Psalm 51 for 51 Courts
For the last few days the thoughts of the previous post “David’s Cry for Mercy and Restoration” have continued to weigh heavily on my heart. This moment in our nation is so critical. This is a year like no other, and it demands that we walk lightly and live differently. I believe all of our best-made plans and ideas to remedy our afflictions closely resemble trying to put a band-aid on a mortal wound.
13 “From the least to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; prophets and priests alike, all practice deceit. 14 They dress the wound of my people as though it were not serious. ‘Peace, peace,’ they say, when there is no peace. (Jer 6:13-14 NIV)
The point is this–David tried to cover up and live in denial of his guilt. He thought that he could somehow dodge the consequences. Fact: It doesn’t work that way. C’mon, that old trick never works. Like David, America is desperately looking at the consequences of our bloodguilt instead of dealing with the much deeper problem. We’re channeling all of our resources to treat the symptoms, and we’re bankrupting ourselves in the process. The result is that this is already a year of blood. Ezekiel’s words press down on us, “Because you did not hate bloodshed, bloodshed will pursue you.” It’s inescapable and unavoidable. We have become willing participants in our own demise.
But I believe there is still opportunity to respond to the Lord.
The Mercy Seat on April 26th was created for that very purpose. It is to be a corporate CRY FOR MERCY for the nation. But before we can do that we must prepare ourselves ahead of time.
In all his splendor with the world at his fingertips, David came down off of his throne and laid down in the dust of humility. He exchanged a comfy pillow for the cold hard surface of mourning. He fasted and prayed for the life of the next generation, and threw himself with abandon on the mercy of God. You see, we cannot try to stand in our own strength anymore. The only course of action right now is to turn to Him. Just as David spent SEVEN DAYS in this posture, I believe we are in seven days of preparation of our own hearts. Yesterday was officially Passover. April 19 was the day on the Hebrew calendar that the lamb was slain, and its blood smeared on the doorposts of the individual homes. Leviticus 23 then outlines how God instructed His people to observe Passover for seven days. This coming Saturday will mark the close of the Passover season, and it will be a day that thousands and thousands of intercessors gather to pray at 51 COURTS on behalf of the nation.
During those seven days of mourning, David wrote Psalm 51. I believe it is an outline of prayer, a blueprint of repentance for bloodguilt. It has exploded in my spirit this weekend, “PSALM 51 FOR 51 COURTS.” Use this Psalm as a guide this week to prepare yourselves. Make David’s cry your own. Something about this solidified in David’s soul. Later, when confronted with choosing God’s punishment for sin, he declared that it was better to fall into the hands of a merciful God than the hands of men. Beloved it is better…infinitely better.
“Psalm 51 for 51 courts.”
Tags: Bloodguilt, David, Repentance, Shedding Innocent Blood
04.20.08