Evening, April 7
Charles Spurgeon · Morning and Evening: Daily Readings
Psalms 51:14
"Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and
my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness."
Psalm 51:14
In this solemn confession, it is pleasing to observe that David plainly
names his sin. He does not call it manslaughter, nor speak of it as an
imprudence by which an unfortunate accident occurred to a worthy man,
but he calls it by its true name, bloodguiltiness. He did not actually
kill the husband of Bathsheba; but still it was planned in David's
heart that Uriah should be slain, and he was before the Lord his
murderer. Learn in confession to be honest with God. Do not give fair
names to foul sins; call them what you will, they will smell no
sweeter. What God sees them to be, that do you labour to feel them to
be; and with all openness of heart acknowledge their real character.
Observe, that David was evidently oppressed with the heinousness of his
sin. It is easy to use words, but it is difficult to feel their
meaning. The fifty-first Psalm is the photograph of a contrite spirit.
Let us seek after the like brokenness of heart; for however excellent
our words may be, if our heart is not conscious of the
hell-deservingness of sin, we cannot expect to find forgiveness.
Our text has in it an earnest prayer--it is addressed to the God of
salvation. It is his prerogative to forgive; it is his very name and
office to save those who seek his face. Better still, the text calls
him the God of my salvation. Yes, blessed be his name, while I am yet
going to him through Jesus' blood, I can rejoice in the God of my
salvation.
The psalmist ends with a commendable vow: if God will deliver him he
will sing--nay, more, he will "sing aloud." Who can sing in any other
style of such a mercy as this! But note the subject of the song--"Thy
righteousness." We must sing of the finished work of a precious
Saviour; and he who knows most of forgiving love will sing the loudest.