First, lets break the 10 verse down.
The Psalmist is asking God for a clean heart. Notice the psalmist says, God create in me. He gives acknowledgement that a clean heart comes from God. Only from God can we find the cleansing of our hearts. There’s nothing on this earth that can cleanse our hearts. The English word cleanse, was translated form the Hebrew word ṭâôr. It means to morally and ethically clean.
The word for renew here is translated from the Hebrew word: ḥāḏaš. It means to renew or to rebuild.
The word steadfast, in other translations says, right (KJV) or loyal (NLT). The original Hebrew word used is kûn and means to be firm, be stable, be established or to fix, make ready, prepare, provide, provide for, furnish. Another sub definition is to direct toward (moral sense).
The Psalmist is asking God to cleans his heart and to give him a spirit that is ready, prepared, or directed. HE is asking for restoration in his heart and spirit.
The entire 51 Psalm is an amazing prayer and song of asking God for restoration. We focus on this verse, but today, let us explore then entire Psalm into restoration. DO you need God’s restoration? The Psalmist leads us through the process of God’s merciful restoration.
Acknowledge your Sin and the God who forgives! REPENT
1 Be gracious to me, God,
Psalm 51:1-5
according to your faithful love;
according to your abundant compassion,
blot out my rebellion.
2 Completely wash away my guilt
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I am conscious of my rebellion,
and my sin is always before me.
4 Against you—you alone—I have sinned
and done this evil in your sight.
So you are right when you pass sentence;
you are blameless when you judge.
5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born;
I was sinful when my mother conceived me.
We need to get very real with ourselves and get “conscious” of our rebellion and sin in our lives. We need to understand ultimately, our transgressions are against God. We lie to others, but we have lied to God. We steal from others, but we have stolen for God. Every act of sin we commit is committed against God.
The Psalmist acknowledges God has every right to pass sentence upon us. God is not fair, He is just according to His Word and faithful to His promises. God is faithful and compassionate to forgive us if we truly turn to Him in repentance.
Embrace God’s Wisdom, Rejoice in His Forgiveness!
6 Surely you desire integrity in the inner self,
Psalms 51:6-9
and you teach me wisdom deep within.
7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness;
let the bones you have crushed rejoice.
9 Turn your face away from my sins
and blot out all my guilt.
God’s Word, Truth that leads to freedom, is truth spoken to the depth of our heart. God does not intend us to follow blindly after Him. He desires that our integrity be the wisdom He puts within our hearts. He teaches us His wisdom though the Holy Spirit.
When we repent from our sins, God fills our hearts with joy and gladness. We rejoice and worship the faithfulness of a loving God who does not give up on us. God will step back and let our sinful desires turn us away from Him, but he will not turn away from us.
Restoration and Sustainment
10 God, create a clean heart for me
Psalm 51:10-13
and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not banish me from your presence
or take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and sustain me by giving me a willing spirit.
13 Then I will teach the rebellious your ways,
and sinners will return to you.
This is where our scripture comes in. The Psalmist has acknowledged their sinful rebellion and repented to God. He trusts in God that God has forgiven him and restored, through forgiveness, Joy and rejoicing. Repentance, Rejoicing, and Restoration. God works to transform our hearts and cleanse our hearts of a heart that serves the world, to a heart that serves Him. In that process, the psalmists uses his experience in rebellion to teach others. Through the process of restoration, God empowers us with the wisdom to encourage others to step from rebellion to obedience.
Counterfeit Confessions vs. Repentance
14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God—
Psalm 51:14
God of my salvation—
and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.
15 Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will declare your praise.
16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it;
you are not pleased with a burnt offering.
17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.
You will not despise a broken and humbled heart, God.
The Psalmist says something very interesting in verse 17. God does not want another mindless ritual sacrifice. What God desires is a broken spirit. Our sin and rebellion makes us guilty. Our repentance, is the knowledge of what sin has done within our lives, our relationships, and who we are as people. We should be broken in our spirit as the grand canyon it created between us and God.
How many times have you felt a little stirred up on Sunday morning. Prayed for forgiveness and by Monday you are back to the same old things?
God does not accept counterfeit confessions. You can fool those around you, but he sees your heart. A person that does not fully repent, is not forgiven. When we casually tell God we are sorry, we are guilty but not willing to let go of that sin. Until we truly repent, God will despise our confessions. He will not listen to us. It take humility to kneel before God, but pride stands before Him and fakes a confession.
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