Psalm 51

March 11, 2007 Psalm 51

Read 2 Samuel 11:1-5 11:14,15 2 Samuel 12: 4 – 14 Read Psalm 51:1-6

v1,2 What are transgressions, iniquity, and sin? Romans 8: 5-8 …7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, nor can it do so. James 1:13-15 each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. … 1 John 3:4-6 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. …

Psalm 38:15-18 …I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.

v1 How are our transgressions blotted out? Isaiah 43: 25 "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions,…and remembers your sins no more. Jerem. 31:33-34…"For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

v2 Can we cleanse ourselves from iniquity and sin?

Ephesians 1:3-8 … him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, …

Ephesians 2: 8 For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith… 9 not by works, so that no one can boast.

v3 How is our sin always before us?

Romans 7:14-25 …I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. …..

v4 How can David say that he sinned against God? v4 Why is God right in judging us?

Romans 3:5-8 But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? …

Romans 3: 21-26 … all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, …

v5 Who taught you to sin? When did you start sinning?

Romans 5: 12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all

v6 Why would God want us to have truth inside us?

Read v 7-12 v7 How does God cleanse and wash us?

Exodus 12: 21-22 … Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the .. doorframe.

Hebrews 9: 13 –14 sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. …

Philippians 3: 8 …the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith. Isaiah 1: 18 … they shall be as white as snow; …

v8 Can we recover from sin? v9 How can God hide his face from my sins?

Romans 8:1-4 1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,…

2 Corinthians 5: 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 3: 26-27 all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

v10 What is a pure heart? How do we get a pure heart?

Acts 15: 9 He made no distinction between us and them (Gentiles), for he purified their hearts by faith.

1 John 1: 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

v11 What is separation from God? 2 Peter 2:4 …God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,…

v12 What does it mean to be restored?

Read v13-17 What can we do when we have been forgiven, have a pure heart, and are restored?

v14 What is bloodguilt? v15 God frees us to praise him.

Psalm 9: 1-2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High

v16 What sacrifices do we make in our lives that are not pleasing to God?

v17 What sacrifices are pleasing to God? Romans 12: 1… offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God…

1 Peter 2: 4-5 As you come to him, the living Stone—…— 5you also, like living stones, are being built into a spiritual house to be a holy priesthood, offering spiritual sacrifices acceptable to God through Jesus Christ.

Read v18,19 v18 What does it mean to "build up the walls of Jerusalem?"

v19 What are "righteous sacrifices?" What is the implication of "whole burnt offerings?"

Hebrews 11: 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did.

Read Psalm 63

March 11, 2007 Psalm 51 Leader’s Pages

Read 2 Samuel 11:1-5 11:14,15 2 Samuel 12:4 – 14

Read Psalm 51:1-6

Did David take responsibility for his sin?

see v 2,3,4,5,7,9

v1,2 What are transgressions, iniquity, and sin?

What are transgressions and sin?

transgression Hebrew word "wilful deviation from, and therefore rebellion against, the path of godly living.";"reference to one’s relationship to God." Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament" M. Unger and W White, Jr. eds. Thomas Nelson Publishers (1980) page 436

sin Hebrew word "missing the road or mark" "a path, a life-style, or act deviating from that which God has marked out"

Expository Dictionary of the Old Testament" M. Unger and W White, Jr. eds. Thomas Nelson Publishers (1980) page 379

sin Romans 8: 5-8 Those who live according to the sinful nature have their minds set on what that nature desires; but those who live in accordance with the Spirit have their minds set on what the Spirit desires. 6The mind of sinful man is death, but the mind controlled by the Spirit is life and peace; 7the sinful mind is hostile to God. It does not submit to God's law, …

Romans 14:20-23 20Do not destroy the work of God for the sake of food. …. Blessed is the man who does not condemn himself by what he approves. 23But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.

James 1:13-15 … nor does he tempt anyone; 14but each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. 15Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.

1 John 3:4-6 Everyone who sins breaks the law; in fact, sin is lawlessness. 5But you know that he appeared so that he might take away our sins. And in him is no sin. 6No one who lives in him keeps on sinning…

Psalm 38:15-18 …I confess my iniquity; I am troubled by my sin.

v1 How are our transgressions blotted out?

Isaiah 43: 25 "I, even I, am he who blots out your transgressions, for my own sake, and remembers your sins no more.

Jeremiah 31: 33-34 "This is the covenant I will make with the house of Israel after that time," declares the LORD. "I will put my law in their minds and write it on their hearts. I will be their God, and they will be my people. 34 No longer will a man teach his neighbor, or a man his brother, saying, 'Know the LORD,' because they will all know me, from the least of them to the greatest," declares the LORD. "For I will forgive their wickedness and will remember their sins no more."

v2 Can we cleanse ourselves from iniquity and sin?

not by our own acts

Ephesians 1:3-8 … God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in the heavenly realms with every spiritual blessing in Christ. … 7In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of sins, in accordance with the riches of God's grace 8that he lavished on us with all wisdom and understanding.

