Musing Psalm 51

I mentioned watching a sermon series on the Psalms of Lament last time. Yet what I didn’t mention is my own drawing series based upon the Psalms. A series I let slip because I got stuck on 48. However, these sermons inspired me to pick it back up again. This time, focusing only on what genuinely inspired me rather than trying to be exhaustive. Then I got to 51, which kicked the inspiration into high gear. After making two separate drawings on 51, I recalled drawing inspiration from 51 before. Technically, I made the drawing first to express a feeling, only to find a verse that matched it soon after. Upon realizing this, I read it again, only to be inspired to do two more drawings. Even as I write this, I feel the urge to do more. So here I am sharing the experience.

51: A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

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. . . Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. -verses 1-2 & 7-9

While two separate sections, they relay the same thing. David humbling himself before God. The repetition indicates a deep level of honest regret. Owning his sin without anymore excuses. We should follow this example.

Cleanse me with Hyssop

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For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. -verses 3-5

This defies the pop-culture notion that “people are basically good.” That the sinful nature is, in reality, inherent. Not every sin stems from a past trauma; sometimes it’s just plain selfish want. We need to be honest with ourselves on this one and deal with our issues accordingly if we want to overcome.

The Sinful Nature

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Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. . . Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. -verses 6 & 10

With that being said, verses 3-5 were never meant to be used as an excuse. We have also been given the means to overcome, and those things come from the hand of God, not mere willpower. While the rest of the Psalm is seldom quoted, verse 10 is often cited outside the context of the chapter's honesty and transparency. Here lies a huge problem in the current church. A desire for the benefit, without the discipline and humility it takes to succeed. (1st Peter 5:6-7) This is one of the reasons why we backslide.

The Secret Place

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Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. -verses 11-12

When we feel far from God, our spirit can grieve. We often feel obliged to stay away from God out of guilt in these moments. However, that’s the exact opposite of what we should do. The weakness of our flesh tends to drag down our spirits. Only God can lift them back up again, so seek his face rather than retreat. (Matthew 26:11)

Stand in the Rain

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Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. -verses 13-15

Much like what Matthew 7:3-5 indicates. It’s only by overcoming the trial for ourselves can effectively teach others to do the same. Instead of merely defining a standard, we never lived up to it. We all struggle to live up to righteousness in our own strength due to our inherent sinful nature. That is why whitewashing is still so prevalent today. We keep it from the one who wants to help.

He also blurs the line between correction and praise. Indicating that we need to stop compartmentalizing worship away from holiness. This is a Psalm after all. Imagine someone writing a praise song about the tribulations of adultery today. Yet scripture sets the precedent. Would it not be fair to say God would be more pleased with sincere repentance than empty words? 

Teaching of Righteousness through praise

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You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. -verses 16-17

On the surface, David is technically violating Mosaic law by not making a sin offering. But if we look deeper, you may realize that animal sacrifices were meant to teach us that sin brings death into the world, and costs us something. Something he was already experiencing through his dying child of said adultery. He had already had nine months to repent; he should have made that ritual sin offering before Bathsheba gave birth. His reluctance to confess up to this point only made it all worse. Also, David knew the truth behind the practice of ritual sacrifice: sincerity. A rote transaction would have done no good at all. We would do well to be as remorseful and honest in our repentance.

Contrite Heart

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May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar. -verses 18-19

Why is David bringing up Zion and Jerusalem all of a sudden? As king, he acknowledges that his position is not just a privilege, but a huge responsibility. That his sin has had consequences beyond just himself. He uplifts the nation of Israel, for whom he is responsible, so they may not suffer for his mistakes. Have we learned from his mistake by accepting responsibility for our own actions as well? Or do we just say our choices are our business alone, despite how it may be trickling down onto others?

Spill Over

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This Psalm is all the more poignant in an age that shuns correction and absolutes. That wants to rationalize self-destructive behavior. As well as marginalize consequences wherever we can. But nothing can erase the harm to our immortal soul other than God's grace. We should ask ourselves, what is our Bathsheba? What are we doing to try to hide or make excuses for it? Why don’t we just admit that our reluctance to face it honestly is greatly hindering our walk with Christ?

The Visual PARABLEist

Whitewashed planks

I had been watching a sermon series online about the Psalms of Lament. Or sorrow and mourning, to use more common speech. One-third of the Psalms fit into this category. The seldom quoted and rarely preached upon third. Only to follow up with something far more straightforward, in the words of the minister. Which makes me wonder if his church didn’t respond very well to it. As unsurprising as this is, we still need to ask ourselves why.

Scripture says it so many times, and in so many ways, that righteousness and wholeness are internal. (Matt 12:33-37, 23:25-26 & 15:19-20) Yet we seem so reluctant to go there and face ourselves. Many even seem to act as if it is wrong. All because that is where the root of our sorrow lives, and we assume it’s for the best to just leave it alone. Granted, some seem to be addicted to their misery and are only looking for excuses, not solutions. Yet, the very fact that the Psalms of Lament exist indicates that you really do have to face it to heal it, instead of shunning your sadness altogether.

“Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. See what this godly sorrow has produced in you: what earnestness, what eagerness to clear yourselves, what indignation, what alarm, what longing, what concern, what readiness to see justice done. At every point you have proved yourselves to be innocent in this matter.” -2nd Corinthians 7:10-11

Sorrow, like so many other things, has two sides to it. Yet if we make no distinction and shun all of it for fear of the bad side. We also lose its benefits. So, have we inadvertently turned Jesus into a whitewash for the planks we don’t want to deal with? (Matt 7:3-5 & 23:27-28) Meaning we just use him as a broad blanket answer for everything. Without any applicable advice on how to put the transformed born-again life into actual practice. Especially if it means facing the brokenness within. Leaving so many unchanged and nothing to offer the lost but more whitewash. We can’t give what we never had after all.

“. . . first take the plank out of your own eye, and THEN you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.” -Matthew 7:5

If a repairman told you that your foundation is collapsing, would you just repaint the house and call it good enough? Of course not, that would be ridiculous. So why are we effectively doing the same with our spirits? True wholeness, for which your holiness is dependent, requires overcoming the brokenness in our hearts. Until we do that, our faith is mostly just a facade.

“Discipline without healing doesn’t work real well over time, and it can do great damage to our hearts. . . ” -John Eldredge

Here is the good news. God wants to be part of a real solution. This isn’t a clean yourself up so you can become worthy of approaching him, as in the Old Testament. It’s about seeking him through study and honest prayer so he can cast a light on those dark places you’ve been avoiding. Then he will show you what to do about it beyond mere camouflage. 

So let me remind you of something I always teach about prayer. Expect anything. People can have tunnel vision with prayers when we assume they have to be answered in a particular way. Especially when praying about the rotten fruit of our sin, because God will likely redirect you to the wounds that they take root in. So if you find your mind wandering during prayer, you don’t necessarily need to abruptly stop and get back on track. Consider what it has wandered to, and how it may relate to your issues. It may just be God nudging you towards real answers.

The Visual PARABLEist

A few Psalms of Lament 6, 13:2-3, 25:16-18, 27:9-10, 31:9-12