#6. Psalm li.


The heading of this Psalm gives a true introduction to its “feeling”: “A Psalm of David” (the name, David, means “the Beloved One”) “when Nathan the prophet” (whose name means “a Gift”) “came unto him”. In type, we have here a beloved child of God, convicted of sin by the Given One, Christ, and the spirit and gift of repentance. His only plea is for mercy. Mercy speaks of pure grace and this alone is the sinner’s plea (see Luke xviii. 13).

There is a wonderful suggestion of the twofold nature of sin in the words “blot out” and “wash me” in verses 1 and 2 of the Psalm. Sin is in God’s book and needs blotting out: it is criminal. Sin is also in the sinner and needs cleansing: It is filth and corruption. In verse 3 the nature of true repentance is seen; sin looms large, and hysterical emotion finds little room. Verse 4 makes clear that sin, though against our neighbour, is nevertheless against God. It is, in His sight, therefore, abominable. Verse 5 shows that original guilt not only does not excuse but heightens the hopeless condition of a sinner, or a saint, in himself, for though outward sin be diminished yet the root is there, and is seen and felt by the spiritual eye. In verse 7 the word “purge” may be rendered “make a sin offering”. The hyssop suggests the Passover and the broken bones of verse 8 speak plainly of David’s realization of his own unfitness to be, or to make, the offering (see Exod. xii. 46, Psa. xxxiv. 19, 20). This explains the sixteenth verse of the Psalm. The Lord did desire sacrifice for He had commanded it, yet He did not desire it from man, but from Christ, as Heb. x. 1-10 shows. Verses 9-12 witness to the fact that although a saved sinner can never finally be lost, yet any practice of sin prevents access into the presence of God, deprives the offender of the enjoyment of fellowship, and leaves him in doubt of the future. Verse 13 agrees with the clear teaching of the N.T. that effective instruction cannot take place until one has oneself been put right with regard to sin. The Lord has not promised to use an unclean vessel, even though that vessel be made of gold or silver.

So far as the Old Covenant is concerned, David here prays an impossible prayer. There was no sacrifice for the sin of murder! Would then David seek to move God to excuse his sin? No, for he says that if the Lord delivers him he will sing of His righteousness, which necessitates the legal removal of the penalty. David had faith, as had all who were saved before Christ, to see beyond the offering of bulls and goats to the One Who was to come, the Lamb of God Himself. The saved sinner does not sing aloud of his own righteousness, for, as verse 15 shows, his mouth is shut, as in the case of the man in the parable, who had not on a wedding garment. Let us learn the result of this great deliverance; it is praise. The sacrifices of verse 17 are accepted because of the sacrifice of Christ. Verses 18 and 19 speak literally of Jerusalem and of literal sacrifices for they look on to the time of the millennial reign of Christ.

We have in this Psalm: (1) David’s own confession; (2) The confession of the saved remnant of Israel when back in their land; when they look upon Him Whom they pierced, for they too have been guilty, like David, of murder and adultery; and (3) The confession of a believer, for Matt. v., vi. and vii. show that murder and adultery can be of the heart.

Let us, realizing our sins against the Lord, and the wondrous efficacy of the blood of Christ, seek forgiveness and cleansing that we may serve God acceptably.

To the unsaved we would say that in this Psalm, a murderer speaks, a murderer is forgiven, and a murderer praises. Whether or not your sins appear as awful as this sin, they are not too great for God to forgive. But they are enough, if unforgiven, to condemn you for ever.

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(From The Berean Expositor, Vol. 31, pp. 118).

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