The Culture of Hope Founded on Faith

A Well-Remembered Song

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence oh, Lord; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and renew a right spirit within me. Psalm 51:10-12

I memorized these verses because of the song that is a verbatim rendering of these words, except for the repetition of verse 10. When I sing it, it always produces a somber recollection of my own sin, and of God’s gracious and persistent forgiveness for my inclination to ignore the Holy Spirit’s prompting and to follow after worldliness.

This Psalm was written as part of David’s reaction to Nathan’s accusations about Bathsheba and her husband, Uriah. To ask that his very spirit be renewed reflects his recognition of his failure to acknowledge and deal with his own unrighteousness. While David’s sin of adultery was compounded by murder, it was not enough for God to reject him or to rescind the promise that his house and kingdom would be established forever (2 Sam. 7:16). He was, after all, referred to by Samuel as the man after the Lord’s own heart that God chose to put on Israel’s throne in Saul’s place (1 Sam. 13:14).

David readily repented once he was confronted and God continued to maintain His promise. Throughout the remainder of the Old Testament history books, there are frequent restatements of God’s promise. In spite of their sins, later kings from David’s family were not dethroned entirely. One example of this deferred judgment is found in 1 Kings 11:13, “Howbeit I will not rend away all the kingdom, but will give one tribe to thy son for David my servant’s sake, and for Jerusalem’s sake which I have chosen.” This is an important fact for us as Christians, because God chose David’s blood line to bring the Messiah into the world. Mary, the mother of Jesus, was a direct descendant of David.

God’s unconditional love for the repentant David, as demonstrated in His forgiveness of David’s sins, is the same love that He has for us. David lived in a time that required sacrifices and the observances of feasts in order to maintain a close relationship with God. The presence of the Holy Spirit was rare in the Old Testament, and was generally removed once God’s specific purposes were accomplished. God evidently answered David’s prayer. He did not cast David away, nor did He allow David’s kingdom to be annihilated throughout the Old Testament. In addition, there is no indication in the Bible that the Holy Spirit left David.

In that sense, he is like a New Testament Christian. Once the Holy Spirit was poured out at Pentecost, He remained in the world, residing in each person who accepts Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior. As He promised in Hebrews 13:5, He will never leave us nor forsake us. Therefore, with David, we can confidently ask for a clean heart, renewal of a right spirit, and restoration of the joy of salvation. David was unwittingly foreshadowing the salvation we have through the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ when he asked for these things.

Update/Prayer Request: Shortly after his infusion yesterday Dan had another asthma attack. He continues to experience the seriously dry skin and a rash, along with the occasional asthma. He also continues to have the cramping in his lower back during his infusions. Thank you for your prayers as we face each day with the peace that passes understanding (Phil. 4:6-7).