THE MOST EXPENSIVE THING IN THE WORLD Psalm 51:1-17 Return To Psalm Master Index Page I want you to notice the heading of this Psalm. It was written for the choir director. But this kind of music demands a trained ear to appreciate it. It is a liquid melody, composed of tears, groans, sighs, and sobs. This Psalm is no joyful dance, but it is filled with sweet music to God's ear, because it's filled with repentance. It indicates that it is a Psalm of David, and it is, but it is every man's and every woman's Psalm. No, I don't mean every man and woman has committed the same sin that David committed, but I do mean ALL HAVE SINNED (Romans 3:23). Adam sinned Moses sinned John sinned Abraham sinned Peter sinned Lowell sinned Though it was written 3,000 years ago, this Psalm might have been written yesterday or today, for we all relate to it, because at one time or another we have been in the same plight as David. This Psalm comes from a broken heart. David has an awful sense of his sinfulness and was exceedingly sorrowful for his sin and he cries out unto God for mercy, pardon, cleansing and restoration. David was confronted with his sin from within and without. 1. From within: Psalm 32:3-4 Sin did an inside job on him physically, emotionally, and spiritually. 2. From without: Nathan's words, along with the Spirit's conviction, brought David to his knees. Nathan said, Thou art the man; David said, Yes, I am the man!, and with a broken heart, he repents of his sin. The most miserable person in the world is not that lost person who is living in his sin. The most miserable person in the world today is a child of God who once lived in close fellowship with God, but now is away from God. You see, when God saves us, He doesn't fix us where we can't sin, but He does fix us where we can't sin and enjoy it! You and I may be tempted to criticize David, but suppose our most recent sin was recorded
for all the world to see. David knew there was a record of his actions. He knew his sins had been written in God's book in heaven. He knew he could not have fellowship with Holy God until this record was erased and deleted. The solution for the sin of David is the solution for the sin of any person. Sin must be forgiven and the record must be blotted out. It is a blessing when that occurs in a life. Psalm 32:1-2 The wonderful news from heaven is that all are invited to come and experience the great and wonderful grace of God. It will blot out all your guilt at once and remove it completely from God's book and you will never have to face it again. I want you to see the high cost David paid for his sin, but I also want you to see the spiritual change that took place in David's life when he honestly dealt with his sin. I. The High Cost of Committing Sin 51:1-2 David confronts a truth about himself. He realizes he has a sin nature that has corrupted him internally through and through. In 51:5 David was describing the natural spiritual condition of every person born this side of the Garden of Eden. Not only was David's sin recorded in God's book, he knew that he could never be free of guilt on his own. There was nothing HE could do that would make the guilt go away. He could WEEP and DO GOOD WORKS and GO TO WORSHIP, but his guilt would still be there. The only way his guilt could be dealt with was by and act of the grace of God. When David said Wash me and Cleanse me, he knew his sin had made him unclean in the sight of God. In 51:3 David said, My sin is ever before me. What had started out as a pleasurable thing for David had now become a very painful experience in his life. He had enjoyed the pleasures of sin for a season, but was now reaping the full result of that sin in his soul. The pleasure had faded and was now replaced by pain and misery. Now his conscience gnawed at him and he was miserable. David could not escape his sin. It would not go away. Everywhere he looked, there was evidence of what he had done; his sin was ever before him. - Every time he looked at Bathsheba, she was a constant reminder of his having committed adultery. - When Joab, the captain of his army, came into his presence, he was reminded of having Joab to send Uriah to the front line just to be killed. - Every time a servant came in to attend to the king, he wondered if they knew and what he thought of him. - Every time he looked in the mirror, he was ashamed because he knew the truth about himself. David had tried to cover up his sin and had foiled miserably. He tried to act like everything
was alright, but his sin was ever before him and would not go away. Sin remains in a person's life until that sin is dealt with through God's mercy and grace. It cannot be simply forgotten or ignored. He could find no relief until he knew that in mercy and grace, God had forgiven him. David is feeling a deep conviction for his sin and the pressure he feels is likened to bones which Thou has broken (55:8). Every minute of David's life, he was aware of the presence of the pressure from God. It was like trying to walk on a broken leg. David uses three words to describe his wrong toward God: A. Transgressions Notice that the word is plural and means willful rebellion. It means to break away from a certain path; the path of righteousness, the path of holiness. It was used to describe a revolt and a breaking away from authority. David knew God's Law said: Thou shall not covet your neighbor's