One of the traditions that surround Lenten services in churches is the reading of a particular Psalm on each Sunday of Lent. Even though these Psalms do not come out and explicitly talk about the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ, we are able to read them with a redeemed heart. Armed with the knowledge that Christ was “delivered up for our sins and raised again for our justification” (Romans 4:25), we can read many of these Psalms with a confidence that even David didn’t have when he wrote them. A confidence that our eternal salvation has been paid for.
Psalm 51 was written at a particularly dark time in David’s life. History teaches us that Psalm 51 was written directly after the events captured in 2 Samuel 11-12, when David had his elicit affair with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered in an attempted coverup. Since Lent is a time of self-reflection and repentance, Psalm 51 is a wonderful Psalm to meditate on and apply to our lives today.
Psalm 51:1-2 (TPT)
God, give me mercy from our fountain of forgiveness! I know your abundant love is enough to wash away my guilt. Because your compassion is so great, take away this shameful guilt of sin. Forgive the full extent of my rebellious ways, and erase this deep stain on my conscience.
Sin always produces shame. When Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit, the Bible says that their “eyes were opened and they knew that they were naked” (Genesis 3:7). Sin produces guilt and shame, especially for those of us who have committed our lives to Christ. However, the work of Christ on the cross allows us to take our shame to God and ask Him to “wash away our guilt.”
Psalm 51:3-4 (TPT)
For I’m so ashamed. I feel such pain and anguish within me. I can’t get away from the sting of my sin against you, Lord! Everything I did, I did right in front of you, for you saw it all. Against you, and you above all, have I sinned. Everything you say to me is infallibly true and your judgement conquers me.
Sometimes self-reflection is a painful, yet necessary process. It’s hard for us to acknowledge that our sins took place right in front of the Lord. However, since we know that He sees everything that goes on in our lives and even the thoughts of our mind, we have to accept the fact that a Holy God has a front row seat for all of our worst moments. That fact brings about anxiety, even fear. Thankfully, God doesn’t reject us at our worst moments.
Psalm 51:5 (TPT)
Lord, I have been a sinner from birth from the moment my mother conceived me.
We are born with a sinful nature. In Galatians 5:17, Paul says “the desires of the flesh are against the spirit.” We have a natural tilt towards sin. However, when Christ came into the world as a human, He took on the same flesh that we bear. His success in living a sinless, holy life allows us to put the flesh under submission and live our lives in a way that focuses on the eternal instead of the temporary.
Psalm 51:6 (TPT)
I know that you delight to set your truth deep in my spirit. So come into the hidden places of my heart and teach me wisdom.
Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection created the opportunity for us to invite the Holy Spirit to live inside our hearts. That fact delights God! When we make Jesus Christ the Lord of our lives, we invite the Holy Spirit to come into the most hidden parts of our heart. Lent provides us the opportunity to ask God to bring out those things in the hidden areas in an effort to rid ourselves of anything that would separate us from Him.
Psalm 51:7 (TPT)
Purify my conscience! Make this leper clean again! Wash me in your love until I am pure in heart.
The only thing that can purify our conscience and take away our guilt is the blood of Christ. Our own righteousness is like “filthy rags” (Isaiah 64:6). When we ask God to apply the blood of Christ to our sins, our conscience is cleaned because we no longer focus on our own sins. Instead, we focus on His sacrifice.
Psalm 51:8 (TPT)
Satisfy me in your sweetness, and my song of joy will return. The places within me you have crushed will rejoice in your healing touch.
As you truly look within yourself, you may not like what you see. Don’t worry; none of us do if we’re being honest. Many of us have thoughts and feelings that are contrary to the Word of God, and those are hard to accept. However, when we fully submit our lives to God our “song of joy” can return!
Psalm 51:9 (TPT)
Hide my sins from your face; erase all my guilt by your saving grace.
When we sin and experience the guilt associated with that sin, that’s often all we can focus on. However, God doesn’t see us the way that we see ourselves. Once we accept the sacrifice that Christ made on the cross with His own blood, that becomes what God sees when He looks at us. We can ask Him to forgive us of our sins and to not see our worst moment when He looks at us.
Psalm 51:10-11 (TPT)
Create a new, clean heart within me. Fill me with pure thoughts and holy desires, ready to please you. May you never reject me! May you never take me away from your sacred spirit.
At the heart of the Lenten season is the desire for a new, clean heart. We accept the fact that we are sinful creatures who are in constant need of a Savior. David had sinned and there had been long-term ramifications for those sins, but He asked God for a new, clean heart. We can ask God for the same thing and rest in the fact that He will provide it.
Psalm 51:12-13 (TPT)
Let my passion for life be restored, tasing joy in every breakthrough you bring to me. Hold me close to you with a willing spirit that obeys whatever you say. Then I can show the other guilty ones how loving and merciful you are. They will find their way back home to you, knowing that you will forgive them.
Our repentance and restoration allow us to point others towards the cross of Christ where they can find their own restoration. That is the goal of the Christian life; to point others towards Christ’s repentance. Our guilt doesn’t preclude us from Christ’s forgiveness, and neither does the guilt of those around us.
Psalm 51:14-15 (TPT)
O God, my saving God, deliver me fully from every sin, even the son that brought bloodguilt. Then my heart will once again be thrilled to sing the passionate songs of joy and deliverance. Lord God, unlock my heart, unlock my lips, and I will overcome with my joyous praise!
It’s important that you don’t let the Lenten season produce guilt. Yes, it’s crucial that we examine our lives and take a hard look at our own sinful nature. However, we cannot stop with the acceptance of our sin. Acknowledging those sinful tendencies and repenting of them allows God to “unlock” our hearts and our lips in joyful praise.
Psalm 51:16-17 (TPT)
For the source of your pleasure is not in my performance or the sacrifices I might offer to you. The fountain of your pleasure is found in the sacrifice of my shattered heart before you. You will not despise my tenderness as I humbly bow down at your feet.
The sacrifice of Christ on the cross changed the relationship between God and humanity. Instead of the sacrificial system that the Old Testament required, God is now satisfied simply by our acceptance of His gift to us.
Psalm 51:18-19 (TPT)
Because you favor Zion, do what is good for her. Be the protecting wall around Jerusalem. And when we are fully restored, you will rejoice and take delight in every offering of our lives as we bring our sacrifices of righteousness before you in love.
Allow God to “fully restore” you during this Lenten season. As we prepare to celebrate Easter, focus on the fullness of God’s gift of salvation for you. The areas of your life that have been damaged by sin can be restored through His gift.
A Closing Prayer:
Lord, just like David needed restored, so do I. I ask that you help me identify areas in my own life that are not in complete submission to You and fix those issues. God, restore me to the joyfulness I experienced when I first accepted You as my Savior. Help me to point others to Your forgiveness and mercy. In Christ’s name I pray, Amen!