May 27, 2006
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Christie asks, “What about Psalm 51?”
G’day Christie!
I’m going to paste two verses of Scripture. And you’re going to notice something interesting…
Hebrews
10:5-6, “coming into the world, He [Jesus Christ] says, “Sacrifice and
offering You did not desire, but You prepared a body for Me. You did
not delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices concerning sins.”Psalm 51:16 “For you do not desire sacrifice, or I would give it; You do not delight in burnt offering.”
That
strange!! These verses are almost exactly the same! It this a
coincidence?? Why, of course not. The author to the Hebrews is making
something very clear — Psalm 51 is about Christ.For a quick illustration — If someone 2000 years ago had asked the author to the Hebrews, “Mr Apostle. Who was the famous person who said, “You did
not delight in burnt offerings.”??” The author to the Hebrews would have answered, “Jesus Christ…. Those are His Words”.And since these words are found in Psalm 51, then Psalm 51 is about Christ. Christ says, “You did not delight in burnt offering”. The Psalmist says, “You do not delight in burnt offering.” Therefore, Christ is the Psalmist!! By that I mean, Christ was speaking through the mouth of David.
David was merely a secretary. That’s what the
Apostle Peter says in Acts 1:15. “the Holy Spirit spoke before THROUGH
DAVID’S MOUTH”. Also, God spoke “THROUGH THE MOUTH of Your servant
David” (Acts 4:25), God was “saying in David” (Heb 4:7), “David IN
SPIRIT [calls]” (Mt 22:43), “David himself said BY THE HOLY SPIRIT” (Mk
13:36).OBJECTION: Was Christ a sinner?
Now, here’s comes the tricky bit. What about Psalm 51:3?? It says, “For I know my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me.
Could Christ say, “I know MY transgressions”?? Maybe He’s not talking about sin He himself committed but IMPUTED sin (the sins of His people).
Hmmmm
… Do you really believe the sins of the elect were imputed to Christ
on the cross? The New Testament says, “HE WAS MADE A CURSE” and “He who
knew no sin WAS MADE SIN FOR US”. Yes, Christ was a lamb without
blemish. He was perfect. He never sinned. He was never stained within.But
when the sins of the elect were imputed, Christ TOOK THE DEBT upon
himself. Let me explain. Suppose you owe your parents $50. Kindly, a
friend of yours takes the debt from you, so that your friend is now in
debt to your parents for $50. Of course, your friend never accumulated
the debt himself.In the same way, Christ never sinned. But
He did take the debt/sins of the elect to be his own. In other words,
He “owned” their sins, so to speak, whilst on the cross. Thus, he can
refer to them as “my iniquities” because the sins were in His account.Hope that helps!
Andrew Bain
Comments (5)
Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.
could you likewise address this passage? how might it be accounted for? are these, too, the Christ’s words?
o, and as regards “not being a jew”…
You worship what you do not know; we worship what we know, for salvation is from the Jews. [John 4:22]
But if you call yourself a Jew and rely on the law and boast in G-d and know his will and approve what is excellent, because you are instructed from the law; and if you are sure that you yourself are a guide to the blind, a light to those who are in darkness, an instructor of the foolish, a teacher of children, having in the law the embodiment of knowledge and truth– you then who teach others, do you not teach yourself? [Romans 2:17-21]
Then what advantage has the Jew? Or what is the value of circumcision? Much in every way. To begin with, the Jews were entrusted with the oracles of G-d. What if some were unfaithful? Does their faithlessness nullify the faithfulness of G-d? By no means! Let God be true though every one were a liar, as it is written,
“That you may be justified in your words,
and prevail when you are judged.”
[Romans 3:1-4]
For I tell you that Christ became a servant to the circumcised to show G-d’s truthfulness, in order to confirm the promises given to the patriarchs… [Romans 15:8]
For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body–Jews or Greeks, slaves or free–and all were made to drink of one Spirit. [1 Corinthians 12:13]
Yeshua was a jew, and was King of the jews. our G-d is the G-d of Israel, now and forever. does G-d change? did G-d’s covenant fail? did G-d lie in that his promise to the Jews [His CHOSEN people, by the way] was, in fact, not “everlasting”?
For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself,Israel as his own possession. [Psalm 135:4]
The LORD builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. [Psalm 147:2]
But Israel is saved by the LORD with everlasting salvation; you shall not be put to shame or confounded to all eternity.
having read the means by which G-d protects His people, the extents to which He goes that His bride might be brought up, I would be very, very careful were I you. G-d does not deal lightly with the adversaries of His Beloved; and in speaking against the Jewish people, you intromit yourself outright as an enemy of the bride of the Most High. How dare you?
But if some of the branches were broken off, and you, although a wild olive shoot, were grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing root of the olive tree, do not be arrogant toward the branches. If you are, remember it is not you who support the root, but the root that supports you. Then you will say, “Branches were broken off so that I might be grafted in.” That is true. They were broken off because of their unbelief, but you stand fast through faith. So do not become proud, but stand in awe. For if G-d did not spare the natural branches, neither will he spare you. Note then the kindness and the severity of God: severity toward those who have fallen, but G-d’s kindness to you, provided you continue in his kindness. Otherwise you too will be cut off.
[Romans 11:17-23]
The church is Israel also. Paul called the church the Israel of God. He said that we are also the descendants of Abraham. We are Jews inwardly. The covenant of God did not fail but it was openly extended to the elect around the world. The covenant people of God are not confined to a nation but throughout the world. So Israel is saved by the Lord with an everlasting salvation that extends to the time that the Bible refers to as “before the foundations of the world”. This is the true gospel. All others, including those who are physical Israel, need to believe in the gospel of Christ or they will perish.
“since these words are found in Psalm 51, then Psalm 51 is about Christ”
Why?
That sounds about as logical as “If God is love, and love is blind, then Stevie Wonder is God.”
Hi Andrew
I’ve been reflecting on Psalm 51 for some time in terms of the imputation of sin to the Mediator – that certainly clearly works for Psalm 40.6-7 [english text] which you will not contains the affirmation of Christ coming to suffer in the body prepared for Him, ie His human nature; however, it is less clear in Psalm 51, which looks identical, but it is interesting that the Psalm title points out clearly that his refers to David or at least was written in its aftermath through the Spirit [may not be original but not lacking in any extant hebrew text that I'm aware of], and actually the Psalmist stops short in Psa 51, of saying he is going to do the offering. That makes me more cautious here, because it could equally be said, in this particular instance, on the basis of the text itself, that what David stops short of in Psalm 51 Himself, Messiah proceeds with in Psalm 40.
Check out the text & let me know how that sits?
Also, I wonder about your comments on Owen and forsakeness, have you really read him properly – he might have more to say in other places, so I’d be cautious on being too dogmatic about it, though you may be right – I haven’t read him exhaustively, but I suspect in other places his view is a bit more nuanced than you seem to indicate [could be wrong brother]!
Actually, if he is more nuanced, the explanation behind a ‘sense of forsakeness’ would be the doctrine of union with Christ which Owen develops extensively at various points. Thus, in light of his forsakeness, as we pass through the dark valleys or rejection for His sake, we get a little tiny taste of the drop of the ocean of His eternal sufferings, thus as Paul says, we share in His sufferings e.g. Colossians 2 & Philippians 3, which overflow into our lives.
Blessings brother,
Andrew Kerr.
@andrew kerr - hi andrew thank you for your thoughtful comment. would u be so kind to call me on my cell to discuss 561 283 9869. andrew c bain. slave.of.christ