By
Randall L. Broad
Read: Song of Songs 5:1-8:14; 2 Corinthians 9:1-15; Psalm 51:1-19; Proverbs 22:24-25
I once had a conversation with a person I admire greatly who believed
sin and evil were so deeply rooted in humanity the ‘heart’ could not be
trusted. I remember how sad this revelation was for me because I was a new disciple
just starting my spirit-filled walk
in Christ. I had spent a lifetime trusting my heart and instincts to guide me
and though it had left me with a broken
spirit and a broken and contrite heart–it had also led me to Jesus Christ.
I could feel the power of faith in my
renewed heart and was trying to learn everything I could about God’s Word. My
friend used powerful scriptures to show the futility of trusting our evil
hearts–but the Spirit was telling me something different.
The term “heart” is used
more than nine hundred times in the Bible though rarely as a literal term for
the muscle that beats in our chest. Today my understanding of scripture is much
fuller and I know the term has many meanings in the Bible. The human heart is
described as trustful (Psalm 28:7); faithful (Jeremiah 24:7); pure
(1 Timothy 1:5); and good (Luke 6:45); etc. But
on a darker note, the heart is also referred to as rebellious (Psalms 78:8);
unfaithful (c.f. Jeremiah 3:10; Psalm 78:37); prideful (c.f. Obadiah 1:3); and evil
(c.f. Matthew 15:19; Mark 7:21); etc. These conflicting images have fueled
generations of arguments about the nature of man and the causes of sin. But
going beyond specific descriptions we can conclude the most common biblical
usage for the term “heart” is as the core of our being where our intelligence
(c.f. Genesis 6:5), feelings (c.f. Genesis 18:5), and will (c.f. Psalm 119:2)
are rooted. It is the place where humanities values, morals, and ethics are
shaped and expressed.
Today in the One Year Bible we find an Old Testament Psalm that reflects
the heart of David–a man after God’s own heart (Acts 13:22). His own writing
and the narrative of his life shows us a man who was humble, reverent, and
obedient toward God. Even under the conviction of his greatest sins all of
these qualities can be found in Psalm 51. This Psalm was written in the
aftermath of David’s encounter with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband
Uriah (2 Samuel 11:1-16). Using a powerful parable, the Prophet Nathan convicts
the king of his wrongdoing (Samuel 12:1-13) and in shame and guilt, David
composes Psalm 51:
Psalm 51 (ESV)
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to
your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.
2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!
3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.
4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your
sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your
judgment.
5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother
conceive me.
Psalm 51:1-5
In the first verses of
this psalm David heart is humble.
David has coveted the wife of another, committed adultery, and arranged the
murder of her husband. David cries out for God’s mercy (v. 1) for his choices have created sin and evil in his
life. When we secretly desire something of our neighbor or go as far as to take
another’s life, we have done more than violate the law–we have sinned against
God (v.2-3). In humility David acknowledges this truth and that God alone has
the sovereign right to judge (v. 4). The root of David’s humbleness is revealed
when he makes a vague reference to the inequity and sin in which he is born (v.
5). The details of his conception and birth are not recorded. The only known
record of David’s mother is found in the rabbinic writings known as the Talmud.
The Bible does not give her a name but Jewish writings call her Nitzevet and
she is referenced only twice in the canonized Bible. Old Testament scriptures
tell us she served God (Psalm 86:16) and David sought protection for both his
parents when he fled from Saul (1 Samuel 22:3-4).
At the root of the
problem of evil lies two different ideas about human nature–is it inherently
evil because of the fall or is free will the cause of our moral sin? Despite
attempts to synthesize these two ideas by learned minds–both cannot be true.
Various English Bibles translate Psalm 51:5 differently which gives two very
diverse meanings to this scripture depending on the translation you read. Some
versions support the argument for the inherently sinful nature of all humanity–
Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from
the time my mother conceived me (c.f. NIV, NLT, HCSB). Other Bibles quote
David saying “Behold, I was brought forth
in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me” (c.f. KJV, DRB, ISV,
NASB, GNV). There is a distinction between being born a sinner and being conceived in an act of sin. We can safely presuppose from other events in the
narrative of David he often felt like an outcast and whatever sin occurred when
he was conceived contributed to his humble nature.
