A Broken Spirit And A Contrite Heart: Psalm 51:17
Have you ever felt the heavy burden of guilt and a deep longing for forgiveness in your heart?
King David knew that feeling. His inner turmoil arose after the Prophet Nathan exposed David’s sin of adultery and murder.
David reveals his repentant heart in the following verses:
For You will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; You will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:16-17 (ESV)
His declaration that God would not be pleased with the Old Testament animal sacrifices for sin stems from an understanding that this kind of sacrifice did not always produce godly sorrow. A sorrowful heart is the sacrifice God desires. A broken spirit and contrite heart symbolize true repentance from sin. This is the acceptable sacrifice to God.
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True Sacrifice of a Broken Spirit and a Contrite Heart
In the Bible, the terms “spirit” and “heart” are interchangeably used. Both refer to our inner man, who we are as a person. When we speak of a broken spirit or a contrite heart, we’re not talking about something physically shattered, like broken glass. Or worldly sorrow. Instead, it’s about having a humble and sincere attitude. It means recognizing our mistakes, feeling deep remorse, and wanting to make amends. It’s about acknowledging our sins and desiring restoration.
God doesn’t want us to be proud and stubborn; He wants us to be humble and open to change.
The natural state of a person without Christ is to seek our own way. We often prefer to live life according to our own desires, seeking self-pleasure and self-gratification. However, this self-centered approach ultimately leads to worldly sorrow.
In contrast, godly sorrow occurs when we turn away from our sinful ways and choose to live following God’s will.
A humble spirit and a broken heart are the sacrifices God desires. They are not just emotions, not something we drum up–although there will be emotions. However, these emotions will represent a conscious decision about your life. These emotions create genuine remorse and a willingness to obey the Heavenly Father’s will for your life. These emotions represent surrender.
Think of it like a wild horse, running around without rules or boundaries…just living carefree. However, the wild horse also has predators; he’s exposed to the harshness of nature and the threat of disease.
That’s a bit like how our lives can be without Jesus Christ. We want to do our own thing, but, just like the wild horse, we’re exposed to all the same threats.
When we repent of our sins and turn back to God with a contrite spirit, God will care for us. All the promises found in the Word of God are given to us. He promises to provide for our needs, help in times of trouble, comfort in times of sorrow, and has a plan and a purpose for our future.
A Psalm of Repentance: Psalm 51
Psalm 51 is a powerful expression of King David’s repentance, and it holds valuable lessons for us as well. King David is known in the Bible as “a man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). Yet, if you’re familiar with David’s life story, you might wonder how such a flawed individual earned such high praise from our Lord.
David sincerely confessed his sin and turned from the evil he exposed himself to. This heartfelt prayer is a perfect example of how we should come to the Lord in similar circumstances.
It was David’s broken spirit and contrite heart that led to God’s forgiveness and the removal of his sins.
“God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble.” James 4:5b (ESV)
A Humble Heart
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against 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. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me. Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. Psalm 51:1-6 (ESV)
King David humbly appealed to God’s mercy, grounded in God’s boundless love and compassion. He confesses his sin and earnestly seeks forgiveness and cleansing.
Even though David’s sin involved others, he confessed that his primary offense was against God’s moral standard.
Recognizing that all humankind is inclined to sin, starting from birth, David understands that God values truth and wisdom in the depths of one’s being, and he longs for renewal and a restored relationship with God.
These verses reflect David’s deep humility, repentance, and yearning for a renewed and pure connection with the compassionate Lord.
A Prayer of Restoration
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit. Psalm 51:7-12 (ESV)
David draws inspiration from the ceremonial practices of the Old Testament priests, particularly their use of blood in cleansing sin through the offering of sacrifices. He longs for the same purification and forgiveness signified by the washing of blood.
David had experienced a close walk with God. He knew the joy and desired for it to be restored. In this prayer, you can hear the deep, heartfelt desire to be in the presence of God once again and to experience the joy he was familiar with.
A Living Sacrifice
Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you. Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:13-17 (ESV)
David makes a solemn commitment to teach those who have strayed from God back again. He acknowledges his guilt and seeks God’s deliverance, vowing to proclaim God’s righteousness joyfully.
His prayer emphasizes the desire to openly praise God’s goodness and to speak words of gratitude. David understands that external rituals and sacrifices do not hold the same significance to God; what truly matters is a humble, remorseful, and genuinely repentant heart. God values a contrite and broken heart as the ultimate sacrifice. God does not reject or despise such heartfelt repentance. These verses emphasize the importance of inner transformation, sincerity, and a commitment to following God’s ways, aligning with God’s true desires over external religious practices.
David was “a man after God’s own heart.” He worshipped God wholly and sincerely. This deep devotion is evident in the Psalms, with many attributed to him.
However, David was a man, just like the rest of us, and prone to sin. When God exposed David’s sin, he chose to repent sincerely, unlike Adam, who blamed Eve, or Saul, who made excuses for his sin.
He repented with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, recognizing his unworthiness and God’s holiness. Turning from his wrongful living and desiring righteous living. And having his sins forgiven, he hoped to lead others to a joyful relationship to experience the goodness of God.
For thus says the One who is high and lifted up, who inhabits eternity, whose name is Holy: “I dwell in the high and holy place, and also with him who is of a contrite and lowly spirit, to revive the spirit of the lowly, and to revive the heart of the contrite. Isaiah 57:15 (ESV)
