by Rev. Alex. McPherson
Psalm Fifty-one
Verse 8. “Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.”
Having confessed his sin at length, David begins now to plead for deliverance from it. He had first had to seek the cleansing from its guilt which must precede all other benefits. God can bestow no other favours until sin has been pardoned through the application of the merits of the death of Christ to the soul. Only after seeking pardon does David plead for relief from the distress of mind into which conviction of sin had plunged him. In this verse he craves relief in the only way that it can come, namely, through the joyful sound of the Gospel. “Blessed is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance.” (Ps. 89 v. 15). When the miserable sinner will hear God say to him: “Son be of good cheer; thy sins be forgiven thee,” then he will rejoice like a man whose every bone had been crushed and broken, and then restored to soundness, ease and liberty of movement. David had attempted to drink deeply at the fountain of unholy delight. The draught brought his whole being into agony. Then he remembered that the only true gladness is that produced by the experience of God’s pardoning mercy and sovereign grace. Do we also know this?
Verses 9 and 10. “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.”
It would seem however that the thought of the greatness of the divine favour made David again think of his great guilt and defilement and his need of a complete saving work to rid him of all that was offensive to the Most High. Verses 1, 2, 7, 9, 10 and 14 all reveal how dominant was his desire for salvation from sin, and
his conception of God’s holiness is so high that nothing will do but the treatment of both sin’s guilt and inward power.
“Hide thy face” he pleads. “As long as thou dost see my sin, thine anger must burn against me.” But how can God turn away his face from our sins? Only by looking upon us in Christ, or united to Christ. What David is really doing is taking shelter in Christ the promised Saviour. If God will view him as trusting entirely in the promised Redeemer, He will see nothing but the merits of the Saviour who by his one sacrifice was to completely put away his people’s sins. “Behold, O God our shield, and look upon the face of thine anointed.” (Ps. 84 v. 9). Thus will sin be blotted out as if it had never been, and it shall not meet us at the day of judgment. God’s mercy extends to this: “I, even I, am he that blotteth out thy transgressions for mine own sake, and will not remember thy sins.” (Isaiah 43 v. 25).
David’s next petition concerns the cleansing of his heart, for salvation would be incomplete without that. He uses two expressions to convey his desire for spiritual transformation. “Create a clean heart,” just as if the Holy Spirit’s regenerating work had not been done already. His present sense of depravity is so great that he must be certain that this great change of heart be accomplished. He also says: “Renew a right spirit,” that is, “Bring the faculties of my soul to a right condition and exercise. Bring my will to choose Thee and all good; let my affections be engaged with proper objects, Thyself principally; let my mind be taken up with wholesome thoughts, and my conscience be made sensitive to all sin.” Here then is a desire not only to be forgiven, but to be made good at the very root of his nature. Unless we too have this desire, we shall not see heaven.
Verses 11 and 12. “Cast me not from thy presence; and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.”
A new heart is vitally important; lacking that he will be cast away. But if the Holy Spirit will graciously come to dwell in him, that blessed Spirit will never be taken away. So, once again David asks for a joyful heart, and for the constant indwelling of the Holy Spirit to preserve him from further falls.
Verse 13. “Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.”
Deep repentance has had the salutary effect of turning David back to God. The word “converted” could describe his experience. Although generally it applies to the initial turning of a sinner to God after being born again, it is also used in the Bible to describe a turning from backsliding, as in David’s case and also Peter’s mentioned in Luke 22 v. 33. “But I have prayed for thee that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”
David hopes that others may benefit from his experience. No doubt he spoke to many personally. It is certain however, that this Psalm has been the means of turning back many a backslider in penitence and faith. They have learned from it that there is forgiveness with God in order that He may be feared. The words also remind us that it is converted sinners whom God uses to make known his salvation to others. That kind of religion which confines its teachings to moral duties, and to benefits supposed to be derived from the universal fatherhood of God can be taught by natural men. But the Scripture religion which deals with sin and salvation can only be taught intelligently and feelingly by men who themselves have been taught by the Holy Spirit. Indeed most saved sinners will wish to tell others what God has done for their souls, and will be glad to speak of the righteous, wise and merciful ways of God in dealing with them. And even if they have little ability to put their thoughts into words, they can let their actions speak by partaking of the Lord’s Supper thus confessing that they have been saved by God’s grace.