Salmos 51

Salmos 51

Morgan - This great song, pulsating with the agony of a sin-stricken soul, helps us to understand the stupendous wonder of the everlasting mercy of our God. In a sense Psalm 51 is an answer to the promise to prayer in the previous psalm "And call upon Me in the day of trouble; I shall rescue you, and you will honor Me." (Ps 50:15) Indeed David has trouble of the worst kind - soul trouble! Jamieson - The Psalm illustrates true repentance, in which are comprised conviction, confession, sorrow, prayer for mercy, and purposes of amendment, and it is accompanied by a lively faith. Title - (For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him,) (after he had gone in to Bathsheba.) Of David - 18 psalms bear David's name and 8 have titles connected with historical incidents in his life. After he had gone in to Bathsheba - This tragic transgression set in motion a chain of evil events that reverberated throughout David's family for the rest of his life! One night of indiscretion led to a lifetime of painful heartache! Oh beloved, how we need to "think before we leap" in to sin! Sin promises pleasure but obscures the pain and thus deceives the sinner (who is not an innocent victim!). Be gracious (chanan; Lxx - eleeo) to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness (hesed; Lxx - eleos) - The ESV entitles this "To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba." To fully grasp the gravity of David's penitential spirit in Psalm 51 the reader is advised to study his sin and cover-up in 2 Samuel 11:1-27+ and his reproof by Nathan, his contrition, his confession and his repentance in 2 Samuel 12:1-18+. As an aside why doesn't he plead for God's justice? (Rhetorical of course!) He is a dead man, and he knows it. Apart from the grace of God he is through. He has had it. Even though he is the king, there is no provision in the ten commandments for kings to sin and order other people to be killed. So David knows that apart from the grace, the mercy, the lovingkindness of God, [which has the idea of pity] compassion of God, [which has the idea of sympathy] he isn't going to make it. So he first appeals to God's character. He knows his God is a God of lovingkindness, a God of compassion. He is not a God like the pagan gods around him. His God really loves his creatures. He in going to incarnate himself in a human body, soul and spirit and will be an experiential God. David senses way back then that the God he has is a God who really understands human beings. So David appeals to the compassion, the mercy of this God. He knows, as far as he is concerned, he doesn't have a leg to stand on. Be gracious is a recurrent prayer request Gen. 43:29; Exod. 33:19; Num. 6:25; 2 Sam. 12:22; Job 33:24; Ps. 4:1; Ps. 6:2; Ps. 9:13; Ps. 25:16; Ps. 26:11; Ps. 27:7; Ps. 30:10; Ps. 31:9; Ps. 41:4; Ps. 41:10; Ps. 51:1; Ps. 56:1; Ps. 57:1; Ps. 59:5; Ps. 67:1; Ps. 77:9; Ps. 86:3; Ps. 86:16; Ps. 102:13; Ps. 109:12; Ps. 119:58; Ps. 119:132; Ps. 123:3; Isa. 27:11; Isa. 30:18; Isa. 30:19; Isa. 33:2; Amos 5:15; Mal. 1:9 As Derek Kidner remarks "The power of God’s word is nowhere more strikingly evident than in this transformation." (Borrow Psalms 1-72 : an introduction and commentary) It is fitting that David begins with God's grace which the foundation not only for our confession but then for our forgiveness. David's first plea should ever be our first plea when we have sinned against God for this is forever the only grounds we have on which to plead for forgiveness and cleansing. This is the plea of one who has no claim on the favor he seeks from God! Indeed, this is a picture of all of us! David further amplifies the basis of his confess is God's lovingkindness and His great compassion. According to Your lovingkindness (hesed; Lxx - eleos) - Stedman describes lovingkindness writing "On the basis of that unqualified acceptance, that marvelous continuing love-that-will-not-let-me-go, he says to God, “I am coming to you and asking now for this.”