Joel M Bradshaw

17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.–Psalm 51

While his army was away at war, King David once stayed home. And some lonely night he saw a woman privately bathing. He desired her and being the king, he slept with her. Even though he knew she was the wife of another man. Even one of his soldiers off at war.

So he gets her pregnant and was in a bind. But being king, he sent for her husband from battle and threw him a party. His desire was to get him drunk and then have him spend the night with his wife. But the man refused to play along.

Now David was in a real bind. So he ordered the man placed at the front lines where the fighting was heaviest and then to be left alone there. He made the man carry this letter instructing his own death with him back to the battles. And then David waited for the news.

Eventually the man died and then after a time of mourning, David brought her into his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. David’s plan worked in the eyes of man. But 2 Samuel 11 concludes with these bone-chilling words…

27…But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.

God sent a prophet to confront David, and to his credit, David owned up to his sins. Psalm 51 details his heart journey back to God. Here are 4 steps.

1. GO BEFORE GOD IN PRAYER. Verses 1-2 describe David asking God for mercy and for God to blot out David’s sins.
2. OWN YOUR SINS. Verses 3-6 describe David confessing his sinful state before God. Unlike King Saul, David didn’t rationalize his own sin.
3. TRUST IN GOD AS YOUR ONLY HOPE. Verses 7-12 describe David realizing that only God can provide hope. And David longed for a clean heart, a right spirit, and restored joy before God. Verses 13-16 describe David’s promise of public praise in response. But they are not as important as number 4.
4. BE BROKEN AND CONTRITE BEFORE GOD. David had all these sacrifices of praise and thanksgiving no doubt planned. But he realized that there is only one sacrifice that God wanted from him, his selfish heart. A heart that is humbled and broken by one’s own sins. Saddened and mourning at one’s sinful state.

Now a person is ready for 1 John 1:8-9…

 8If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

David was a man after God’s own heart, because at his worst, he did 1-4 above. We need to make David’s Psalm 51 response our response.–JMB