Ephesians 2: 8For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith—and this not from yourselves, it is the gift of God— 9not by works, so that no one can boast.

wash away --- a laundry term cleanse me --- cancel religious defilement

"The New Bible Commentary Revised" D. Guthrie and J. Motyer eds. Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co. (1970) page 483

v3 How is our sin always before us?

Romans 7:14-25 …I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do I do not do, but what I hate I do. …For I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out. 19For what I do is not the good I want to do; no, the evil I do not want to do—this I keep on doing. …For in my inner being I delight in God's law; 23but I see another law at work in the members of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and making me a prisoner of the law of sin… Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25Thanks be to God—through Jesus Christ our Lord! …

v4 How can David say that he sinned against God?

He broke God’s laws…adultery, murder

v4 Why is God right in judging us?

We go against what God would have us do. We hurt others.

Romans 3:5-8 But if our unrighteousness brings out God's righteousness more clearly, what shall we say? That God is unjust in bringing his wrath on us? …6Certainly not! If that were so, how could God judge the world? 7Someone might argue, "If my falsehood enhances God's truthfulness and so increases his glory, why am I still condemned as a sinner?" 8Why not say…—"Let us do evil that good may result"? Their condemnation is deserved.

Romans 3: 21-26 … a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known… through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. … 23for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, 24and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus. 25God presented him as a sacrifice of atonement, through faith in his blood. He did this to demonstrate his justice, because in his forbearance he had left the sins committed beforehand unpunished— 26he did it to demonstrate his justice at the present time, so as to be just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus.

v5 Who taught you to sin?

no one, it comes naturally

When did you start sinning?

from our earliest days

Romans 5: 12Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all men, because all sinned

v6 Why would God want us to have truth inside us?

John 16: 12-13 ….. 13But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come.

Read v 7-12

v7 How does God cleanse and wash us?

Exodus 12: 21-22 Then Moses summoned all the elders of Israel …, "Go at once … slaughter the Passover lamb. 22 Take a bunch of hyssop, dip it into the blood in the basin and put some of the blood on the top and on both sides of the doorframe.

Hebrews 9: 10They are only a matter of food and drink and various ceremonial washings—external regulations applying until the time of the new order.

Hebrews 9: 13 The blood of goats and bulls …sprinkled on those who are ceremonially unclean sanctify them so that they are outwardly clean. 14How much more, then, will the blood of Christ, …(who) offered himself unblemished to God, cleanse our consciences from acts that lead to death, so that we may serve the living God!

Philippians 3: 8 … I consider everything a loss compared to the surpassing greatness of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, …not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which is through faith in Christ—the righteousness that comes from God and is by faith.

Isaiah 1: 18 "Come now, let us reason together," says the LORD. "Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; …

v8 Can we recover from sin?

yes, God can restore the relationship

v9 How can God hide his face from my sins?

He accepts Christ’s sacrifice

Romans 8:1-4 1Therefore, there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus,…God did by sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful man to be a sin offering. And so he condemned sin in sinful man, 4in order that the righteous requirements of the law might be fully met in us, who do not live according to the sinful nature but according to the Spirit.

2 Corinthians 5: 21God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.

Galatians 3: 26You are all sons of God through faith in Christ Jesus, 27for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ.

v10 What is a pure heart? How do we get a pure heart?

recognize and admit sin

David didn’t strike out against Nathan when confronted with his sin, he admitted his sin.

Acts 15: 9 He made no distinction between us and them (Gentiles), for he purified their hearts by faith.

1 John 1: 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

v11 What does it mean to be separated from God?

2 Peter 2:4 …God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,…

v12 What does it mean to be restored?

Read v13-17

What can we do when we have been forgiven, have a pure heart, and are restored?

help others know God’s ways

v14 What is bloodguilt?

v15 God frees us to praise him.

Psalm 9: 1-2 I will praise you, O LORD, with all my heart; I will tell of all your wonders. 2 I will be glad and rejoice in you; I will sing praise to your name, O Most High

Philippians 4:4-9 4Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! 5Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. 6Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. 7And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. 8Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 9Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

1 Thessalonians 5:16, 17 16Be joyful always; 17pray continually; 18give thanks in all circumstances, for this is God's will for you in Christ Jesus.

v16 What sacrifices do we make in our lives that are not pleasing to God?

v17 What sacrifices are pleasing to God?

Romans 12: 1… offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship.

broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart

Read v18,19

v18 What does it mean to "build up the walls of Jerusalem?"

David may see that his sin will have an effect on the nation.

v19 What are "righteous sacrifices?"

Worship in spirit and truth, with faith in God

What is the implication of "whole burnt offerings?"

not holding back, giving God what we should

Cain and Abel Cain did not give an acceptable offering.

Hebrews 11: 4By faith Abel offered God a better sacrifice than Cain did. By faith he was commended as a righteous man, when God spoke well of his offerings. And by faith he still speaks, even though he is dead.

Next: Psalm 63