"Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 8 Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice. 9 Hide Your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me away from Your presence, and do not take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, and uphold me by Your generous Spirit. 13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, and sinners shall be converted to You." - Psalm 51:7-13
Sin taints, stains, corrupts, and defiles. It clouds our sight and understanding. It turns our joy to despair and our hope and assurance into fear and uncertainty. By God's grace, not only did David experience the darkness of his sin, but God drew David to repentance, and restored the joy of his salvation. Look closely at David's five pronged prayer in this passage, and how each prong points us to the person and work of Christ. Then, as recipients of grace, what should we be committed to do?
David prayed for pardon (v. 7)- "Purge me with hyssop..." David knew that he was a miserable sinner in great need of God to pardon his sins and restore him to the privileges he lost. If he would be clean, David knew only God could thoroughly wash him and make him whiter than snow. David spoke with confidence about what he knew of the Lord's cleansing work. This is the same truth God spoke of through Isaiah saying, "Come now, and let us reason together,” says the Lord, “Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; Though they are red like crimson, they shall be as wool." (Isaiah 1:18) Such purification points us to the cleansing blood of our Lord Jesus Christ. It's the blood of Christ (referred to as the "blood of sprinkling" in Hebrews 12:24), that purges the conscience from dead works, that purges us from the guilt of sin that shuts us out of communion with God. If the blood of Christ cleanses us from our sins, then we shall be clean indeed. (Hebrews 10:2)
David prayed for comfort of that pardon (v. 8)- "Make me hear joy and gladness..." This is the prayer of the broken heart, the heart of the one who is truly broken and convicted of their sin. Having been pardoned and cleansed, David prayed that God would grant him the comfort of well-grounded peace, that he would truly rejoice, having received divine grace and forgiveness. This must be the Lord's work to "make us hear...". We too, in our brokenness, truly desire and receive the comfort of Christ in His grace and forgiveness. He gives us His lasting peace that passes understanding and guards the heart. (Philippians 4:7)
David prayed for complete pardon (v. 9)- David desired full communion with God. His desire was that God wouldn't deal with him as he deserved. David's prayer was that God would blot out his sins and not keep record of them against him. In and through the work of Christ our sin as been paid for in full. Jesus has expiated, or removed them from us, as far as the east is from the west. (Psalm 103:12) Praise the Lord!
David prayed for sanctifying grace (v. 10)- "Create in me a clean heart..." David saw then, more than ever, what an unclean heart he had. Again, he knew God must act and begged Him to give him a clean heart, to sanctify David by His grace and make him clean. It's by the word of Christ's power that we are clean. (John 15:3) It's by the Spirit's sanctifying work that he continues to get the sin and crud out of our lives, growing us in holiness. (Colossians 1:9-10)
David prayed for the presence and work of the Spirit (v. 11)- David desired to walk closely with God and not be cast away from Him. He desired the Spirit's work in his heart and life. We know and trust in Christ's promise that those who come to Him will by no means be cast out. (John 6:37)
David prayed for restored joy (v. 12)- "Restore to me the joy of Your salvation..." Our battle with sin, our falls, can leave us beaten down and discouraged, even confused and doubting. As we wrestle with sin, we can have our assurance of salvation shaken in various ways (WCF 18.4). However, as you are in Christ, lift up your heads and your hearts to your Savior! You can have confidence that though there be seasons of struggle with joy and peace in the salvation that Jesus has purchased for you, He is with you and supports you from falling into utter despair. He lifts you up, and revives your joy.
I hope that your encouraged and comforted by David's prayer here. This should be our prayer as well. Finally see how, like David, as sinners saved by grace, we then must be those who seek to teach others the way of the Lord through discipleship and evangelism. We must teach them to take the same course-- to humble themselves, to confess and repent of their sins, and seek God's face.
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