The Abbeville press and banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1869-1924, 1903-10-14
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL,
INTERNATIONAL LESSON COMMENTS
FOR OCTOBER I9.

FOh CClObER Ios
Subject: David's Confession, Psa. 81, LII
Golden Text, Psa. 81, TO- Memory
Verses, 1-4-Commentary on the Days
Lesson.
I; David's prayer for forgiveness Tvs.
1-D. /, 2. "Have mercy" etc. Or, be
gracious unto me. Mark the gradation IN
The three words expressing Gods love: J..
Have mercy denotes that kind of affection
ject we love and pity. 2. Loving kindness
denotes a large and liberal disposition to
goodness and compassion. 8. Tender 1ner-
cies denote the most tender pity of which
the nature is susceptible. "Transgres-
sions." Sin is described, as IN Ex 34:7,
in three different aspects, as transgression,
iniquity, sin; the Hebrew words thus rem
dered mean respectively, .O detection
from God or rebellion against Him; (2}
duct; 81 error wandering from the right
way, missing the mark in. life. "Bot out
:. wash cleanse" The removal of
guilt is also described by the use of three
different expressions. l.: Sin is regarded
as a debt recorded in Gods book which
needs to be blotted out. 2. Wash is fire.
quently used for ceremonial publications
Titus 3:5). 8. Cleanse suggests the com.
parison of sin with leprosy. This shows
that the sin is deep-seated and needs
thorough treatment.
8, 4. "I acknowledge" I know my
transgressions and freely confess them.
The willingness to know sin is the first
step towards repentance. Observe also
that David uses the plural form as in verse
!. He had u broken the seventh com
mandment. (2) caused the death of .Uriah,
hardened his heart, (e) dishonored his
family (7) injured his friends, (S) weak
ened his kingdom. Thus no sin ever stands
alone, but "each single transgression is the
mother of. many" Against Thee, Thee
only, All sin, even that by which man
may be most grievously injured, IS sin
against God. God alone was greater than
the king, and to God alone David, as king,
was responsible. "Mightest be justified"
etc. From the relation of all souls to God
every sin against man lies primarily against
God, so that God, who is the supreme
Judge of all human conduct, will be justl;
fed in His sentence upon the wicked:
David thus recognizes Gods justice, how
ever severe the sentence may be-.
II. David's confidence in God Tvs. 5-S):
5. 6. "Was shapen." David means here
that he was born with sinful nature. See
LpH. I.o. IulS Son!essiou ID hoV ihou| 90
an excuse for his sins, but in utter self-
abasement. David bewails the depravity
within, and thus abandons all hope of re.
storing himself. "Thou desirest truth"
David admits that he is the very opposite
of what he should be-. God desires truth
in the most secret springs of the 1T and
will. Truth here takes the sense or integ-.
rity and uprightness: and wisdom that of
the knowledge Of God. 49,.
IS. "IVith Hyssop." The figure here
is borrowed from the ceremonial! of the
frequently grew on walls. This was used
as sprinkler. especially in the rites for
cleansing the ieper and purifying the un.
clean. Dr. Clark calls attention to the
fact that in the case of the leper the cere-
mony of sprinkling was not performed un-
til the leper had been healed, and the
ceremony declared to the people that such
was the case. "Yhis," says Clarke, David
seems to have in full view, hence he re.
quests the Lord to show to the people
that he was accepted and cleansed;"
"Whiter than snow." The Lord is able
to take every element foreign to holiness .Bess
:. broken" A strong figure showing how
a sense of Gods displeasure had, as it
were, crushed his bones and shattered his
whole frame. He had repented deeply.
III. David's PRAYER for a clean heart
Tvs. 9-l2). 8, 10. "Hide thy face" Do not
longer gaze upon nv sins. cast them behind
Thee. Create" 'Mending will not avail;
my heart is altogether corrupted; it must
be made new" "The word create is the
strongest known in the Hebrew for bring
ing into being that which did not before
exist, as Gen. IL. Compare Eph. 2:l0;
s and esn aew Sesp Ssesrtsn ssocted coc heart ea
-one cieansed from all sin and made. per:
feet in the love of God. "a right spirit"
A steadfast, established spirit. fixed in its
allegiance to God. that could stand firm
and resist temptation.
II. l2. "Cast me not away" etc. God
admits the upright to His presence, and
they behold His face (Psa. ll:7; 2:l2).
David knew that God would be justified
IN removing His Spirit from him, but he
Erays for mercy and asks that the divine
rejection might not follow in his case. as it
did with Saul. uphold me-" The idea of
uphold here is to confirm, render perma;,
state be sustained and abiding. This is the
point of the petition. But he has not in
himself the elements of this stability.
God only can "restore the joys of saliva:
tion," and He alone can cause him to stand
firm in this restored life Free spirit"
See R. V. He desires perfect freedom of
spirit so he will easily and naturally do
such things as are right.
w. David's resolve to employ his life
in Gods service Tvs. 1910. .l3, IA. "Wil
I teach" Thus Dav.I would show forth
his gratitude for that renewal and estab-
lishment in Righteousness. for which he
agonizes. How he fulflled his promise Is
shown in some of his subsequent psalms.
See Psa. 80; 40; l03, which should be read
in this connection. From bloodguiltiness.
From the punishment Of my sin: Here
David no doubt had in view the death OF
Uriah. His blood was crying for ven:
geance against him and only God could
deliver him. "Thy Righteousness" Gods
Righteousness is seen in His pardon to the
pentent as well as His punishment to
i5.T. "Open thou" His lips had been
closed, for a guilty soul cannot speak the
praises of God; but God could open, them,
for the power to praise Alright is the gift
Of God. "Desirest not sacrifice" See K.
V. The law of Moses made no provision
for the forgiveness or expiation of such
sins as David had committed. See Mum.
1880, 81. Forms and types would now
avail nothing. Sacrifices Of Cod" Those
which God desires and approves are
broken spirit and a contrite heart; that
Is, a heart truly penitent and humble.
Such heart will never be cast out. Mercy
will always be shown the humble, penltent