The E100 Bible Reading Challenge: Psalms & Proverbs: Have Mercy On Me (42)

Psalm 51

To the leader. A Psalm of David, when the prophet Nathan came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.
Have mercy on me, O God,
   according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
   blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
   and cleanse me from my sin. 

For I know my transgressions,
   and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you alone, have I sinned,
   and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you are justified in your sentence
   and blameless when you pass judgement.
Indeed, I was born guilty,
   a sinner when my mother conceived me. 

You desire truth in the inward being;
   therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
   wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Let me hear joy and gladness;
   let the bones that you have crushed rejoice.
Hide your face from my sins,
   and blot out all my iniquities. 

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
   and put a new and right spirit within me.
Do not cast me away from your presence,
   and do not take your holy spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
   and sustain in me a willing spirit. 

Then I will teach transgressors your ways,
   and sinners will return to you.
Deliver me from bloodshed, O God,
   O God of my salvation,
   and my tongue will sing aloud of your deliverance. 

O Lord, open my lips,
   and my mouth will declare your praise.
For you have no delight in sacrifice;
   if I were to give a burnt-offering, you would not be pleased.
The sacrifice acceptable to God is a broken spirit;
   a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. 

Do good to Zion in your good pleasure;
   rebuild the walls of Jerusalem,
then you will delight in right sacrifices,
   in burnt-offerings and whole burnt-offerings;
   then bulls will be offered on your altar.

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"Mea Culpa"

KEY THOUGHT

True confession means admitting our sin and changing our ways.

OVERVIEW

The context of David’s confession in this famous Psalm is his sin against Bathsheba and her husband Uriah (2 Samuel 11.2—12.25). In David’s prayer, we can find three steps to genuine confession. “Have mercy on me…” (51.1). David honestly described his actions as “transgressions…iniquity…sin.” “Cleanse me…” (51.7). David realized that sin is offensive to God. “Create in me a pure heart…” (51.10). He asked God to straighten out his inner motives so he’d avoid future sin.

CHALLENGE

A CLEAN HEART, A FRESH START, RELIEF FROM GUILT–ALL YOURS

FOR THE ASKING