Sermon Tone Analysis

Introduction:

Compare the Immediate Context:

* David (Ps.

51)

* Doeg (Ps.

52)

* Both sinned heinously

* David found forgiveness, life & blessing

* Doeg found guilt, condemnation & death

Main Thought: David believed that God would forgive him.

Can you imagine how he felt when his sins were forgiven?

Sub-intro: Describe the context of David's sin (2 Sam.

11-12) contrasted with the context of Doeg's sin (1 Sam.

22:22ff).

Because this psalm deals only with confession and has no word of the forgiveness (which did follow immediately in the historical narrative, 2 Sam.

12:13b), this psalm must be understood as a full meditation on the importance of confession.

After a believer sins, he must obtain forgiveness if he is to enjoy full participation in the service of the Lord.

The message of this psalm is that the vilest offender among God’s people can appeal to God for forgiveness, for moral restoration, and for the resumption of a joyful life of fellowship and service, if he comes with a broken spirit and bases his appeal on God’s compassion and grace.

[Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed.

J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 832.]

Body:

I.

A Plea in Repentance (Ps.

51:1-9).

A. Seeking God's Compassion (Ps.

51:1-3).

1. God's Unfailing Love (v. 1).

Note - Hesed & the play on words (mercy, lovingkindness, tender mercies) as well as the parallelism

2. Our Undeniable Need (v. 2).

The three verbs David employed here are figurative.

Blot out implies a comparison with human records that can be erased; wash away (kāḇas) compares forgiveness with washing clothing (often viewed as an extension of a person), and cleanse is drawn from the liturgical ceremonial law in which one might be purified for temple participation.

These requests (cf.

vv. 7, 9) stressed David’s desire for God’s total forgiveness of his transgressions … iniquity, and sin.

[Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed.

J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 832.]

3. Our Unrelenting Guilt (v.

3).

Note the epithets for sin: transgression, “the violation of law”; iniquity, “crookedness from the straight line of rectitude”; sin, “missing the mark.”

However much God longs to forgive, he cannot, until confession is made.

We must acknowledge our lapse from virtue!

Blot out, as from a record; wash, as foul stains from linen; cleanse, as a leper by the touch of Christ.

Our only plea is the multitude of God’s tender mercies.

[F.

B. Meyer, Through the Bible Day by Day: A Devotional Commentary, vol. 3 (Philadelphia: American Sunday-School Union, 1914–1918), 78–79.]

B. Sinful Man in Comparison (Ps.

51:4-6).

1.

The Bar of Justice (v. 4).

What an evaluation of sin! Had he not sinned against Uriah, against Bathsheba, against old Ahithophel, his friend, his counselor, and Bathsheba’s grandfather?

Had he not sinned against the people over whom he ruled?

Had he not sinned against that little boy born to Bathsheba under such sordid circumstances?

Of course he had.

But while sin is against man it is also against God.

The prodigal son said: “I have sinned before heaven and in Thy sight.”

Sin is against God; as such, it is so enormous an offense, so fearful a guilt, that all human dimensions fade into nothing when compared with it.

“Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned.”

David’s sorrow and repentance were deep and real.

It was not just that he was sorry for the consequences of his sin.

Esau and Saul and Judas were all sorry when they saw what was going to happen as a result of their sin.

David was sorry for the sin itself and for the passion that had kindled it into flame.

[John Phillips, Exploring Psalms 1–88: An Expository Commentary, vol. 1, The John Phillips Commentary Series (Kregel Publications; WORDsearch Corp., 2009), Ps 51:4a.]

2. Born in Sin (v. 5).

Note - Sinner by birth; sinner by choice.

3. Blinded By Sin (v. 6).

C. Supplication for Cleansing (Ps.

51:7-9).

1. Defiled By Sin (v. 7).

In his prayer for forgiveness the psalmist made the same requests as before (cf.

vv.

1b–2) but in reverse order: cleanse … wash, and blot out.

[Allen P. Ross, “Psalms,” in The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures, ed.

J. F. Walvoord and R. B. Zuck, vol. 1 (Wheaton, IL: Victor Books, 1985), 832.]

Note - Hyssop = sprinkling of blood

2. Disabled By Sin (v.

8).

3. Disgraced By Sin (v.

9).

What dirt is to the body, sin is to the inner person, so it was right for David to feel defiled because of what he had done.

By committing adultery and murder, he had crossed over the line God had drawn in His law (“transgression”); he had missed the mark God had set for him (“sin”) and had yielded to his twisted sinful nature (“iniquity”).

He had willfully rebelled against God, and no atonement was provided in the law for such deliberate sins (Lev.

20:10; Num.

35:31–32).

David could appeal only to God’s mercy, grace, and love (v.

1; Ex. 34:6–7; 2 Sam.

12:22).

[Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Worshipful, 1st ed., “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries, 2004), 186–187.]

II.

The Psalm's Centerpiece (Ps.

51:10).

A. A Clean Heart Created.

B. A Right Spirit Renewed.

C. In Me.

David’s sins had affected his whole person: his eyes (v.

3), mind (v.

6), ears and bones (v.

8; see 32:3–4; 35:9–10; 38:8), heart and spirit (v.

10), hands (v.

14), and lips (vv.

13–15).

[Warren W. Wiersbe, Be Worshipful, 1st ed., “Be” Commentary Series (Colorado Springs, CO: Cook Communications Ministries, 2004), 188.]

D. Centered Around God.

Application: Thread the Themes from Ps. 50-57:

* Ps.

50 - God the Judge Appoints Each Soul to the Bar to Be Judged.

* Ps. 51 - The Penitent Can Have a Clean Heart Created Within.

* Ps. 52 - The Crooked & Corrupt Heart Faces Condemnation.

* Ps. 53 - The Truth Is that None (from the David's to the Doeg's) Do Good; All Have Sinned.

* Ps. 54 - Salvation Is of the Lord; He Alone Can Justify the Guilty Sinner.

* Ps. 55 - Come & Cast Your Burden upon the Lord, for He Careth for You.

* Ps. 56 - Trust in Him, and He Shall Bring it to Pass.

* Ps. 57 - Give Glory to God for His Salvation.

III.

A Prayer for Restoration (Ps.

51:10-19).

A. A Serious Concern (Ps.