(Please use this condensed version of Psalm 51, from Volume 12, to your spiritual benefit.)
PSALM 51
"I admit that I have not fully grasped the Spirit who speaks here. Still it gives us an opportunity and a basis for thought and study, so that I can become a student with you and await the Spirit. Whatever He gives, we shall receive with thanks. For all men, be they ever so illumined by the Holy Spirit, still remain pupils of the Word. They remain under and near the Word, and they experience that they can hardly draw out a drop from the vast ocean of the Holy Spirit." Martin Luther |
INTRODUCTION: |
This Psalm talks about the whole of sin, about the root of sin, not merely about the outward work, which springs like fruit from the root and tree of sin. When David complains that he was conceived in sin, this clearly does not only refer to adultery but to his whole nature contaminated by sin, though I have no objection if David's deed is set forth as an example. David is an outstanding example of the sin nature. One by one he broke almost the whole Decalog. Yet he would not have acknowledged these sins if Nathan had not come, but would still have wanted to be known as a righteous and holy king. Indeed, if the Holy Scriptures had not told this story, who would ever have believed that such a holy man could sink so low? Yet such a man fell, not into some peccadillo, but at one time into a whole mass of sins. What is even worse, he fell into impenitence and deep smugness, so that if Nathan had not come, David might have sinned against the Holy Spirit. |
COMMENTARY: |
Verse one: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy steadfast love; according to Thy abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. |
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We cannot say that the natural powers are perfect even in civil matters. We see what great contempt there is for laws that prescribe what is right, how great is the breakdown of the
discipline on account of which God instituted laws and authority. A physician is often deceived in mixing drugs, and sometimes by his inexperience he kills a sick man. Thus the very light
of the eyes, the ears, and all the other organs acquired a fault through sin. Cicero and other great men in public life performed well in their office, if you look at their deeds. But if
you look at their minds, you see that they were motivated in this by nothing but the desire for glory.
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The knowledge of sin, moreover, is not some sort of speculation or an idea which the mind thinks up for itself. It is a true feeling, a true experience, and a very serious
struggle of the heart,
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Nature always thinks this way, and it says to itself: "I dare not lift my eyes to heaven; I am afraid of the sight of God. I know both that I am a sinner and that God hates sins. So what shall I pray?" Here a very hard battle begins. Either the mind is confused within itself by the consciousness of sin and believes that it should delay praying until it finds some worthiness within itself, so to speak; or it looks around at human counsels and sophistic consolations so that it first thinks about satisfactions that will enable it to come before God with some confidence in its own worthiness and say, "Have mercy on me, O God." This is the constant belief of our nature, but it is highly dangerous. It encourages our minds to trust in our own righteousness and to think we can please God with our own works. This is a blasphemous presumption of our own merits against the merit of Christ. Since we are born in sins, it follows that we shall never pray unless we pray before we feel that we are pure of all sins. |
For a proper understanding of the fact that God hates sinners and loves the righteous, we must distinguish between the sinner who feels his sins and the sinner who does not
feel his sins.
