Psalm 50 Commentary
Psalm 50 is one of the seven penitential psalms we use in Lent. It has its origins in the heartfelt personal confession of King David. He publicly admits his sins of adultery and murder. He does not hold back on his passionate self-condemnation: in verses one and two he asks God to “have mercy, blot out, wash and make clean”. The word “mercy” is derived from the Hebrew word for “womb”, suggesting to us that God has mother’s unbreakable love for her child. The “blotting out” means in today’s language a plea to “wipe the slate clean”. He takes this image forward by asking God: “If you purify me then I will be made pure; if you wash me then I will be white!” His prayer goes beyond this to an urgent plea for, of all things, wisdom! He is thinking of his future after being restored in his relationship with God. He needs wisdom in the ways ahead. With this in mind he makes a vow, a good resolution for the future. He will tell other sinners about God’s loving-kindness. He moves out from personal introspection to his responsibilities with the community. The whole assembly will be restored together in their relationship with God. They will again, but now with contrite hearts, offer a sacrifice at the altar. The sacrifice, the burnt offering, will then consumed in a shared meal, a communion ritual with one another and with their ever-loving Lord.
Our own sin may not be as public and blatant as David’s, but it’s important for me to realise that God’s mother-love is always reaching out to our struggles when we fall short in walking with God and our neighbour.
In this weekend’s liturgy, the penitential psalm follows the apostasy with the Golden Calf in the Exodus reading, and points forward to the joyful reconciliations of the Gospel.
audio recordings:
Ps 50: words and music Noel Donnelly (c) Kevin Mayhew. Recorded by Noel Donnelly.
Ps 50: words (c) The Grail, England. Music Gerry Fitzpatrick (c) Kevin Mayhew. Recorded by Grace Buckley
