The Psalms Teacher's Manual

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PSALMS GETTING REAL WITH GOD

Teacher’s manual

W R I T T E N BY T E SSA R E P P

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PSALMS GETTING REAL WITH GOD

Teacher’s manual W R I T T E N BY T E SSA R E P P

CONTENTS ...

Using this Teacher’s manual page 4

Introduction page 10

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

PSALM SEVENTY-THREE God, am I an idiot? page 14

PSALM FIFTY-ONE Sorry God, sin was so attractive page 21

PSALM ONE HUNDRED & THIRTY-NINE God, do you even know I exist? page 29

PSALM THIRTEEN God, help me! page 35

PSALM TWENTY-THREE God, you will stick with me page 43

PSALM ONE HUNDRED & NINETEEN God, do you know best? page 50

PSALM ONE HUNDRED & THREE God, you’re awesome page 56

Assessment page 64

Mistakefree days:

ZERO

chapter

two

psalm fifty-one

*

SORRY GOD, SIN WAS SO ATTRACTIVE Is God in denial about how good sin can feel at the time? Can’t I just say sorry and it will be all good?

LESSON OUTCOMES Students recognise that we so often desire to sin and we need not just God’s forgiveness but his transformation of our hearts.

Students recognise the seriousness of sin and the need for true repentance.

PSALM SUMMARY • ‘Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love’ (v 1) captures the essence of the psalm.

• David recognises his inherent and all-pervasive sinfulness.

• He pleads for God to forgive him.

• Additionally he prays for transformation of his heart and spirit so he may live a life pleasing to the Lord.

teacher notes This psalm is David’s penitent response to God’s condemnation of the sins he committed, recorded in 2 Samuel 11–12. The introduction clarifies the historical context, that is, David had an affair with the wife of a loyal soldier, Uriah, and then had Uriah killed to cover up the adultery. God sent the prophet Nathan to rebuke David, and this psalm is David’s response.

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The opening verse, ‘Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions’, captures the essence of the psalm.

David presents an extensive set of petitions (vv 1–2, 7–12 and 14–15). He pleads for forgiveness using the language of washing, cleansing and blotting out of his sin*. David recognises himself as utterly sinful (v 3), having committed evil (v 4). In particular he describes himself as guilty of bloodshed (v 14). He goes so far as to describe himself as having been sinful from conception (v 5). He recognises the justice of God’s condemnation (v 4).

His pleas for forgiveness are then extended to prayers for transformation (vv 10–12). Having recognised that sin is at the core of his nature, David begs for a new, pure heart; a steadfast, willing spirit; for God not to abandon him; and a renewed joy. David cannot simply be pardoned for past sin; he is weak and desperately needs God’s transformation to keep him from continued sinfulness.

David does not justify his actions or suggest that he can make amends with God. David depends completely on God’s merciful, compassionate nature, not on any worthiness of his own.

true righteousness, thereby pleasing God with their sacrifices (vv 18–19). These final verses indicate that Psalm 51 was written also to serve as liturgy. *NOTE: in verse 7, the analogy to washing in hyssop is common and comes from Leviticus 14:6f in which a bunch of hyssop was dipped in sacrificial blood and sprinkled on a recovered leper, symbolising God’s complete cleansing, which had washed the leper white as snow.

INTRODUCTION OPTIONS roll-mark question What would you say are the two worst things a person could do?

It will be interesting to see if a majority of students say murder and adultery, as these are the sins of which David was guilty.

song Play ‘Undo’ by Rush of Fools in class and display the lyrics. Lyrics can be accessed online (see page 6).

WHAT DO YOU THINK?

David describes the outcome of his forgiveness: he will lead others to repentance and obedience (v 13). With God’s help he will sing God’s praises (vv 14–15).

David recognises that this heartfelt, humble and repentant response is more desirable to God than the act of sacrifice alone (vv 16–17). The Old Testament sacrificial system was intended to bring the Israelites to a realisation of the seriousness of sin, as well as to point forward to the once-for-all sacrifice for Christ.

However, to adhere to it merely as a ritual was not pleasing to God, instead sincere repentance was essential.

The psalm’s conclusion encompasses the community of God’s people. His concern is that they will all live in

22 - The Psalms

* What is the song saying?

That the singer is again coming back to God, knowing he has sinned, and that this sin is very bad. He wants God to change him and ‘undo’ his sinfulness.

NOTE: If necessary, explain the ‘prodigal’ reference as a son described in a story by Jesus (Luke 15:11–32).

This son completely rejected his father (representing God) and went to live a wild life. But eventually he came back home hoping for some forgiveness. When he went home the father was not angry; rather, he absolutely rejoiced and instantly forgave him when he came back.

do you think of its message? * What * Do you identify with any of it?

Depending on your class, encourage students to share their thoughts or allow time for private reflection.

- consider this Feel bad for a bit but hope that it will fade soon enough.

Ignore it and move on hoping no-one will notice.

DISCUSS what best describes your reaction when you do something wrong.

Not even think about it—after all who really cares anyway?!

*

Tell someone close to you, to get it off your chest.

Say sorry straightaway as you can’t stand secrets!

Feel really guilty until eventually you admit what you’ve done and say sorry.

Do you think this is a good way to react? * Where do you fit on a scale between the following?

If there is a God, he will forgive me for everything I do. Sin is not that big a deal and forgiving is God’s job. Right?

I am not the kind of person God would ever love. I am beyond his forgiveness.

God wouldn’t want me. Right?

AS WE LOOK AT PSALM 51, THINK ABOUT WHERE GOD’S PERSPECTIVE MIGHT STAND ON THIS SCALE.

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testimony—david’s story Explain that David’s testimony is the context for the psalm/song we are looking at today. Knowing the context of something we read helps us understand the meaning.

Alternatively you could simply describe the events of 2 Samuel 11:1—12:13.

DAVID’S STORY One afternoon I was on the roof of my palace, and saw a gorgeous woman bathing at the neighbour’s place.

I asked who she was and sent my servants to bring her to me. After all, I am king and she, Bathsheba, was irresistible. I knew she was married to Uriah, one of my soldiers, but he was away at war so I slept with her.

Some months passed and she sent me a message saying she was pregnant. I had to devise a plan, so I requested that Uriah return from the war and report back to me how it was going. That way he could sleep with Bathsheba and he would think it was his baby.

But he was so loyal to me and his troops that he slept at the palace steps. He didn’t feel that he deserved to enjoy his comfortable bed and wife while his men were suffering at war. I tried getting him drunk but he still didn’t go home. I needed a new plan. I sent him back to war with a sealed letter telling my commander to withdraw from Uriah and leave him at the front line so that he would be killed. It worked. Bathsheba had a grieving period, and then I married her. I didn’t really reflect on what I had done. I guess I was in denial.

Instead I just enjoyed my new wife.

‘

Now a traveller came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveller who had come to him.

Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.’

I exploded in anger! ‘As surely as the LORD lives’, I said to Nathan, ‘the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’

Much to my horror, Nathan cried out ‘You are the man!’

It suddenly hit me. Nathan went on, ‘This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites!

Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own’.

As I reflected, I was horrified at what I had done when God had been so good to me. I confessed to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD’. Nathan pronounced, ‘The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die’.

I had to talk to God about this. I put my prayer into a song.1

However, God sent Nathan, a prophet, to speak to me.

He told me a story: ‘There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

24 - The Psalms

1 Some text taken from The New International Version 2011

FACE TO FACE WITH THE TEXT—psalm fifty-one For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.

1

Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

3

For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge.

5

Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

14

Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Saviour, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise.

16

You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

questions

(with answer guides) David really gets to the point in this prayer— straightaway he says ‘Have mercy on me, O God …’

Have the class work through the rest of the psalm using this diagram.

1. Nowhere does David promise he will make it up to 7

Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

God. So, why does David feel brave enough to ask such a big thing of God, even when he has sinned so badly? (Hint: The whole psalm starts with this fact.) Add this to the flowchart on page 19.

2. Highlight verses that show how David views himself. Put these details into the flowchart.

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.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.

3. Highlight (in a different colour) verses that show what David wants from God? Discuss and summarise into the flowchart. Note: Just writing ‘forgiveness’ is not the answer—there is more to it.