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We must pray when we feel most unworthy. I have learned from my own experience that these unworthy thoughts often drove prayer from me. Nevertheless, by the grace of God I came to the knowledge that I must not surrender to Satan as he attacked me with his arrows, but tearing them from him by the power of the Spirit I turned the weapons against the enemy himself and said: "You frighten me away from prayer because I am a sinner. But I see that I must pray most of all because of this one reason, that I am a very great sinner and have need of mercy." |
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Whenever we are stung and vexed in our conscience because of sins, let us simply turn our attention from sin and wrap ourselves in the bosom of the God who is called Grace and Mercy, not doubting at all that He wants to show grace and mercy to miserable and afflicted sinners, just as He wants to show wrath and judgment to hardened sinners. Do not fall for the theology of reason, which counsels despair in the midst of sin. David feels sin and the wrath of God, and yet he says, "Have mercy on me, O God." |
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What is the reason why, after steadfast love and mercy, that is, after justification, David still asks that he be cleansed? Having the forgiveness of sins and existing in grace, being neither accused nor condemned by any sin, David is nevertheless unclean and has a sin so unclean that all it lacks to make it a real sin is that it cannot condemn him. David the righteous and the justified still has sin, and is still partly unrighteous. He prays for the greatest gift of the Holy Spirit to clean out these dirty spots, and this gift surely proves that the washing is no game or joke. We must avoid minimizing these remnants of sin. If you minimize them, you also minimize Him who cleanses them and the gift of cleansing—the Holy Spirit. |
Your worse remnant of sin is not your lighting up a cigarette or pulling in front of someone on the expressway, or even committing adultery-it is forgetting God. We forget God when we minimize sin. |
There are two parts of justification. The first is grace revealed through Christ, that through Christ we have a gracious God, so that sin can no longer accuse us, but our conscience has
found peace through trust in the mercy of God. The second part is the conferring of the Holy Spirit with His gifts, who enlightens us against the defilements of spirit and flesh (2 Cor.
7:1).
Verse three: For I know my iniquity, and my sin is ever before me. |
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Verse four: Against Thee only have I sinned and done that which is evil in Thy sight, so that Thou art justified in Thy sentences and victorious in Thy judgment. |
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Let us therefore learn that it is a sin to dispute with God this way and to denounce Him in His Word. Rather this is what we should do. Even though we do not fully understand, we should believe our Creator when He declares something about us. He knows what sort of frame or dust we are (Ps. 103:14), we do not. Just as the vase of a potter may have acquired a crack through a blow or some other way and does not know it has a crack, whereas the potter knows and sees it, so also we do not fully know our faults. |
You could/would be more of a Christian if you believed this and never went to church again, burned all Bibles, and murdered all pastors. Instead, you think you are a Christian when you disbelieve this but refrain from burning and murder. |
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So there are two kinds of men. One kind confesses with David that God alone is righteous, truthful, and holy. The others are wicked and are "God-fighters" like the giants, saying: "Thy Word is not true. We are not blind. There is still some light in us toward God. If I obey it, I shall be in grace." "Victorious" really means "pure" or "blameless." It is as though he were saying: "When Thou declarest that men are sinners, it soon follows that Thou are judged and condemned. Reason cannot stand this judgment of Thine, therefore it calls it heresy and 'doctrines of demons' (I Tim. 4:1). But what happens? They condemn Thee and defile Thee with their sentences. Yet Thou remainest pure, clean, and righteous, while they are caught in their impurity. |
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Verse five: "Behold, I was conceived in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me." |
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Let this be enough about the confession of original or innate sin, which is hidden from the whole world and is not revealed by our powers, reasonings, or speculations, but is rather
obscured, defended, and excused by them. We need the Word of God from heaven to reveal this uncleanness or fault of our nature. With faith in this Word let us confess that this is the way
things are, even though all nature should object, as object it must. This is the most difficult teaching of this psalm, yes, of all Scripture or theology; without it, it is
impossible to understand Scripture correctly, as the dreams of modern theologians prove.
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Verse six: "Behold, Thou hast loved truth; Thou hast revealed to me the uncertain and hidden things of Thy wisdom." |
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But the prophet, as well as ourselves, says: "Yes, I condemn you all, with all your wisdom, with all your holiness and righteousness. 'For Thou art a God who lovest or requirest
hidden truth.'" This is how the words sound in Hebrew: "Thou dost not love lies, hypocrisy, and guile." Therefore the word "truth" simply cuts off and condemns
whatever is presumed outside this doctrine, as well as whatever there may be of works of righteousness among the religious.