David continues:
6Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me
wisdom in the secret heart.
7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be
whiter than snow.
8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.
9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.
10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.
11Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from
me.
12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing
spirit.
Psalm 51:6-12
In the middle verses of this psalm David’s
words becomes more reverent. The Book of Psalms is quoted often and highly
valued by New Testament believers for the poetic expression of reverent worship
and devotion, particularly the ones written by David which foreshadow the
gospel of salvation and hope delivered by the New Covenant. Psalm 51 reflects a
heart reverently trusting God for wisdom (v. 6), purity (v. 7), joy (v. 8), and
forgiveness (v. 9). There is no assurance of these gifts under the law, but we
see throughout the psalms of David an uncommon understanding of the Spirit that would not be fully
appreciated until Pentecost. In Verses 10-12, David reverently trusts God to renew a right spirit (v.10); take not your
Holy Spirit (v. 11); and uphold me with a willing spirit (v. 12). Under the
New Covenant the renewing, indwelling, and power of the Spirit would all become
possible through faith in Jesus Christ–not just for the prophets and a select
people, but for all the nations of the earth.
Verse ten calls upon God
to Create in me a clean heart, O God … David
believed the sin in his heart could be cleansed and he could be purified whiter than snow. David reverently turns
to God and trusts the Spirit to guide his choices. Many in his day and ours
believed the human heart could never be pure. But if not from the heart … where
does purity manifest in a person? How can purity be achieved? Yet the Old and
the New Testament both clearly command believers to strive for purity. In the
Old Testament purity was defined through obedience of the law and in the New
Testament through faith in Jesus. The Great Commandment tells us to love God with all
our heart, mind, and soul (c.f. Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 5:43, 19:19, 22:39;
Mark 12:31). Would God want that if our hearts were essentially bad or evil?
The apostle Paul wrote:
29 No, a true Jew is one whose heart is right
with God. And true circumcision is not merely obeying the letter of the law;
rather, it is a change of heart produced by God’s Spirit. And a person with a
changed heart seeks praise from God, not from people.
Romans 2:29
In the last verses of Psalm 51, David writes:
13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to
you.
14Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation,
and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.
16For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not
be pleased with a burnt offering.
17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart,
O God, you will not despise.
18Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;
19then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole
burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Psalm 51:13-19
In the closing verses of
this psalm, David’s cries out again for deliverance, forgiveness, and a
redeemed spirit. His repentance leads to obedience rooted in a clean and pure
heart. In turn he promises to reach out to sinners, declare God’s praises, and
pledges obedience to his Lord. The sheer number of times and ways the term ‘heart’
is used in the Bible proves there are an infinite number of conditions for the
human heart … that is because of free will. In David we see an example of a
heart close to God and still not free from the choices of sin. Evil may take
root in our hearts through the exercise of free will, but it is not our
essential nature to be evil–love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,
faithfulness, gentleness and self-control also take root there (Galatians
5:22-23). The heart is essentially undetermined as is human nature. The
heart is the store house of the Word of God (Romans
10:8) and faith in God lies in the heart of its adherents.
How can something so
crucial to our understanding of us and God be untrustworthy?
David lived under a strict code of law which decreed
offerings and sacrifices for every conceivable sin but he understood no
sacrifice or burnt offering could make up for the evil he had done. The only
acceptable sacrifice to God was a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart … (v. 17) which chooses God freely over everything else. Free will was given to
human beings because the potential for good in people is greater in creatures
with freedom that live in a world of possibilities, than it is in those who
lives are predestined.
Conversely, the problem of evil contains the same paradox. If God abolished sin
and injustice, people would be little more than an animal with no freedom to
choose beyond their utilitarian needs. Free will brings out the best of
humanity as they struggle against evil–not only in their own heart, but the
sins of the world that threaten to drag everyone into their existence. In the world today, evil
is caused by sin and is justified by individuality, secularism, and relativism
because it is difficult not to sin when we are alone, separated from God, and
uncertain of what to believe.
Walk
with the Lord …
Ephesians
1:17
(RLB230907)
©
Copyright 2018: Randall L. Broad
Disclaimer: This commentary is written by Randall L. Broad. It is in no way affiliated with or represents any denomination, university, church, or pastor. Any errors or omissions are purely my responsibility.
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