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PSALM

CHAPTER 51

1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-she'-ba Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

I love this song. Perhaps it should be named: REPENTANCE.

When David was reproved by Nathan the prophet for his sin of adultery and murder, David was heart-broken and went to God in prayer begging forgivness. Then he wrote this song.

Repentance is begging for God's mercy. God says that he will indeed "blot out" our sins when we come asking His forgiveness.

"What can wash away my sins? Nothing but the blood of Jesus!" What a great song that is, and it coincides with verse 2 here.

In order for sins to be forgiven, they must first be acknowledge, or confessed before God. Without confession, the sin is "ever before me." It covers my sould and keeps me from a right relationship with God.

4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom. 7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Sin is FIRST against God, then against our neighbor. God is ALWAYS just when He speaks and righteous when He judges our sin. But we must give God the clear direction. We must acknowledge sin and beg His forgiveness before we will accept God's declaration of it. And then, God can cleans us from the sin.

We begin our lives as sinners. One only has to watch a baby a few hours to know that this is so. No one has to TEACH a child how to sin, it is innate within them.

God's desire is for us to be filled with "truth" and not sin or even thoughts of sin. It is in the heart (the "hidden part") of the soul where God teaches us truth and wisdom. That "hidden part" must willingly acknowledge sinfulness and beg God's forgiveness before we actually open the door for God to speak to us and teach us truth and wisdom.

Hyssop was stiff-branched plant with numerous leaves. It was used to sprinkle the blood on leper's homes (Exodus 12:22). What David is praying is that God will use the hyssop to sprinkle him with the blood of sacrifice in order to be cleansed.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

When we ask God's forgiveness and He grants it, then we can genuinely know the "gladness" of His presence. Upon forgiveness, God begins to look at us through the blood of Christ and sees HIS righteousness instead of our sins.

Verse 10 is most meaningful. When God forgives our sins, He moves righteously within our being and starts us over again. He begins to work a "new thing," and His Holy Spirit begins to teach us truth and wisdom.

David was familiar with what happened to king Saul (verse 11). Saul hardened his heart against obedience to God, and therefore the Holy Spirit of God could not teach him truth and wisdom. He would not HEAR it.

Rather than knowing an absence of God's presence, as Saul had done, David wanted to have the JOY of God's presence restored. And he wanted God to CONTINUE TO UPHOLD him by the presence of His Holy Spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

It is only after we are forgiven and have the presence of God in a right relationship that we can "teach" others the truths of God. Friends, that speaks to my heart each day. I must continually, daily, come before God and beg forgiveness from sin in order to hear from Him properly and teach others His truths! Only when a Christian's heart is right with God can he lead others to KNOW Christ.

There is such a sweet joy in God's forgiveness that it makes us want to SING! That's why David wrote this song. He had been forgiven and had that wonderful JOY of God's forgiveness.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

God has no need for our sacrifices and offerings. But He commands us to bring them for our OWN BENEFIT! IT is we who need to bring them to God. Because, in order for us to bring sacrifices and offerings before God, the work of repentance and forgiveness must have ALREADY begun in our hearts. And THAT is what God wants from us!

The real sacrifice that God wants is a penitant heart: A spirit in the person that is BROKEN by sin and BEGGING for forgiveness.

Let us pray that God will do the work of forgiveness in our person and begin to build walls of defense against sin and the devil.

Then He will be pleased with us, and our offerings will be accepted before Him.

PSALM 52

1 To the chief Musician, Mas'-chil, A Psalm of David, when Do'-eg the E'dom-ite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of A'him'-e-lech. Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually. 2 Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp rasor, working deceitfully. 3 Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah. 4 Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.

Doeg, the Edomite was one of Saul's men when David first started running because Saul wanted to kill Him (1Samuel 21:7). David went to the priest Ahimelech looking for help. Doeg told Saul. Saul had Doeg kill 85 of the priests because they gave aid to David.

Rmember, most of the time the word "wicked" describes people who are WITHOUT God. And one characteristic of the wicked is that they love bragging about evil accomplishments.

Their tongues are described as razors which cut deeply into the soul of man.

5 God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.

The END of the wicked will be an eternal hell. God will one day remove each one by death, and they will be sent to an eternal punishment. They will not be given place with the "living" who are those in God's eternal heaven. Only those who give their hearts to God are "alive." They are "quickened" (or made alive) by the love of God through the sacrifice of Christ upon the cross. But those without God are "dead" -- they are SEPARATED from God.

6 The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him: 7 Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness. 8 But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever. 9 I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

To me, it is always a sad day when a person that has not known God dies. For I know that God says that person will spend eternity WITHOUT God in a place called hell. But it sure makes me "GLAD" that I have surrendered my life to Jesus. Rather than spending life for ourselves, we should spend them for Jesus.

When a person surrenders to Jesus, he is made like a green olive tree that continually bears fruit.

The "fruit" we bear, as Christians, is the PRAISE of God for His lovingkindness and salvation.

CHAPTER 53

1 To the chief Musician upon Ma'-ha-lath, Mas'-chil, A Psalm of David. The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good. 2 God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God. 3 Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.

Friends, when God looks down from His Holiness to our dwelling on earth He sees that NONE are righteous! ALL have sinned (Romans 3:23)! Not ONE person has ever truly desired to do that which is right out of his own heart! Not ONE!

But when we are faced with the evidence of God, and eternal judgment, some will repent and be saved.

Only a FOOL would say that there is no God! There is FAR TOO MUCH evidence otherwise! This is God's definition of a "fool." We should be very careful how we use that term. ((See Matthew 5:22))

4 Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God. 5 There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them. 6 Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

There are many, even today, who claim there is no God, no eternal judgment, and that this life is all we have. They continually work against the saved, the people of God ("My people").

At judgment day they will suffer great fear. For God will preserve those who have trusted Him, and He will send to eternal punishment those who have not.

The pain and suffering in this life at the hands of the "wicked," causes the saved to cry out to God: "YES! God!! Let it come TODAY! Let it be TODAY that Christ comes and judgment is declared! Let it be TODAY that we are eternally saved from the wretchedness of sin!"

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