Psalm 51: Forgiven & Free

Scriptures: Psalms 51:1-6, Matthew 7:9-11, Luke 15:20, Luke 12:31-32

Have you ever realized just how easy it is to start doing things without God? Going through your days with small prayers or doing the “right things” without necessarily the right posture? 

I do. I actually did something similar to this just this week. I felt like the Lord was leading me to write a devotional on Psalm 51, so I listened and started writing. 

And as I did, I forgot the most important thing: bringing God into the writing process. So after I was partway through Day 2, I scrapped it all, recognizing that it was all meaningless if I did the religious things without the Father’s presence in it. It would be meaningless to each of you, too, to read it without God fully being present in my words. 

I couldn’t help but wonder if this was the type of scheme that the enemy used against David, prompting Him into deeper and deeper sin before the prophet Nathan convicted him. David, a man after God’s own heart, was used to doing all of the religious things. He was used to the authority that God had given him. But then he committed a horrible crime against Bathsheba, sent an innocent man to be murdered, and ultimately strayed far from a righteous path. 

While I may not have reached that point, I think that oftentimes these small wanderings of my heart can be the start of more and more if I’m not careful to repent and turn back to Him. 

This is the heart behind Psalm 51. This Psalm, written after David was convicted by Nathan, begins with a plea for mercy, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin” (v. 1-2). 

The word for “blot out” used in verse 1 is actually the Hebrew word “machah” (pronounced maw-khaw). It conveys the idea of not just a tiny blot of ink scribbling over a word, but actually a complete erasing of something. This would have had a strong meaning for most Jewish people during this time, as there were legal repercussions of this word outside of just the spiritual sense. To blot something out was to erase it from history or record, and that had large implications. 

David boldly goes to God and asks Him to erase all records of his wrongdoing, his sin, and his unrighteousness. He wants to be fully cleansed and forgiven – and he approaches the Lord to ask Him this. 

One of the most significant things about David’s action here is the way he operates out of a true belief of who God is. Another way to say this is David had a “right view” of God. Sometimes when I mess up, I can become so ashamed that I don’t want to go to God. I am either scared of what He might say or so ashamed that I just don’t think He will have anything to say at all. Perhaps you have felt the same before! Yet shame does not appear to be something that David is bound by in this scripture. Instead, he recognizes His wrongdoing and walks forward in the light, asking for the Lord’s forgiveness. 

So, as you go out today, I want to challenge you with 2 things to reflect on and ponder: 

1. Are you often so caught up in doing the right thing all the time (or the religious thing) that you forget to bow before the feet of Jesus, allowing Him to guide your steps first? If so, take a moment to do as David did and say, “I’m sorry, God. Would you cleanse me of this way and give me wisdom to take new steps forward?” He has already forgiven you!! Do not hold onto any shame!! You are free, friend. 
2. Do you feel like you are able to go to God when you mess up? If not, don’t worry. I’ve been there! It feels really hard. However, I want to encourage you to take a moment to read a few scriptures that remind you of the truth of God’s real character. He is not a flawed, earthly Father, but instead an adamant and caring Father. He wants the best for you, and He has already forgiven you!! You can go to Him, friend. 

Go in peace today as you reflect and take a moment in God’s word.

Scriptures: John 19:28-30, Psalms 51:7-9

There’s a song that I deeply love by Christian artist Chris Renzema called “Fountain,” and it starts with the lyrics “Let my bones that once were broken, dance now”. As we dive into Day 2 of our deep dive into Psalm 51, it felt right to feature these lyrics that come from verse 8. But before we get to verse 8, verse 7 is quite rich, and I am ready to jump into it with you! 

In verse 7, David writes, “Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.” If you’re anything like me, my first question upon reading this is “what’s hyssop?” and I am happy to have taken on the burden of googling for you. Bible Hub taught me that the plant was known for its place in spiritual rituals and its medicinal properties. It shows up many times throughout scripture, especially in the Old Testament, and the branches of hyssop are used in purification to sprinkle water or blood. At Passover, a hyssop branch was used to put blood on the doorframe of the Hebrew households. Additionally, a hyssop branch was used to give Jesus his vinegar drink on the cross, the last act that He took before saying, “it is finished,” taking on all of our sins to save us. In the same way, Hebrew boys were passed over because of the blood; we, too, have been passed over from death because of Christ’s blood shed on the cross. Hyssop is symbolic, and the context is really important! 

When David wishes to be washed clean with hyssop, that he may be whiter than snow, he is referring to a complete cleanliness; a complete cleansing from the past and a movement into the present. Yet, I think that this desire of David’s was more than symbolic – in fact, I believe that it was quite practical as well. 

Throughout Leviticus 14, hyssop is used as part of the cleansing ritual for those with leprosy or other skin diseases. Why was cleansing so important? A person with leprosy could not engage with the community or the Lord during the time of their disease. They were fully isolated from everything and everyone until they were healed and cleansed by a priest according to the rules outlined in the chapter. 

