January 25, 2024 

“Clean and Pure”

M.I.T. Marsha Wilson

Scripture focus: Psalm 51:10-13 & Psalm 24:3-6

51:10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,and renew a steadfast spirit within me.11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

24:3 Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord?Who may stand in his holy place.4 The one who has clean hands and a pure heart,who does not trust in an idol or swear by a false god.[a]5 They will receive blessing from the Lordand vindication from God their Savior. 6 Such is the generation of those who seek him,who seek your face, God of Jacob.[b][c]

Psalm 51 was written after the prophet Nathan went to David with a message from the Lord, a prophecy of judgement, after David sinned with Bathsheba and purposefully had Uriah – Bathsheba’s husband killed. In this psalm David realized that he needed to be changed from the inside, first. His sin, outward sin, showed something needed to be changed from the inside-his heart. That is why he says in verse 10 to CREATE in me a CLEAN heart because the one he had was not right AND he asked God to renew in him an unwavering, firm spirit, he went on to say, don’t cast me out or away from Your presence. David then says, I need Your Holy Spirit! 

He knew he needed a transformation from the inside out. Just offering a burnt sacrifice for his sin wasn’t enough, something greater needed to be done. A burnt offering was just another “act”, but David knew his heart needed to be changed, his spirit needed to be renewed, changed, restored, forgiven and healed – he needed deliverance. He was remorseful, repentant, and believed God could clean, change and forgive him. He didn’t want to lose the connection or relationship, with Yahweh. So instead of a burnt offering being the first and only thing he offered to God David offers to God his broken heart and contrite (remorseful, penitent) spirit for those things God will not turn away (sn: burnt offerings can easily be turned away by God, remember Cain and Abel). Once the inward parts – spirit, mind, and soul- are given over to God then the burnt offering would be given and accepted. 

Becoming clean and pure is more than just an act, there must be a transformation. In Psalm 24 verses 3 through 6, which was also written by David, we see that only those with clean hands and a pure heart can ascend to the hill of Lord, can be experience, encounter and live in His presence! Clean hands represent a godly lifestyle, it’s an outward testament to the grace of the Lord and one’s love for the Lord. It’s a commitment to live a life for Him. 

A pure heart represents how one can or why one can live a life for God, one pleasing to Him because the heart has been transformed, made new, a new creation. When I see the words, ‘clean hands and pure heart’ I can’t help but also see ‘spirit and truth’ and that is how we come into the Presence of the Lord, that is how we enter His holy place – that is how we worship Him!  

We are the generation that will continue to seek the face of God, we are the generation that needs His presence. In these two separate passages we see how David prioritizes the presence of the Lord and gives us the requirements for accessing His presence. David messed up, he sinned, but held a short account with God because he wanted to be right before Him – He needed Him – he needed His presence. He needed to be clean from the inside out and pure and ONLY God can do that. 

My prayer is that Holy Spirit help us to stay clean and pure before Him. And even when we mess up and fall short may we not stay there but get back up, be repentant. Bring it and ourselves before the Lord and ask Him to heal and deliver and keep us clean and pure before Him.

Thank you, Father, for transforming us from the inside out. Thank you, Father for sacrificing your Son, our Savior; it’s because of Him and His shed blood we are clean, pure and new!