wife Thou shall not commit adultery Thou shall not commit murder Thou shall not steal Thou shall not bear false witness; yet, David willfully defied God's Law. David knew the Law of God. He knew what's right and wrong. But he debates in his mind whether to do that which is wrong. He willfully choose to do wrong; to go against God, and with God watching. David also knew that sacrifices can be made for sins committed unintentionally, but not for sins done deliberately. David didn't stumble into sin; he jumped in head first. He knew exactly what he was doing! And so do we! B. Iniquity 51:2 The word means moral crookedness. There is something devious, underhanded, and crooked about sin. It is always complicated. It is never simple. Right and goodness are simple. The Law is straight; sin is crooked. If I say to you, I am holding a straight stick behind my back, you would know what it looked like without seeing it. But if I say, I'm holding a crooked stick behind my back, you would not know what it looked like, because it could be crooked in many ways. Jeremiah 17:9 Every man's heart is crooked in some way. You can't look at me and tell where my life is crooked, and I can't look at you and tell where your life is crooked, but your heart and my heart are crooked.
In 51:5 David says that he was born with a sin nature. So are you. C. Sin 51:2 The word sin means to fall short of the mark. Not to miss the mark, but to come short of the mark. We never go over the mark. We always fall short of God's glory. God has given each of us one life to live, and it is like an arrow. We have one arrow to shoot; one chance to aim at the target, and all of us have squandered our shot. We have all fallen short of the mark. Notice again 51:1-2. Sin is like a bad record that needs to be blotted out; like a dirty garment that needs to be washed; and like a fatal disease that needs to be cured. II. The High Cost of Covering Sin Not only did David Commit sin, he tried to Cover his sin. But, we can never successfully cover our sin. Numbers 32:23 Be sure your sin will find you out. Proverbs 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper; but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy. We so often try to hide or cover our sin. When people are arrested for some wrongdoing, they try to hide their face from the news camera. David felt shame for his sin, and he should have. He realized he was guilty in the eyes of a Holy God. Yet, David wanted everyone to think everything was fine between him and his God 113 Someone said that as long as we try to SAVE FACE, we will never SEEK GOD'S FACE! When David tried to cover his sin, it affected his: Eyes 51:3; his Mind 51:6; his Ears 51:8; and his Heart 51:10. Sin: 1. Soils the soul 51:1-2 5. Sickens the body 51:8 2. Saturates the mind 51:3 6. Sours the spirit 51:10 3. Stings the conscience 51:4 7. Seals the lips 51:14-15 4. Saddens the heart 51:8, 12 III. The High Cost of Confessing Sin
David comes to the point where he wants God to deal with his sin problem. But you and I need to understand that unless we admit our sin; acknowledge our sin before Him, He can never deal with our sin in forgiveness. Until we acknowledge our sin before Him, He deals with our sin through guilt, lose of blessings and joy, through chastisement, as well as other consequences of sin. The first step to forgiveness is Faith. We must believe and have faith that our God is merciful, loving, forgiving and willing to forgive, and able to restore. Notice that David assumed full responsibility for what he had done. He takes personal accountability as he says, my transgressions; my iniquity; my sin. David knows that God doesn't pardon excuses or alibis; He pardons and forgives those who confess their sin. David comes broken before the Lord and learns a great truth 51:16-17. Notice 51:4. David calls his actions what they are, sin and evil. He comes to the point where he is willing to turn from his sin and turn to God for forgiveness. This is called repentance. Repentance is a change of direction; a change of heart and mind. Too many people want to be forgiven without repentance. They want to be clean from their guilt, but not change their heart. Notice 51:14. David wanted to be guilt free from his murder of Uriah. IV. The High Cost of Cleansing Sin 51:1 David not only asked for mercy, but Tender mercy. Lord, be tender, gentle with me as you deal with my sin. The words blot out means to erase or delete all the record of my sins, mistakes, and regrets. David was clearly guilty when he went before the Lord in repentance, but he received forgiveness. David threw himself on the mercy of God and the record of his sin was blotted out. David now stood before God, declared righteous. The record of his sins were blotted out. David was so forgiven, it was as if he had never committed any of those sins at all. That is how forgiven the forgiven are. Just think of it, so forgiven it is as if that deed had never happened. - Psalm 103:13 Removed as far as the east if from the west. - Micah 7:19 Cast all sins into depths of the sea. - Jeremiah 31:34 Sin remembered no more. How is that possible? How can a Holy God not punish sin? It is possible because the punishment deserved for that sin has been received by Jesus. The price of sin has been paid by Jesus. He took our place and completed our sentence. He took our punishment that we might go free.