In the world there is a civic honesty that manifests itself in word and deed, but this has many faults mingled with it. There have been many honest husbands among the heathen, who marvelously preserved the faithfulness they had pledged to their wives. Thus you sometimes even find an honest merchant. God requires this civic honesty, and daily examples show that this civic honesty cannot be transgressed with impunity. Yet this honesty is not pure, if you consider the judgment of God. There are many filthy vices clinging to it, and God requires a much greater honesty. Therefore he adds, "Thou lovest that truth which is in secret." It is as though he were to say: "The civic honesty that is in the world can be produced, and it is at least understood by men. Therefore Aristotle and Socrates had a good name among their fellows. On the other hand, we also hear quarrels every day over the deceptions, lies, and frauds that men perpetrate on one another. But the truth that God loves is not exposed to the eyes this way. It is in secret and hidden. Thus, though Mohammed may have been honest in public, in the sight of God he was a liar. Though I was an honest and guileless monk—I often use myself as an example, the way Paul writes that he was truly a Pharisee (Phil. 3:5)—still in the sight of God I was a liar because of the superstition and hypocrisy that I did not see. It lay hidden under the appearance of holiness, just as truth lies hidden, until it was denounced by the Word, and this hidden truth was revealed.
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This is the reason why the godly man asks for grace, a man who is just beginning to be godly and has had a taste of this teaching. This taste provokes a greater thirst. The mind is not
satisfied with the first fruits of the Spirit (Rom 8:23), but would rather have the fullness, as Paul says: "Not as though I had already attained or were already perfect; but I follow
after so that I may apprehend just as I also am apprehended" (Phil. 3:12)
Verse seven: Thou wilt sprinkle me, Lord, with hyssop, and I shall be cleansed. Thou wilt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. |
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David rejects the imperfect sprinkling of the whole Law and asks to be sprinkled not by the Levitical priest, but by God the Redeemer Himself so that his conscience might be cleansed with a
cleanness that is whiter than snow. We should take note that what our version has as "Thou wilt sprinkle me with hyssop" is in Hebrew: "Thou wilt expiate or absolve me."
The meaning remains the same, and the word "sprinkle" can be kept, because the expiation took place through the sprinkling with water, mixed with the ashes of the red heifer (Num
19:9). Because this sprinkling took place with hyssop, David mentions hyssop to make clear that he is talking against the expiation under the Law.
Verse eight: To my hearing Thou wilt give joy and gladness, and the humbled bones will rejoice. |
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In the monastery I often asked many people to tell me what "humbled bones" are. Because they did not have the experience of such temptations, it was
impossible for them to say anything sound or sure about an unknown thing. Not everyone suffers the same temptations, but God gives these things according to how much each can bear. Yet it
is necessary that everyone experience this feeling of Law and death, even though some experience it more and others less and some feel it only in the last hour of their lives. It happens
literally, too, that in this feeling the bones are humbled, that is, strength of body and powers are shattered and unusually afflicted, as we experience in sudden danger of death or in
other great sorrows.
