Psalm 51:18-19

Now the critical scholars like to say that these verses were put in later, but there is little to suggest that. It flows very well from what David has just been talking about. And what if I can put it in my own words, to me it feels like David is saying, "Please do not let Your people and Your city suffer for my sins. Rather, bless them, build them up, protect them, turn them, and be pleased with Your people's worship."

He does not want what he did to affect the nation. Because he knew that as king, his sins had done great destruction. He had done them in the sight of all Israel. When he and Bathsheba first started this, they were both on the roofs of their houses. Anybody who was there could look and see. He was the one that people looked to as an example of a godly man, and he had blown it big time. And it would have its effect on the nation.

Now, I think that even though he had said a few verses earlier that God did not delight in animal sacrifices, I am pretty sure that David made a significant burnt offering and gave numerous sacrifices to cover his sins in the people's eyes. Because doing that is what was expected. That if a ruler of the nation sinned, he was supposed to go before the priest and bring his offering and ask God to cover his sins. So he had to do what he could to make a proper example and restore his reputation as God's representative because that is what he was. He was God's representative in the land of Israel, and he had made a hatchet job of that, and he needed to do what he could to restore all of that. So it was this hope that others would follow his example and offer sacrifices of righteousness to God and it would lead to a restoration of true worship.

And so he talks about burnt offerings. Bulls, by the way, were the most expensive burnt offerings that could be given. And as we heard this morning from Bill, they were totally consumed on the altar. In terms of sin offerings, bulls were what the high priest or the whole nation gave. The ruler of the people was only required to give a kid of the goats. So David here, speaking primarily of burnt offerings, is wishing for the people to give extravagantly to God and to restore the relationship, dedicating or devoting themselves to Him wholeheartedly. He is praying that his sin, which had done great damage, could somehow be turned into a restoration of true worship like it had with him but over the whole nation.