Wash Me From My Iniquity

Minister:
Date: AM
Text: Psalm 51:2,3
Psalters: 376, 363, 140, 83
Sacrament of the Lord's Supper
  1. From what.
    1. David uses three different and very specific words as important parts of his confession of sin.
    2. David is expressing godly sorrow, not worldly sorrow: he shows that he knows the terrible nature of his sin and sinfulness.
      1. First, David is weary of his sin as sin against God, not just of the punishment which follows.
      2. Second, the sincerity of David’s confession is his use of the first person, personal pronouns: “me, mine, me, my, I"
  2. David “acknowledges” his sin.
    1. He knows, recognizes, knows by experience, admits, confesses.
      1. David is fully conscious of his sin, over against denying it, excusing it, shifting the blame for it, or covering it.
      2. His sin is “ever” before him, i.e., continually, unceasingly.
    2. David is fully conscious and intensely aware (like a constant dripping) and thus is smitten and humbled.
    3. This acknowledging is usually prior to the hearing of the gospel of rich and amazing grace.
  3. This acknowledgment of one’s perversity leads to the prayer to be washed and cleansed.
    1. “Wash me” and “cleanse me.”
    2. The washing David requests is to be “thoroughly, i.e., is copiously, frequently, continually.
      1. Worldly sorrow wants only his clothing washed, but David asks that he himself be washed.
      2. “Throughly” implies that the sin makes us exceedingly and deeply defiled in body and in soul.
    3. While this is all necessary reality of godly sorrow, it is not all, for godly sorrow leads to repentance (II Cor. 7:10).