To sin against God is a serious
offence. When caught in the thick of sin, God would be furthest from one’s mind.
David knew that well. Godly life cannot be sustained when the broken
relationship with God is not mended. David also knew that so well. So in the first
12 verses of Psalm 51, David honestly appraised his sins and flaws and sincerely
confessed them to God. Sin always results in a rift between God and us, but
confession is the first step to take to mend that break. So David took that
first step. The next move he made was to decide to obey God and His law and to
witness to His ways. David knew that his return to God would set the examples
for others, who had sinned and transgressed against God, to follow suit and
return to Him.
In verses 14-17, David then promised
to worship God and serve Him. When he spoke about blood-guiltiness, he must
have thought of how he had cruelly sent Uriah to his death. He had engineered
his demise and hence that thought must have plagued his conscience. Here his
prayer was for that guilt that had weighted heavily in his heart, to be
removed. He knew that only when that weight is removed could he be able to freely
sing of God’s righteousness. Only then could he freely praise God. All of us can
attest to that. It is near impossible to praise God when the guilt of sin looms
heavy in our heart. David knew that a heart that is right and honest before God
would be more precious than meaningless ritualistic sacrifices. And if a sacrifice
could do the job of removing his guilt, David would have gladly done it a million
times over. But he knew that with God, outward
show without inward willingness to change could never erase his wrong. Only a
contrite heart that’s broken by sin and the willingness to change could mend his
broken relationship with God. Without a recognition of one’s sin and genuine repentance,
it would be impossible to find acceptance with God. In these words we can tell
that David truly repented of his sins.
In the last two verses David prayed
for national restoration. As the king and leader of Israel, he knew his sins
would have impacted the nation. And there must not only be personal restoration
but also a corporate restoration. So he asked for the wall to be mended and
repaired. Only then can they be rightly protected. And when the whole nation
finds complete restoration with God, meaningful worship would be a natural outcome.
Sin will not only affect one’s life,
it will also affect that of the people we are associated with. Hence sin must
be judiciously, seriously and thoroughly dealt with. That was what David did.
More than repentance, David was willing to let his life be an example and a
warning for others who had taken the wrong step in life. He had also shown us, through
this Psalm, that relationship with God can be mended only with repentance and a
deep desire for a radical change of heart. When these elements are in place,
the impact of restoration will not be felt personally but also with those who are
affected by the breach. Remember a broken spirit and a contrite heart, God will
not despise. What God truly desires is for inward change in us.
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