what true repentance brings: joy, gladness, a clean heart, a right spirit, and the presence of God himself through the Holy Spirit (vv. 7-12). Don’t those sound good? Let’s spend some time today coming clean with God for the sin we cannot hide and find the joy we so much crave.
As you pray, begin with “Most merciful God, I confess . . .”
About the Author
Rev. Jon Opgenorth serves as president of Words of Hope. Previously, he served for 18 years as senior pastor at Trinity Reformed Church in Orange City, Iowa. In preparation for ministry, he received a BA in Religion from Northwestern College, and an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary.