While David was far from a skin disease, he still recognized the way that he had put himself into isolation from God and godly people around him because of his sin and uncleanliness. He wanted to be forgiven and brought back into the fold of God, his friend and his savior. So he asked! 

And he doesn’t stop there. David goes on in verse 8 to plead,” Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice”. This reveals that David believes redemption is on the other side of God’s forgiveness. 

And it begs the question for people like you and me today – do you believe that God can forgive you, for the smallest sin or the most massive mistake of your life? Because he can and he wants to. 

David got it all wrong, and yet he was willing to go to his good, good Father and ask for a cleansing. He asked for joy to be returned. He asked to be forgiven. 

That means that you can too. You’re never too far gone from the fold of God for the hyssop branch to wave a cleansing over you. He still wants you. He still loves you. Take heart, your story is not over.

Scriptures: Psalms 51:10-19, Zephaniah 3:17

I am incredibly uncomfortable with asking for help. Not because of pride necessarily (although that definitely comes up) and not because I don’t think that others can help me, but actually, I fear being indebted to other people. 

I don’t exactly know when this started. It’s not like as a 6-year-old, my mom made me dinner and suddenly I thought “someday I must make her dinner in return”. It sounds funny even thinking about it, doesn’t it? 

Nevertheless, somewhere along the way, I developed a discomfort with “debt”. 

For example, my roommates love my dog. They love hanging out with her on the porch, and they love movie nights where she curls up beside them. Yet, when my car broke down coming home from work and I had to ask them to let her out, I immediately said, “I’ll Venmo you”. 

If you aren’t familiar with Venmo, it’s an online payment system that works really well for quick payments like this situation. And even though they said it was “literally no problem” and they were “home anyway”, I sent over a quick payment for coffee on me. 

Did I look like a kind, generous roommate who appreciated their help? Sure. Am I that kind, generous roommate? I like to think so. But in this particular moment, I Venmoed them because I was in “debt” to them and I didn’t want to be. Because debt feels incredibly uncomfortable, especially in a society that constantly tells us to pay off our debt as quickly as possible, from credit cards to college loans. 

As much as I hate to admit it, sometimes I wish God worked the same way. It would feel a lot more comfortable knowing that I could pay Him back for all that He’s done for me. Yet, I cannot. He has done so much. 

And like my roommates, but even better, He delights in doing things for me that I could never pay Him back for and could never thank Him enough. And if this is true for me, it is in fact true for you also! He is a God that delights in us, and in fact, Zephaniah 3:17 tells us this in reference to Israel (His people), that He “will rejoice over you with singing”. He is not uncomfortable with our debt to Him – in fact, He has known since the beginning of time that we could never pay Him back, and yet – He chose to love us anyway. He chose us. 

David talks about a similar sentiment towards the end of Psalm 51 in response to God’s forgiveness of Him. In verse 16, David writes, “You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings…” and man, that struck me. 

But before I jump into that, I want to address the confusion that this passage may bring. At this time in history, God’s people (like David) would have been required to bring sacrifices to the Lord in order to make themselves “right” with Him. They were required for forgiveness and the cleansing of sin. If you know that, you may feel like this scripture is a bit contradictory, and it does appear that way. 

Yet – the next verse brings about a little bit more context, “My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise,” (v. 17). David had made sacrifices thousands of times for the House of the Lord, but I love what David Guzik’s commentary says on the matter, “Yet he understood that one could sacrifice an animal or many animals to God without a broken and contrite heart.” 

David knew that God cared more about a broken heart towards sin than the sacrifice to forgive it. The heart of God always cares more about our posture than our sacrifice. David knew this and wanted to show the Lord just how grieved he was by his own actions and own sin. 

Sin breaks God’s heart and should break ours, too. Yet, you and I don’t stay there. We don’t stay in shame – guilty before God. Instead, when we receive the forgiveness of the Lord that He so freely offers, we can walk forward in complete freedom. 

In verse 15, David expresses this as he confesses a willingness to sing the praises of God. I pray that if nothing else, you remember this – you and I have the opportunity to praise God out of a place of our freedom and forgiveness, not our debt. And this is the most beautiful part of our relationship with Christ. 

As you go out today, take a moment to reflect on all that you have learned and all the Lord may be doing in your heart around forgiveness. 

1. Are you trying to pay the Lord back for a debt He already erased? He doesn’t want your “money” – all He wants is your heart and your praise. 
2. Are you living in chains even though the Lord has freed you? Let them go. He has forgiven you already, so how much more can you forgive yourself? 

This is a slow process. You may have to read this devotional 300 more times or spend every day asking the Lord for help on this specific topic – but we pray this: 

Lord, give the one who reads this peace and freedom that You love them. You have forgiven them. And You desire a relationship with them. 

Go in peace. You are freed!