Clean Heart: Psalm 51:10-19

This is part two of Psalm 51, after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and ordered the murder of Uriah.

Psa. 51:10   Create in me a clean heart, O God,

         And renew a steadfast spirit within me.

What we must have isn’t rehabilitation but regeneration.

Psa. 51:11   Do not cast me way from Your presence,

         And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.

David, who had sinned grievously, is saying “Do not take cast me away from your presence” – which means he is still in the presence of God and “Do not take Your Holy Spirit from me” – so the Holy Spirit is still with him.

Psa. 51:12   Restore to me the joy of Your salvation,

         And uphold me by Your generous Spirit.

Despite his awful sin, David was still saved but had lost the joy of his salvation.

Psa. 51:13   Then I will teach transgressors Your ways,

         And sinners shall be converted to You.

David is going to use his fall as a testimony for others. And it has been for almost 3,000 years.

Psa. 51:14   Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God,

         The God of my salvation,

         And my tongue shall sing aloud of Your
righteousness.

Psa. 51:15   O Lord, open my lips,

         And my mouth shall show forth Your praise.

Psa. 51:16   For You do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it;

         You do not delight in burnt offering.

Psa. 51:17   The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit,

         A broken and a contrite heart—

         These, O God, You will not despise.

To regain right-standing with God people tend to make promises or make sacrifices but what God is looking for is a broken spirit and a contrite heart.

Psa. 51:18   Do good in Your good pleasure to Zion;

         Build the walls of Jerusalem.

Psa. 51:19   Then You shall be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness,

         With burnt offering and whole burnt offering;

         Then they shall offer bulls on Your altar.

There is a time for sacrifice and worship after we have restored our relationship with the Lord through repentance and sometimes repentance and restitution.