DBG - June 26 - Psalms 51-57

This psalm is written by David and given to used in the worship of the Temple. That may be surprising as you see that this psalm is about his repentance being confronted over his affair with Bathsheba in II Samuel 11.  It may be the most moving of any of David’s compositions, filled with raw emotion and regret.  The theme of the psalm is the confession and repentance of sin.

vs. 1-2 – A plea for mercy and forgiveness from God for sin.  This is coupled with the desire for the sin and its effects to be purged from the sinner.

vs. 3-4 – Every sin is ultimately against God. Yes, sin hurts us and those around us, but it still reduced down to a crime against God’s righteous Law. 

vs. 5-6 – Every human is born in depravity.  We are broken and bent toward sin.  We simply cannot be as righteous as God on our own merit and ability.

vs. 7-8 – The longing for our sin be purged so that we could be holy and enjoy the favor and blessing of God.

vs. 9 – A cry for the forgiveness of sins.

vs. 10-11 – The renewal in a believer’s heart after they repent from their sins.

vs. 12-13 – The believer modeling and proclaiming God’s forgiveness is one of the most powerful tools for evangelism.  No counseling, rehabilitation, or medication can compare to the transformation brought about by God’s mercy and grace.

vs. 14-15 – The celebration of praise toward a God Who delivers from sin.

vs. 16-17 – Again we see behind the curtain surrounding the sacrifices of the Law.  It is not the body and blood of a beast that God desires.  He desires our repentance and humble faith in Him.

vs. 18-19 – The joy of restoration after repentance is described.

This psalm was composed by David and was given for use in the Temple.  It is a Maschil, or song of instruction.  It was written in the distress David felt after Doeg revealed to Saul that he had sought refuge at Nob with Ahimelech (see I Samuel 21:7 and 22:9).  This psalm is a cry for justice against the wicked.

vs. 1-4 – The attitude and actions of the wicked.

vs. 5 – The promise of God’s judgment to come upon the wicked.

vs. 6-7 – The righteous are made to rejoice in the judgment against the wicked.

vs. 8-9 – The place of the righteous contrasted with the destruction of the wicked already seen.  Seeing the entire matter of the righteous and the wicked, the psalm ends with a burst of praise.

This psalm is a variation of the text Psalm 14 with a handful of changes.  The title adds two elements: that is a Maschil or song of instruction, and that is was to be performed upon Malalath.  The latter literally means “disease”, though some translate it as a type of stringed instrument.  The theme of the psalm is the foolishness of the wicked in denying God.

vs. 1-3 – The vanity and guilt of the wicked before the righteous and omniscient God.

vs. 4-5 – There is no deliverance from the guilt of the wicked. 

vs. 6 – A look forward to the ultimate deliverance of the Jews by the Messiah when His kingdom is established.

This psalm was written by David after the people of Ziph reported his position to Saul, which the did twice in I Samuel 19-20 and 16:1.  It is a Maschil, or song of instruction, that was given for use in the Temple.  It is a plea for deliverance.

vs. 1-2 – David begs for God to hear his prayer and deliver him.

vs. 3 – David identifies the chief reason his countrymen became his enemies in that they did not seek God’s direction. 

vs. 4 – David declares his faith and confidence in God.

vs. 5 – The destruction of David’s enemies is foreseen.

vs. 6-7 – David promises praise after his deliverance.

This psalm was written by David and given for use in the Temple.  It was to be accompanied by Neginoth (stringed instruments) and is a Maschil, or song of instruction.  It is a plea for deliverance.

vs. 1-3 – David cries for deliverance from his enemies.

vs. 4-8 – David describes his hopeless state.  He longs to escape and be anywhere but where he is at.

vs. 9-11 – David calls for justice against the wicked.

vs. 12-15 – The source of David’s troubles is identified as a friend that had betrayed him.  Many believe this is about his counselor Ahithophel who sided with Absalom.  David prays for justice to be done against him.

vs. 16-19 – David declares his faith that God will deliver him.

vs. 20-21 – The treachery of the betrayer is described.  He had broken a sacred covenant of peace.

vs. 22-23 – Another contrast of the righteous and the wicked.  The righteous trust in the Lord and He delivers them.  The wicked are destroyed.

This psalm was written by David as a Mictham (“golden song”, see notes on Psalm 16) that was to be sung in the Temple.  It was to be performed “upon Jonathelemrechokim”, which literally means “the silent dove in far off places”.  Again, this cannot be the name of a tune as they did not use such things at this time.  Likely it is a musical term describing how the psalm was to be sung, or possibly a description of how David felt as he wrote this.  It was written after David attempted to find refuge among the Philistines as he fled from Saul in I Samuel 21:10.  The theme of the psalm is another cry for deliverance.

vs. 1-3 – David prays in faith that God will deliver him.

vs. 4 – David declares his faith in God.

vs. 5-6 – The machinations of David’s enemies are described.

vs. 7 – A call for God to execute justice against the wicked.

vs. 8-9 – The confidence that God knows the suffering of the righteous and will deliver them.

vs. 10-11 – A declaration of trust in God.

vs. 12-13 – The promise of praise to the God who delivers the righteous from their troubles.

This psalm is by David and given for use in the public worship of the Temple.  It is another Michtam, or “golden psalm”.  David wrote this after his encounter with Saul in the cave when he forbid Abishai from slaying the king, saying, “Destroy him not” (I Samuel 26:9).   It is called an Altaschith, literally meaning “destroy not”.  This term is also found in the headings of Psalm 58, 59, and 75.  This describes the theme of these psalms, which is, according to Charles Spurgeon, is “the destruction of the wicked and the preservation of the righteous”.

vs. 1 – A call for God to be gracious to His afflicted children.

vs. 2-3 – The familiar pattern of calling on God, He hears, and He delivers.

vs. 4 – The danger of David’s situation described. 

vs. 5 – The greatest desire of David is not deliverance, but the exaltation of God.  This is a tremendous testament to David’s faith and his love for God.

vs. 6 – The traps and snares of the wicked laid for the righteous.

vs. 7-10 – Praise for the God who delivers.

vs. 11 – A repetition of vs. 5, calling for God to be exalted.

Psalm 51, as sober as it may be in its theme, is one of the greatest of the psalms.  It is not a license to sin, but a warning against sinning.  It is a model for the believer who succumbs to sin to fiend restoration with God.  We are far to flippant with such things today.  If we could only see our sin through God’s eyes, we would weep over it.

Our hymn today is “A Broken Heart, O Lord, Thou Never Wilt Despise” by Thomas Raffles.  It carries the tremendous themes of Psalm 51.

A broken heart, O Lord!
Thou never wilt despise;
'Tis written in thy word,
This is the sacrifice:
The sacrifice that thou wilt own--
It is the broken heart alone.

Break thou my heart, O Lord!
The rock within me break;
To tremble at thy word,
And at thine anger quake:
Let me in deep contrition lie,
And heave the penitential sigh.

For mercy dwells with thee--
Compassion, all divine;
That mercy show to me;
Be that compassion mine:
For sinners did not Jesus bleed?
And Jesus' blood alone I plead.