June 23, 2007

Psalms 51-57
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1. (To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bath-sheba.) Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.
2. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.
3. For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
4. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
5. Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

1. (To the chief Musician, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when Doeg the Edomite came and told Saul, and said unto him, David is come to the house of Ahimelech.) Why boastest thou thyself in mischief, O mighty man? the goodness of God endureth continually.
2. Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
3. Thou lovest evil more than good; and lying rather than to speak righteousness. Selah.
4. Thou lovest all devouring words, O thou deceitful tongue.
5. God shall likewise destroy thee for ever, he shall take thee away, and pluck thee out of thy dwelling place, and root thee out of the land of the living. Selah.
6. The righteous also shall see, and fear, and shall laugh at him:
7. Lo, this is the man that made not God his strength; but trusted in the abundance of his riches, and strengthened himself in his wickedness.
8. But I am like a green olive tree in the house of God: I trust in the mercy of God for ever and ever.
9. I will praise thee for ever, because thou hast done it: and I will wait on thy name; for it is good before thy saints.

1. (To the chief Musician upon Mahalath, Maschil, A Psalm of David.) The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. Corrupt are they, and have done abominable iniquity: there is none that doeth good.
2. God looked down from heaven upon the children of men, to see if there were any that did understand, that did seek God.
3. Every one of them is gone back: they are altogether become filthy; there is none that doeth good, no, not one.
4. Have the workers of iniquity no knowledge? who eat up my people as they eat bread: they have not called upon God.
5. There were they in great fear, where no fear was: for God hath scattered the bones of him that encampeth against thee: thou hast put them to shame, because God hath despised them.
6. Oh that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion! When God bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice, and Israel shall be glad.

1. (To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David, when the Ziphims came and said to Saul, Doth not David hide himself with us?) Save me, O God, by thy name, and judge me by thy strength.
2. Hear my prayer, O God; give ear to the words of my mouth.
3. For strangers are risen up against me, and oppressors seek after my soul: they have not set God before them. Selah.
4. Behold, God is mine helper: the Lord is with them that uphold my soul.
5. He shall reward evil unto mine enemies: cut them off in thy truth.
6. I will freely sacrifice unto thee: I will praise thy name, O LORD; for it is good.
7. For he hath delivered me out of all trouble: and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies.

1. (To the chief Musician on Neginoth, Maschil, A Psalm of David.) Give ear to my prayer, O God; and hide not thyself from my supplication.
2. Attend unto me, and hear me: I mourn in my complaint, and make a noise;
3. Because of the voice of the enemy, because of the oppression of the wicked: for they cast iniquity upon me, and in wrath they hate me.
4. My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me.
5. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me.
6. And I said, Oh that I had wings like a dove! for then would I fly away, and be at rest.
7. Lo, then would I wander far off, and remain in the wilderness. Selah.
8. I would hasten my escape from the windy storm and tempest.
9. Destroy, O Lord, and divide their tongues: for I have seen violence and strife in the city.
10. Day and night they go about it upon the walls thereof: mischief also and sorrow are in the midst of it.
11. Wickedness is in the midst thereof: deceit and guile depart not from her streets.
12. For it was not an enemy that reproached me; then I could have borne it: neither was it he that hated me that did magnify himself against me; then I would have hid myself from him:
13. But it was thou, a man mine equal, my guide, and mine acquaintance.
14. We took sweet counsel together, and walked unto the house of God in company.
15. Let death seize upon them, and let them go down quick into hell: for wickedness is in their dwellings, and among them.
16. As for me, I will call upon God; and the LORD shall save me.
17. Evening, and morning, and at noon, will I pray, and cry aloud: and he shall hear my voice.
18. He hath delivered my soul in peace from the battle that was against me: for there were many with me.
19. God shall hear, and afflict them, even he that abideth of old. Selah. Because they have no changes, therefore they fear not God.
20. He hath put forth his hands against such as be at peace with him: he hath broken his covenant.
21. The words of his mouth were smoother than butter, but war was in his heart: his words were softer than oil, yet were they drawn swords.
22. Cast thy burden upon the LORD, and he shall sustain thee: he shall never suffer the righteous to be moved.
23. But thou, O God, shalt bring them down into the pit of destruction: bloody and deceitful men shall not live out half their days; but I will trust in thee.

1. (To the chief Musician upon Jonath-elem-rechokim, Michtam of David, when the Philistines took him in Gath.) Be merciful unto me, O God: for man would swallow me up; he fighting daily oppresseth me.
2. Mine enemies would daily swallow me up: for they be many that fight against me, O thou most High.
3. What time I am afraid, I will trust in thee.
4. In God I will praise his word, in God I have put my trust; I will not fear what flesh can do unto me.
5. Every day they wrest my words: all their thoughts are against me for evil.
6. They gather themselves together, they hide themselves, they mark my steps, when they wait for my soul.
7. Shall they escape by iniquity? in thine anger cast down the people, O God.
8. Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book?
9. When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me.
10. In God will I praise his word: in the LORD will I praise his word.
11. In God have I put my trust: I will not be afraid what man can do unto me.
12. Thy vows are upon me, O God: I will render praises unto thee.
13. For thou hast delivered my soul from death: wilt not thou deliver my feet from falling, that I may walk before God in the light of the living?

