Alex Kremer 05-02-2021 // Psalm 51:1-9; De-Sinning the Sinner

Many of us learn by doing.  Others demonstrate something and we do it.  When the disciples asked Jesus, "Teach us to pray...", the Lord prayed, demonstrating a pattern of prayer for His followers.

In the same way, Psalm 51 is a teaching Psalm.  In it, David offers a demonstration of how a sinner can approach God to confess our sin and to trust in the goodness and loving kindness of a God who is at once both Holy and gracious and merciful.

In Psalm 51, we see that David makes no attempt to down play or cover his own sin.  We see David confessing that his sin, although involving others, was ultimately against God alone.  And finally we see David repenting of his sin; acknowledging that God is just and blameless in His judgment.

But then David turns his demonstration to trust; for He turns to the very character and nature of God as both Holy and righteous, but also gracious and merciful.  And in his prayer, David asks three things of God:

1. Purify me with hyssop; literally De-Sin me
2. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow
3. Blot out all my iniquities

During today's lesson, may we be exhorted to look honestly at our own sin, then come to a Holy and Gracious Father, trusting Him to forgive our sin through the blood of His Son.

Thank you for listening.  May you be blessed through the teaching of God's Word.