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Therefore whatever sins or righteousness there may be in you or in the whole world, throw it away from your eyes and mind, and say: "Even though I am unworthy of receiving such great blessings, namely, the forgiveness of sins and the grace of God, still God is not unworthy of my believing that He wants to forgive sins as He has promised in His Word." In theology this conclusion is not valid: "I am a shameful and evil sinner, therefore God is a liar when He promises the forgiveness of sins to sinners." Rather you should draw the conclusion that David drew earlier: "I would rather be a sinner than that God should be a liar. When I hope for mercy, I do so with confidence in His Word, which is preached about Christ. |
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Verse nine: "Turn away Thy face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities." |
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Verse ten: Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit in my inwards." |
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The true Spirit dwells in the believers not merely according to His gifts, but according to His own substance. He does not give His gifts in such a way that He is somewhere else or asleep, but He is present with His gifts and creatures by preserving, ruling, and strengthening them. The prophet asks that after he has been justified and has received the forgiveness of sins, this sense of God's mercy might be planted deep within his heart by the Holy Spirit. So he uses these words: "Create in me a clean heart, O God." He is not talking about some momentary operation, but about the continuation of a work that has been begun; as though he were to say: "Thou hast begun Thy work in me so that I trust Thy mercy. Therefore what Thou hast begun, now complete. Confirm, O God, what Thou hast done in me. For not he who begins but 'he who endures to the end will be saved' (Matt. 10:22)." |
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It is not our power to acquire such a heart, but it comes by divine creation. This is why the Spirit wanted to use the term "create" here. Just as such a clean heart is not
by our powers but by divine creation, so we cannot preserve this creation against the devil either. We see how often we are polluted by sudden troubles and sadness. Hence this prayer for
the creation and preservation of clean heart ought never to stop. {This is the first gift of the Spirit.}
The following part: "And renew a right spirit in my inwards," is identical in meaning with "clean heart." The word "heart" in German is almost the same as what the Hebrew calls "spirit." What in Latin we call "mind, intellect, will, affections"—almost all this the Germans render as "heart." The adjective which the Spirit adds here means "stable, solid, full, firm, certain, indubitable." After much thought we despaired of rendering this word meaningfully in German. In any case, it is always set in opposition to doubt and changing opinions. It is properly "the certain or sure Spirit," who holds the heart steady against doubtful and varying dogmas, as well as against the suggestions of the devil trying to lead us away from the faith that God is merciful and gracious. Verse eleven: "Cast me not away from Thy face, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me." |
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I have often admired this boldness of the Prophets, that they spoke so contemptuously about sacrifices, contrary to the Law of Moses and the rites of their people. If the pope were able
from the Word of God to prove his sacrifices and ceremonies, the way the Jews could their sacrifices, I should surely never have dared to raise any objection. Thus David seems here simply
to be talking against Scripture and Moses, who has clear testimony that he has provided the people with ceremonies according to the will of God. It is well known how carefully in Exodus,
Leviticus, and Numbers everything is commanded that pertained to the tabernacle and the sacrifices. The examples of the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac, and others are also well known, who all
testified to their gratitude to God with sacrifices. Therefore simply to say, "Thou does not want sacrifices," against the express command of God and against the examples of all
the saints has the appearance of sure heresy. Before this is explained, this should be pointed out: If the Holy Spirit in David condemns sacrifices that were divinely commanded, how dare
the monks open their mouths and boast of the holiness of their cowls and orders, their vows and tonsures? How dare the pontiffs open their mouths and attribute some righteousness to their
traditions when all of these were instituted without the Word of God? You should hold that this verse is directed by the Holy Spirit not only against the Law, but also
against the whole papacy with all its traditions, sacrifices, and worship—that they are not pleasing to God.
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By going into this very special instance and condemning the highest worship of the divinely instituted Law, David makes a distinction among all the religions in the world, even the one
instituted by Moses and divinely commanded. From all these religions he separates this one which is through faith in Christ, by which sins are forgiven and righteousness is given together
with eternal life, without works and without merits, simply because God is merciful and forgives through Christ. This religion teaches that works and worship should not be instituted so
that God might be pleased through them. This is what the Prophets preached against. The Prophets were looking chiefly at the notions with which the wicked kept these ceremonies. It was not
the purpose of sacrifices or of services under the Law to justify or to placate God. Since the sin of Adam this purpose has been reserved for the one sacrifice of Christ, of which the
sacrifices of the Law were a kind of shadow (Col. 2:17).
Verse seventeen: "The sacrifice to God is a troubled spirit; a contrite and humbled heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise." |
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I recently observed ants converging on a drop of water as if it was sugar. It made me realize how much we do need rain around here. It also made me wonder why God's
people probably will not come to drink from this "drop of water" from Luther's hands. Can it be that the ants are wiser than Christians? Is their wisdom in knowing a drought
exists and not running off after sugar instead of water. Such a small drop of water probably `refreshed a whole colony.
Tim Vance August 1999 |