Alex Kremer 04-18-2021 // You Are the Man; An Introduction to Psalm 51

When David wrote Psalm 51, he did so with the following introduction, "For the choir director.  A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. (NASB)"  As a psalm of contrition, seeking the Lord's pardon, Psalm 51 touches the sinner to our very core, because Psalm 51 sees us at the depth of our sin, but it also sees God at the heights of His mercy.

To get a full grasp of this Psalm, we must first look into the historical background that led David to write it.  In today's lesson, we conduct a quick examination of the rise, and downfall of King David.  We see him at his best; favored by God, receiving blessings from the Lord and showing great faithfulness to the Lord.  But we see him at his worst; the 'Man after God's own heart,' tempted to and caught up in sins of adultery and murder.

But at his lowest point, David turns to the only place he can go; into the extended arms of the Lord's mercy.  And it is there that we find our forgiveness.

As you listen to today's lesson, may you be struck not just by the depth of our own sin, but by the great heights of God's mercy toward undeserving sinners.

Thank you for listening to today's lesson.