He breaks the power of canceled sin, And sets the prisoner free. His blood can make the foulest clean, His blood availed for me. In Psalm 51:2 David asked the Lord to wash him THROUGHLY from his iniquity. He wants God to do a complete job of washing. Scrub the dirt, the unclean thing, from him. The word describes going to the river with dirty clothes, using the best soap, and using a wood paddle to beat the dirt out of a garment as it is placed on a rock. David felt dirty! I've felt that way too! Then David said, Cleanse me from my sin. The problem today is that many refuse to name the sin as sin. They may call it a mistake or a failure, anything but what it is, sin. Psalm 51:7: Purge me with hyssop. Purge me. The Old Testament priest used hyssop plant to sprinkle blood ow water on a person being ceremonially cleansed from defilement. 51:8 speaks of the pressure of deep conviction for his sins. The pressure David feels from God is likened to bones which Thou has broken. Every minute of David's life, he was aware of the pressure from God. It was like trying to walk on a broken leg or trying to write with a broken hand. He couldn't ignore it. He wants to hear joy and gladness in his life. It was not there at the present time because his sin and guilt had taken both away. Joy and gladness come with restoration. They are part of the package; the by-product of restoration and returning to God. In 51:3 David said that his sin was ever before him, but in 51:9 David realizes that his sin is before the face of God, too. David had tried to keep secret what was no secret to God. Not only that, but as long as his sins were unforgiven they will be before the face of God. God knows! Once a sin is committed, you cannot recall it or annul it,do anything to make it go away. Only an act of God's grace can forgive it. David asked that God would no longer be aware of his sin. He wants God to quit looking at his sin. The only way for that to happen is for God to deal with his sin in mercy; to hide His face from his sins. In 51:10 David knew that God's forgiveness had dealt with what David had done in the past. All the charges against him had been transferred to Jesus and He would pay for them when He came to earth. Now David's attention turns to the future. He is concerned about how he is going to conduct himself from this point onward. God's mercy had taken care of David's actions in the past, now David wants God's grace to take care of what he will do in the future. He needed something to protect him from doing in the future what he had done in the past. He needed his desires and his heart changed. We should never be content with just being forgiven of a sin. We need to ask God to change our heart. He also wanted the power to live out the now desire within so he could
obey God and reject sin. A steadfast spirit: enables one to stand firm in the face of temptation. Change my heart, O God, make it ever true, change my heart, O God, may I be like you. There is the high cost of confessing sin and cleansing sin, but there is an even greater, higher cost if we Do Not Confess our sin and ask for cleansing. Why would anyone want to remain in their sins when they could be washed whiter than snow? Lord Jesus, I long to be perfectly whole; I want Thee forever to ransom my soul; Break down every idol, cast out every foe: Now wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Lord Jesus, for this I most humbly entreat; come now and within me a new heart create; To those who have sought Thee, Thou never saidst no: Now wash me, and I shall be whiter then snow. Return To Psalm Master Index Page