September 7
Song 5:1-8:14 | PS 51:1-19 | Prov 22:24-25 | 2 Cor 9:1-15
When we sin, and we all do so, every day, what is our primary concern? Is it being found out? Is it our sin becoming public knowledge? These are natural concerns as often our reputations are on the line. We tend to care much how we are perceived in the eyes of others. This is all to our horizontal relationship with our fellow man. But how about our vertical relationship? Do we see the gravity of our sin before a perfect and holy God? God is omniscient, or all-knowing. Thus, our sin is common knowledge to Him, and there is no question of Him finding out, as He already knows. Does that bother us? Do we feel the sting of separation that this causes us between that unconfessed sin and our holy God?
Though David was a man after God’s own heart, he sinned mightily. He slept with his friend’s wife, then had him killed, then covered it up by marrying her looking benevolent in the process. He looked absolutely fine in the eyes of man. We read of this in 2 Samuel 11, and then how he was confronted with it by the prophet Nathan in chapter 12. This is the backdrop of Psalm 51, a beautiful prayer of repentance with a desperate plea for restoration in his relationship with God. We read in Psalm 51:1-4, “ Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight—That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.”
He goes on in 51:6-7, “ Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, And in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.” We see his greatest fear in 51:10-12, “ Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me... Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.” He reveals how broken he was before God in 51:16-17, “ For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken and a contrite heart— These, O God, You will not despise.”
Perhaps we don’t plead with God like this because we think our sins don’t compare to those which David committed. Perhaps we don’t plead with God because we spend way too much time comparing ourselves to other sinful humans and feel that we measure up fairly well compared to them, and after all, we don’t see them falling on their face before God. Perhaps we spend way too much time on our horizontal relationships and our standing with our fellow man and not enough time on our vertical relationship and our standing with God. Though man might not forgive you, and your reputation might be damaged by others, you will always be forgiven by your Heavenly Father and restoration will occur through true repentance. Just remember this goes beyond “I’m sorry”. It means full acceptance of God’s standards and full acknowledgement of our wrongdoing. God wants relationship. May this relationship be the most important desire of our heart.
Messages from Pastor Lloyd Pulley: