Excerpt from Musing with David

The Pure Heart

Psalm 51

The creation of a pure heart in David was to be a work of the Holy Spirit (v. 11). This pure heart was to be a new heart, a replacement heart; this work was to be no mere renovation. David now knew that an old heart, merely patched up, would never prevent him from committing the terrible sins of adultery and murder again.

The house I live in ages; on occasion it needs renovating. I may notice water stains on the walls or ceilings. I inspect the roof and discover some broken tiles; I replace them; I may even put on an entirely new roof. I then replace the inside wall coverings, perhaps changing to a new pattern and color. I check the carpets; I find worn spots or holes where the moths have eaten. So out go the old carpets, replaced by new, clean, bright ones. Here and there on the cabinets and doors paint or lacquer adds to a clean new look.

After some days or weeks the workers finish and leave. I settle back into my "new" house. But it's not new. It's still the same old house, merely patched up - made to look new.

Such a renovation, such a "like-new" work in his heart is not what David asks for. No, he asks for the creation of a pure (=new) heart to replace the old. Create (bara', v. 10) is the same verb used by the Genesis writer for God's activity in bringing into being the heavens and the earth when there was no pre-existing matter (Gen. 1:1); God made something entirely new.

So it is with the work of the Holy Spirit in the human heart. If your heart cry is for a new inner nature, for a sustained ability to live a pure life, then ask the Holy Spirit to create in you a pure heart; it is his desire to do so. -By Barry Ross