“Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.” (Psalms 51:10)
Psalms 51 is David’s prayer of repentance after Nathan came to him and told him how offensive his sin was to the Lord. David’s desire for Bathsheba was so strong, he forgot the Lord’s way. “Because David did that which was right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any thing that He commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.” (1Kings 15:5) Uriah was Bathsheba’s husband who David placed in the front lines in the battle so that he’d be sure to be killed.
It's surprising how the flesh can overcome a person so much, it overrides his senses of what is right. When Nathan came to David and told him a parable of an abusive rich man who takes a poor man’s only lamb to slay for his guest’s meal, he doesn’t recognize himself in the parable. “And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” (2Samuel 12:5-6) We have to remember that David didn’t have the indwelling of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit in those days would come upon him to direct him in the Lord’s way when he prayed for guidance and help. But the Holy Spirit was not in him to help him against the flesh.
In Psalms 51, David repeatedly prays for forgiveness of his sin. But then in verse 10 he recognizes his need for a new heart and prophetically prays for a new heart. It was not available then. Redemption was not available in his time, but after the redemptive work of Jesus and faith in Him. Those who died before the Gospel had the Gospel preached to them so that they could believe on Jesus and be saved. “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that He might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit: By which also He went and preached unto the spirits in prison; Which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water.” (1Peter 3:18-20) But like Abraham, those who had faith in the Messiah’s work of redemption were saved. “For what saith the scripture? Abraham believed God, and it was counted unto him for righteousness.” (Romans 4:3, Galatians 3:6) Paul continues about Abraham in verse 22: “He staggered not at the promise of God through unbelief; but was strong in faith, giving glory to God; And being fully persuaded that, what He had promised, He was able also to perform. And therefore it was imputed to Him for righteousness. Now it was not written for His sake alone, that it was imputed to Him; But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on Him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead;” (Romans 4:20-24) James also makes a reference to Abraham’s righteousness: “And the scripture was fulfilled which saith, Abraham believed God, and it was imputed unto him for righteousness: and he was called the Friend of God.” (James 2:23) So David was asking for that new heart that would come with the Messiah, Jesus. And we learn that all people had an opportunity to hear the Gospel, even those who didn’t believe in Noah’s time.
Because sin was not paid for yet, David had to suffer the consequences of his sin. Nathan prophesies: “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised Me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.” (2Samuel 12:10-11) This happened when Absolom made David flee from his kingdom. And further, Nathan continues the prophecy. “Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.” (2Samuel 12:14) The baby Bathsheba had died.
We thank God that Jesus not only took our sin, but the punishment and wrath of God for our sin. The suffering of Jesus is enough for every sin and every punishment and wrath of God toward sin. “But God commendeth His love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us. Much more then, being now justified by His blood, we shall be saved from wrath through Him.” (Romans 5:8-9) And again Paul writes in Thessalonians: “For God hath not appointed us to wrath, but to obtain salvation by our Lord Jesus Christ,” (1Thessalonians 5:9) Jesus saved us from our sin and from the punishment of our sin.
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