A Study in Forgiveness from Psalm 51
By: Amanda Olson, Temple Terrace, FL
“To err is human, to forgive divine.” This quote, credited to Alexander Pope in 1711, is so ubiquitous that we may not have stopped to truly understand its power. Forgiveness is one way we rise above our human desire for justice and equity. Forgiveness defies the law of sowing and reaping, cause and effect, and the golden rule. At its core, the concept of forgiveness is in opposition to our Christianity: if we are to trust and obey God, then we don’t have a need for forgiveness. But as we have each experienced, our selfish and foolish choices keep leading us back to our fallen state. Understanding forgiveness and extending that grace towards others is part of the transformative power of the gospel in us. It allows us to deny self and put on Christ in our very nature. It is a powerful action. Forgiveness has a ripple effect in our lives. Its epicenter is in God’s nature and holiness which spreads to our heart and soul and finally pushes out to impact the lives of those we contact.
Forgiveness begins with God. When David is mourning his sin, he begins with stating the conditions of forgiveness: “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1). Unfailing love and great compassion are characteristics of God the Father. David recognized that the forgiveness he asked for was not merited by his own good works, close relationship, or contrite repentance. It begins with the fact that God is love.
By this point in the epic of the Bible, God’s unfailing love has been demonstrated in the constancy of the created world. The majesty demonstrated by the moon and stars, time and seasons, seed and harvest, the life cycle of plants and animals - all manifest the consistent nature of deity. Consider the compassion of God in the rebirth of the human race through the salvation of Noah’s ark. In David’s day, the unfailing love of God had been proven from the promise to Abraham hundreds of years prior through the challenges of the exodus, wanderings, conquest, and rule of the judges. God’s promised land was delivered to a people who had proven to be unfaithful and inconstant, and He still claimed them as His and showered His provision and protection on them. David understands deeply that the forgiveness he is in desperate need of is dependent on God’s divine character.
Then David asks God to “….blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquities and cleanse me from my sin” (1-2). The divine nature is displayed by God’s ability to suspend the concept of justice. In our humanity, we crave an equitable system. One where wrongdoers are punished and good guys rewarded. The power of a ruler is demonstrated by his ability to ensure justice and fair distribution of resources to his subjects. With forgiveness, God puts aside the human demand for justice and with the mantle of holiness extends grace. This does not lessen His power as we might think; instead it causes His subjects to adore and worship Him in holy reverence. David bows to beg grace from the all-powerful God who gives “mercy and great compassion.”
The next ripple of forgiveness extends from God the Father and hits David directly in the heart. In verses 3-5, David confesses his knowledge of his sin. The concept of confession is directly connected to forgiveness in this text. David says about his sins what God has said about his sin - that it cannot coexist with God’s holiness. He says that God is right and that His ways were the right thing all along. Repeatedly, we see this in our own lives - it is so hard for many of us to admit that we are wrong. The relationship’s restoration between man and God depends on David’s honest understanding that God was right and David was wrong. If we skip this step of contemplation and confession, forgiveness will not be truly felt.
David reiterates God’s desire for “truth in our inward parts” as an unavoidable part of the process of forgiveness. As we may have witnessed in children, we can go through the motions of “saying sorry” and “I forgive you.” Without the honest soul searching that acknowledges how wrong we were, our hearts will not be humbled enough to allow forgiveness to do its transformational work.
This ripple effect of forgiveness reaches beyond ourselves to allow us to forgive others when they have wronged us or transgressed God’s laws. David reflects God’s nature when he states in Psalm 51:13 -15, “Then I will teach transgressors your way…. My tongue will sing of your righteousness…my mouth will declare your praise.” The outpouring of love from a heart that is forgiven should make us a people who teach, praise, and declare the grace of God to others. Christians should be characterized by this kind of joy!
When I think honestly about the times that I have struggled to forgive others, it usually was the result of dwelling on their wrongs against me, rather than the wrongs against the holiness of God. I often return to the parable of the prodigal son from Luke 15. The prodigal, who sinned against his father and forsook his family, repents, confesses, and returns to the compassionate father. As the celebration is underway, the scene shifts to the older brother who refuses to enter the house for this feast. In a sense, he refuses to “declare the goodness of God” because he has not felt the forgiveness personally. He doesn’t even realize the need for his own forgiveness - though he is the one now outside of the father’s house while the prodigal has returned. The beauty of this story and its myriad applications is a powerful mirror for each of us at different points in our life.
Psalm 51 lays out a simple explanation of how forgiveness transforms those in relationship with God. On the cross Jesus demonstrates these same aspects of forgiveness. His statement recorded in Luke 23:34, “Father forgive them, they know not what they do,” reminds us that God’s nature is the standard. When Jesus cries out, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” He is in agony because of His realization of how sin has separated Him from the Holy Father. And finally, when Jesus utters His last words, “It is finished,” the effect on those closest was an understanding of God’s glory: “Surely this was the Son of God”. Through the process of forgiveness, God’s nature is demonstrated, our hearts are cleansed, and we can declare the results to others in a powerful way that magnifies God to this earth. Truly our human error can lead us to become more like the divine Savior when we embrace the power of forgiveness in our lives.