1. (To the chief Musician, Al-taschith, Michtam of David, when he fled from Saul in the cave.) Be merciful unto me, O God, be merciful unto me: for my soul trusteth in thee: yea, in the shadow of thy wings will I make my refuge, until these calamities be overpast.
2. I will cry unto God most high; unto God that performeth all things for me.
3. He shall send from heaven, and save me from the reproach of him that would swallow me up. Selah. God shall send forth his mercy and his truth.
4. My soul is among lions: and I lie even among them that are set on fire, even the sons of men, whose teeth are spears and arrows, and their tongue a sharp sword.
5. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let thy glory be above all the earth.
6. They have prepared a net for my steps; my soul is bowed down: they have digged a pit before me, into the midst whereof they are fallen themselves. Selah.
7. My heart is fixed, O God, my heart is fixed: I will sing and give praise.
8. Awake up, my glory; awake, psaltery and harp: I myself will awake early.
9. I will praise thee, O Lord, among the people: I will sing unto thee among the nations.
10. For thy mercy is great unto the heavens, and thy truth unto the clouds.
11. Be thou exalted, O God, above the heavens: let thy glory be above all the earth.

Thought for the day:
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Psalm 51 is probably the most famous passage concerning confession of sin in the Scriptures. It was composed by David following his adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. In it we gain numerous insights into what sin really is, and what we as believers need to do to be reconciled to God.

David opens by calling out for mercy. Mercy is defined as "not receiving that which we deserve". This immediately reveals that David understands that he has committed a transgression. So often today people want to excuse their bad behavior through comments like "I can't help myself", or "Everyone is doing it," or "It really isn't that big a deal". David never said those things. He acknowledged that he needed mercy. In verses 2-4 he refers to his actions as iniquity, sin, transgression, and evil. Clearly he was agreeing with God that his actions were sinful. Note in verses 3-4 his attitude toward what he had done. First of all, he admits it ("acknowledge"). Then he states that he is constantly bothered by it ("ever before me"). I think this is important. As we mentioned above, David does not simply sluff off his sin. He is bothered by it. He thinks about it all the time, because he is under conviction about it. Those who are not bothered by their sin are going to struggle to repent of it. Next, David states that his sin was against God. This also is vital because David understands Who his sin really offends. Humanly speaking, we could say that David sinned against Uriah, for he had him killed. He sinned against Bathsheba, for he caused her to commit adultery and she lost her son because of it. He sinned against the rest of his family, and Israel as a whole. Yet David's focus is on what he has done against the Lord. Here is an important principle: even though I may sin against men, and need to ask their forgiveness for my actions, my sin against them does not begin to compare to my sin against a holy God. If I need to confess my sin before a man, how much more offensive has my sin been to the Lord? If men find my actions inappropriate, must not my Heavenly Father find them to be repulsive? David understood this truth, even to the point that he closes verse 4 by stating that God is completely correct when he judges sin. Remember that God's judgment of sin in David's life was to take the life of his newborn son, and take three other of his "lambs" as well. David proclaims that the Lord was justified and clear in the decision that He made.

In verse 5, David teaches the truth of the sin nature. He states that he was conceived in sin. This does not mean that his parents were sinning when he was conceived, but rather that from the moment of his conception he was a sinner. Not only does this prove the doctrine of the inherent sinfulness of man, and thus the universal need for a Savior, but it also proves that man has a soul and is a living human being from the moment of conception. Remember this verse when the pro-abortionists attempt to tell you that life doesn't really begin until birth.

In verses 6-13 David teaches much about sin and forgiveness. In verse 6 he reveals that God is interested in every facet of our lives, including our inward parts: the heart and the mind. A man can do right without thinking right, and David shows that God is interested in both. In verse 7 David teaches that a sinner must be washed by the Lord from his sin, and that when he is cleansed he becomes completely whole. In verse 8 he admits that his sin has caused him not to hear joy and gladness. In verse 10 he states that he needs a new heart and a right spirit, which have been missing because of his sin. In verse 11 he reveals that he has felt like he was no longer living in the presence of God, and in verse 12 he says that he had lost the joy of his salvation. Finally, in verse 13, David indicates that once he has received forgiveness, and his relationship with God has been restored, then he will be able to witness to the unsaved, and they will respond. Perhaps the reason that we are so anemic in our evangelism is because we have unconfessed sin in our lives. This robs us of the power of God, and also ruins our testimony, so that no one will desire to hear our message. These last verses show us again that sin has consequences, and there will always be a price to pay for rebellion.

Even after salvation Christians sin. When we do, we must confess it before God immediately, and allow him to forgive us and restore us to Himself, lest we continue living with the wages of our iniquities.

Psalms
Chapter 51

6. Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
7. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
8. Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.
9. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.
10. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.
11. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.
12. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.
13. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.
14. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
15. O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.
16. For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.
17. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
18. Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.
19. Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Pastor Mark J Montgomery