Psalm 51 Continued…
Psalm 51:1-2 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.
David begins by calling out for mercy. Why? Because he recognizes that God’s revealed character is one of love and compassion. From the time of Moses, God has revealed himself as “the compassionate and gracious God,” who forgives sin (Exodus 34:6). David calls upon the God based on his known merciful character.
“Have mercy” (Hebrew – ḥānan) means “be gracious, pity … a heartfelt response by someone who has something to give to one who has a need.”
“Unfailing love” (NIV), “lovingkindness” (KJV), and “steadfast love” (NRSV) translate the common Hebrew noun ḥesed, which includes the ideas love, faithfulness, good-heartedness, kindness.
“Compassion” (NIV), “tender mercies” (KJV), and “mercy” (NRSV) represent the Hebrew noun raḥămîm, “tender mercy, compassion, deep love.”
David knows he doesn’t deserve forgiveness, so he calls on God’s character of mercy to remove his sins. He asks for renewal, purity, and pardon.
“Blot out” (Hebrew – māḥā) means “wipe, wipe out,” here “removing a stain.”
“Wash away” (NIV, Hebrew – kābas) or “wash thoroughly” (KJV, NRSV) here and in verse 7b means “wash, be washed, perform the work of a fuller,” that is “to make stuffs clean and soft by treading, kneading and beating them in cold water.”
“Cleanse” (Hebrew – ṭāhēr) means “be pure, be clean.” The word is used of wind sweeping the skies clear and the purifying of silver, of moral purity as well ritual purity.
David is literally pleading with God to make him clean again. David recognizes the stain this his sin has brought upon his life and soul. He also knows that only God can remove it.
We must recognize the serious nature of sin’s affects in our lives. What it does to us is unthinkable, yet most of us don’t even ponder it for a moment how sin taints us. We would do well to learn from David’s example here.
Only our Heavenly Father is capable of washing the stain of sin away from our hearts. For the believer, it is done at baptism, whose waters symbolize the shed blood of Christ. This macabre scene of a vat filled with blood seems an unlikely source to make anyone clean. But that his what the Father has asked of us to submit to.
When Ananias went to speak to Saul at God’s direction he said to him: “And now what are you waiting for? Get up, be baptized and wash your sins away, calling on his name.” (Acts 22:16) We are made clean in the act of baptismal obedience.
But, the believer will still have sin in his or her life. And we are promised a continual cleaning of our sins if we confess those sins to God. “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
PRAY
Father may I never grow complacent about my sin. Help me to always be quick to confess them to you.