“Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will plead your cause and take vengeance for you. I will dry up her sea and make her fountain dry, and Babylon shall become a heap of ruins, the haunt of jackals, a horror and a hissing, without inhabitant.’” (Jeremiah 51:36–37 ESV). Jeremiah’s prophecy was written before Babylon’s
Chapter: 51
HAVE YOU RECEIVED A NEW HEART?
“Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10 ESV). After David repented of his sin of adultery, he prayed that God would “create” in him a clean and pure heart. The Hebrew word for “create” is the same as is found in Genesis 1:1 (בָּרָא, bārā’),
CONFESSING OUR SIN AGAINST GOD
“Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just” (Psalm 51:4 NLT). David wrote this psalm in repentance after committing adultery with Bathsheba. Although he surely recognized he had sinned against
“Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins” (Psalm 51:1 NLT).
THE UNFAILING LOVE AND GREAT COMPASSION OF OUR GOD David prayed for God’s mercy and forgiveness after being confronted with his sin with Bathsheba. He did not ask for God’s mercy based on himself, but according to God’s “unfailing love” and “great compassion.” David knew what his sin deserved, yet he cried out for God
“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” (Psalm 51:4 HCSB).
ADMITTING THAT WE HAVE SINNED AGAINST GOD David wrote this psalm in repentance after committing adultery with Bathsheba. Although he surely recognized he had sinned against her and her husband, he felt more grieved that he had sinned against God. This is the mark of true repentance. Not that we admit that we have
“Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion” (Psalm 51:1 HCSB).
G.R.A.C.E. GOD’S REDEMPTION AT CHRIST’S EXPENSE According to the inscription, David wrote this psalm after being confronted by the prophet Nathan for committing adultery with Bathsheba. The psalm is David’s written confession and prayer for forgiveness. Notice that he asked for God’s grace and forgiveness according to God’s “faithful love” and “abundant compassion.” David knew
Shape Me
This week, we’re going to learn to pray, “Lord, shape me.” Prayers where we ask God to examine our inner life to make sure we are in alignment with His will.
In Psalm 51, which David wrote after being confronted with his sin of adultery with Bathsheba, he prayed that God would forgive him of his sin and shape him for His glory. We can pray that God would shape us for His glory.
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; according to the multitude of Your tender mercies, blot out my transgressions.” (Psalm 51:1 NKJV).
THE LOVINGKINDNESS AND TENDER MERCIES OF OUR GOD David prayed for God’s mercy and forgiveness after being confronted with his sin with Bathsheba. He did not ask for God’s mercy based on himself, but according to God’s “lovingkindness” and “tender mercies.” David knew what his sin deserved, yet he cried out for God to forgive
“Thus Babylon shall sink and not rise from the catastrophe that I will bring upon her. And they shall be weary” (Jeremiah 51:64 NKJV).
Jeremiah gave a scroll to Seraiah, a staff officer to the king of Judah, before he went into Babylonian captivity. In the scroll were the words the Lord had given to Jeremiah concerning the future judgment on Babylon. He instructed Seraiah to read all the words of judgment in the scroll aloud when he arrived in Babylon. When he was finished reading, he was to “tie it to a stone and throw it into the Euphrates River” (v.63). The words would be a warning, and the scroll thrown into the Euphrates would be a sign, to make the Babylonians “weary” of the coming judgment. God had allowed Babylon to conquer Judah, but He did not hold them innocent. They too would be judged. For the Lord “rules over the nations” (Psa. 22:28) His purposes to unfold.
Today, the land where Babylon once stood is desolate. Its ruins lie in the desert of modern day Iraq. It fell to King Cyrus of Persia in 539 B.C. It sank and has not risen again in the 2500 years since.
“Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, and blameless when You judge” (Psalm 51:4 NKJV).
David wrote this psalm in repentance after committing adultery with Bathsheba. Although he surely recognized he had sinned against her and her husband, and against his own conscience, he felt more grieved that he had sinned against God, saying, “Against You, You only, have I sinned.” This is the mark of true repentance. Not that we admit that we have broken the law, but that we recognize the magnitude of having sinned against the Lawgiver. David was grieved that he had sinned against God. He further recognized that God was just and blameless when it came to David’s sin. He did not blame God, nor anyone else. As the apostle Paul wrote concerning this, “Let God be true, and every man a liar” (Rom. 3:4). David took full responsibility. He recognized that God would be blameless in whatever justice He dispensed upon him. He recognized God’s righteousness, but he also knew God’s mercy. So, he cried out that God would “have mercy” upon him, not according to his sin, but according to God’s own “lovingkindness.” It was this same “love” (John 3:16) that moved God to answer David’s prayer, not only for him, but for all who would call out, “Jesus, Son of David, have mercy on me!” (Luke 18:38).