4. David says this will result in change in his life. Have a look for what he says and finish off the flowchart with this.

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Please God, have mercy on me

because you are ...

1. Because God is loving (v 1), that is, David’s request is nothing to do with his worthiness or his resolution to ‘be good’. He doesn’t say ‘I’ll make it up to you’. This is an important point.

whereas I am ...

2. Stained, sinful, broken with the realisation of how bad he is, deserving of God’s punishment.

so I need you to ...

3. Clean the mess of my sins, don’t look at them or punish me for them, that is, forgive me (vv 1, 7). Give me a new heart: one that wants to follow you and not sin (v 10). Remind me of the joy of being your child (which is better than any shortterm fun of sin) (v 12) and sustain me in this (v 13). And so on ...

No-one can change just with sheer willpower. We need God to help us change—we need a new heart that wants to trust and obey God. This is what God offers (discuss the transformative role of the Holy Spirit if you think it is appropriate for your students’ level of understanding).

then I will ...

4. He says he will teach other sinners to follow God (v 13) and due to God’s transforming work David will once again sing God’s praises and be openly devoted to God (v 15).

26 - The Psalms

Why can’t David just decide ‘OK, I don’t want to do anything bad anymore so I won’t’?

relate people think God is in denial about how good * Many it can feel to do whatever you want, even if it’s sinful. After reading David’s story and Psalm 51, do you think God really is in denial or does he know how tempting sin can be? Explain your answer.

SO WHAT? reflect does this psalm show about the problem with * What the advice, ‘Just trust your heart’ when you are making a decision? See the link to the comic on the CEP Teachers Lounge or at adam4d.com/heart If we ignore God and follow our hearts, often we will choose to sin.

back to where you put yourself on the scale * Look at the start of the lesson. As Psalm 51 shows us, neither statement truly shows God’s view of our sinfulness. What is wrong with these statements?

Describe what you have learned about sin and forgiveness from this lesson.

JOHN 3:16 IS PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS VERSE IN THE BIBLE. ‘For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.’ Some people take this as meaning that everyone will be saved, as God is ‘lovey-dovey’. But John 3:18 is not so famous and reveals a more confronting reality … ‘Whoever believes in him is not condemned, but whoever does not believe stands condemned already because they have not believed in the name of God’s one and only Son’. Jesus is the Saviour, but Jesus is also the King and judge. There are real and serious consequences if we ignore him.

In this psalm David doesn’t just say sorry; he has to ask God to change his desires and his heart. Therefore, as part of God’s word to us, this psalm shows us God understands that our heart’s desires are often sinful.

He knows that sin can seem attractive, so in Psalm 51 he gives us this great example of asking for his help in resisting the temptation to sin.

CONNECTING WITH CHRIST 1 JOHN 1:8–9 ‘If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.’

•

God invites, indeed commands, that we confess our sins to him and promises he will forgive and purify us.

ROMANS 6:23 ‘For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.’

•

You need to take up God’s offer of forgiveness as the consequences are massive.

1 PETER 3:18 ‘For Christ also suffered once for sins, the righteous for the unrighteous, to bring you to God.’

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One way that we can understand this verse is with this illustration: •

•

•

We all reject God and do whatever we want—this is sin. Imagine every sinful action or thought of ours was written in a book. We’d fill up books and more books throughout our life. These ‘books’ act as a barrier between God and us.

We can’t have access to God and his perfect eternity if we are sinful—that wouldn’t be fair and heaven couldn’t be heaven if it was full of sinful people.

Jesus is the only one who never sinned. He has done nothing deserving God’s punishment. He has no ‘books’ full of sin. On the cross, he took all your books full of sin and was punished for every one so that you can now have access to a relationship with God for eternity.

MURAL Psalms show us you can …

THIS WEEK’S ANSWER: SAY SORRY TO GOD. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion … and cleanse me from my sin.

Psalm 51:1–2

TAKE A BREAK! Crack the code!

PART ONE: ijfw lti, n mfaj xnssji. n’r xtwwd, uqjfxj ktwlnaj rj fsi mjqu rj hmfslj.

PART TWO: Dear God, I have sinned. I’m sorry, please forgive me and help me change.

But thanks to the cross ...

28 - The Psalms