The LORD will bring down the proud and exalt the humble who tremble at his word, and the sacrifices God finds acceptable are a broken spirit and a contrite heart.v.17Psalms 51:17XWaiting for response This was David’s character. He was “a man after God’s own heart” but he was overcome by the desires of the flesh and he both committed adultery and brought about the death of the woman’s husband. These were serious sins, but David was forgiven because he humbled himself when God rebuked him, accepted the punishment God brought upon him, and was contrite. God promises to cast our sins far away and to remember them no more if we confess and forsake them. In the scriptures we are given many examples of faithful men and women of which no sins are mentioned because God has forgiven them, but David’s trespasses are recorded so that we can learn how to follow his example of contrition and obtain God’s forgiveness for our own sins. The faithful who behave contritely like David can look forward to the time when God “does good in his good pleasure to Zion and the walls of Jerusalem are rebuilt”,v.18Psalms 51:18XWaiting for response then sacrifices will be reintroduced with the rebuilding of the LORD’s temple by Jesus.v.19Psalms 51:19XWaiting for response
In this Psalm David pleads for God’s mercy for his sin. He recognised that we are all born in sin v.5Psalms 51:5XWaiting for response because we inherit a sinful nature from Adam, and he also confessed his own personal sin.v.3Psalms 51:3XWaiting for response What can we do to be forgiven our sins? Many people think that great sacrifices will bring God’s forgiveness, but this is not the case.v.16Psalms 51:16XWaiting for response What God requires is “truth in the hidden parts” v.6Psalms 51:6XWaiting for response therefore the Psalmist prayed for God to purge and wash him v.7Psalms 51:7XWaiting for response which is done by “the washing of water by the word”. Ephesians 5:26Ephesians 5:26XWaiting for response God’s word can create a clean heart and a right spirit within us v.10Psalms 51:10XWaiting for response and he will then blot out all our iniquities.v.9Psalms 51:9XWaiting for response