Psalm 51 – Truth in the Inward Parts
By Bunni Pounds
*This blog is part of our weekly, virtual Bible Study through the book of Psalms. For information on how to participate, please visit this page.
This Psalm of David has to be one of the most vulnerable songs of the King of Israel as he was exposed by the Prophet Nathan for his affair with Bathsheba.
David was truly exposed. He was laid bare. The truth was out, and he could no longer hide any more.
Have you ever been in that place where the charade was over, and everyone knew your sins and failures?
That is where David was. Even though he was the King – he knew he had done wrong; but it hit him even deeper than just being exposed on the outside - it hit him deeply inside of his soul.
The key verse to understand the depth of David’s revelation of God in this song is verse 6 – “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.”
Have you ever wondered what true repentance looks like?
This is it!
David cried out to God for mercy for Him to “blot out” his transgressions because he said his “sin is always before me.” (verse 2)
He didn’t want to hide from it anymore. He wanted to see his sin in broad daylight to be changed.
He stood before the JUDGE and realized that the only way he could be blameless is to receive the righteousness of God through the sacrifice of a “broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart.” (verse 17)
Prophet Nathan in 2 Samuel 12:7-14 laid out to King David how good God had been to him. The Prophet reminds David that he is a rich man, that God chose him as King of Israel above everyone else, that God saved him from dying over and over again by King Saul and that he was given a family and prosperity in every area of his life.
Nathan then brought the soul breaking truth from God – “you showed that you did not respect me” (verse 10) through his actions and also he had “made the Lord’s enemies lose respect for him” (verse 14). Because of these two things – God was going to require justice – even though David cried out “I have sinned against the Lord.” (verse 13) Ultimately it required the death of his new baby boy from Bathsheba.
(Foreshadow alert – King David loses His son because of sin. Father God – the King of the universe – loses His son because of the sin of the world. The baby that was born through the lineage of David (The Son of David) grew up and died on a tree to wash and cleanse the sins of the world.)
David was pierced to the heart, and he realized that he didn’t want just external change – he wanted God to expose any hidden part.
His cry was deep - “Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” (verse 6)
The steps that David knew he would have to go through to gain real wisdom in the hidden parts of his heart were brutal, but they were the only way to freedom and real redemption.
He needed to cry out – these words from verses 7-12.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean;
Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
Make me hear joy and gladness,
That the bones You have broken may rejoice.
Hide Your face from my sins,
And blot out all my iniquities.Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast 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 uphold me by Your generous Spirit.
Only then – after crying out to God - could he be truly free from the transgressions (the breaking of the law that he committed) and the iniquity (sin patterns that he was born with).
He understood for the first time -
“Behold I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin my mother conceived me.” (verse 5)
Once he was really free – THEN his life created an impact on others - “I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners shall be converted to You.” (verse 13)
TRUTH spoken through the Prophet Nathan and completely acknowledged by David from his broken heart – brought the WASHING that then brought TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS that produced CONVERSION in the people around him.
Verse 19 says, “Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness”
“Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,
The God of my salvation,
And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.
For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;
You do not delight in burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,
A broken and a contrite heart—
These, O God, You will not despise.” (verses 14-17)
David makes it clear that God doesn’t want burnt offerings. That is not what he really delights in. He had a revelation of God’s character in this moment of repentance.
God delights in broken hearts that understand that they need HIM. Those He will not despise.
Jesus said it this way in His first major headline speech in the Sermon on the Mount.
“Blessed are the poor in spirit,
For theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Blessed are those who mourn,
For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek,
For they shall inherit the earth.
Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
For they shall be filled.” - Matthew 5:3-6
True repentance from the heart comes out of our need for God. David saw his need and responded in the correct way.
Notice in the Psalm that because of the cleansing and the washing that his tongue, lips, and mouth couldn’t stop showing forth praise.
“Sinners shall be converted to You.” (verse 13)
I wonder if we don’t see very many sinners converted by us – because we are not truly broken and free like David was in Psalm 51?
Maybe we are still content letting sin hide out in our inward parts and therefore we have no power to see people changed?
Maybe we need a little more TRUTH being spoken so more WASHING can take place so TRUE RIGHTEOUSNESS can spring out of our lives – so more people will be CONVERTED?
Maybe that is the key to the harvest in America – a little more brokenness and true repentance?
I don’t know about you, but I want to find out.
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.” (Verse 10)
“Behold, You desire truth in the inward parts, and in the hidden part You will make me to know wisdom.” (Verse 6)
Make me, God, to KNOW wisdom through true repentance and the washing by Your Word.
Join us Monday mornings for our WEEKLY BIBLE STUDY
Does our Psalms Bible Study or the Christians Engaged ministry as a whole bless you?
Would you consider partnering with us as a monthly donor to support the work of our nonprofit ministry? Or maybe a generous one-time donation?