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.17Waiting for response for Psalms 51:17 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.18Waiting for response for Psalms 51:18 then sacrifices will be reintroduced with the rebuilding of the LORD’s temple by Jesus.v.19Waiting for response for Psalms 51:19
In this Psalm David pleads for God’s mercy for his sin. He recognised that we are all born in sin v.5Waiting for response for Psalms 51:5 because we inherit a sinful nature from Adam, and he also confessed his own personal sin.v.3Waiting for response for Psalms 51:3 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.16Waiting for response for Psalms 51:16 What God requires is “truth in the hidden parts” v.6Waiting for response for Psalms 51:6 therefore the Psalmist prayed for God to purge and wash him v.7Waiting for response for Psalms 51:7 which is done by “the washing of water by the word”. Ephesians 5:26Waiting for response for Ephesians 5:26 God’s word can create a clean heart and a right spirit within us v.10Waiting for response for Psalms 51:10 and he will then blot out all our iniquities.v.9Waiting for response for Psalms 51:9