“He restoreth…” (Psalms 23:3a)

“The LORD is… He maketh me… he leadeth me” are David’s previous statements in giving insight to the LORD being Sovereign.

To continue his thought, David uses the fourth verb to show God is the Cause and we are the effect: “He restoreth,” or restored, restoring.

This verb means 1) “to give back; return”; 2) “to put or bring back into a former or original state.” Synonyms for restore are: “refresh, regenerate, rejuvenate, renew, revitalize, and revive.”

The fact that God does restore His Sheep brings to light:

1. That God’s Sheep fail, and miss the mark; and therefore need to be restored back to full fellowship with the Shepherd.
2. The reason for the need of being restored is because of the Sheep’s compromise with truth; which leads to a loss of fellowship with Christ, and a loss of power to overcome temptation to sin:

“Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: (14) But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. (15) Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.” (James 1:13-15)

As James 1:14 points out, “…every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.”

When this progression begins to take shape in the believer’s life, he must make confession of his thoughts immediately to God (1 John 1:9). It must be stopped prior to lust being conceived in the spirit; for when lust is conceived, “it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it (sin) is finished, bringeth forth death (destruction and defeat).”

God established these things about sin in a believer’s life:

1) Sin separates and always bears a great cost. “But your iniquities have separated between you and your God (not that you lose your position in Christ, or in Grace – but), and your sins have hid his face from you, that he (God) will not hear” (Isaiah 59:2). That is, your fellowship, and your ability to pray, have ceased until confession is made of your sins (1 John 1:9).

2) “…have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23b). The Apostle Paul elaborated in Galatians 6:7-8:

“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. (8) For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.”

Here he gives us the answer as to why “your sin will find you out” – the answer is the Law of Sowing and Reaping.

3) Solomon added, “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper…” (Proverbs 28:13a). This is the sad commentary on many believers who try to hide from God, see Adam and Eve in the Garden (Genesis 3:9-21); or try to justify their sin, as King David did before God and all of Israel (2 Samuel 11 and 12). But the good news is:

4) “…but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them (sins) shall have mercy.” (Proverbs 28:13b).

5) Therefore, the Apostle John wrote:

“If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. (9) If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (10) If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.” (1 John 1:8-10)

David wrote in Psalms 23:3a, “He restoreth my soul,” because of his sins of adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite (one of David’s mighty men of valor in Israel’s army); and the murder of Uriah the Hittite in battle.

David’s story of adultery and murder is in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. However David’s story of Restoration by God is found in Psalms 51:1-17. Please read this and see David’s prayer of confession of his sins to God, and his plea for God to “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation” (Psalms 51:12a).

In Psalm 51, David also listed God’s Method of Restoration:

1. “Have mercy upon me… blot out my transgressions” (Psalm 51:1);
2. “Wash me… and cleanse me from my sin” (Psalm 51:2);
3. “I acknowledge my transgressions…” (Psalm 51:3);
4. “Against thee… have I sinned…” (Psalm 51:4);
5. “Purge me… wash me…” (Psalm 51:7);
6. “Make me to hear joy and gladness…” (Psalm 51:8);
7. “Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities” (Psalm 51:9);
8. “Create in me a clean heart… and renew a right spirit within me” (Psalm 51:10);
9. “Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me” (Psalm 51:11);
10. “Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:12);
11. “Deliver me from bloodguiltiness…” (Psalm 51:14);
12. “Open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise” (Psalm 51:15).

According to 2 Samuel 12:7, God’s Prophet Nathan, revealed to David that he was uncovered by his sin, “Thou art the man.” Nathan told David, “For thou didst it secretly: but I (God) will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun” (2 Samuel 12:12).

But 2 Samuel 12:13a is the start of David’s confession of his sin, “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.” 2 Samuel 12:13b is God’s Mercy to David, “And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.”

Yes, David received forgiveness, and his fellowship was restored back to God. However:

“Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. (10) Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. (11) Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. (12) For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.” (2 Samuel 12:9-12)

Sin, all sin, brings on a terrible cost when not confessed until God uncovers the sin. The sword never left David’s house. However, God called him “a man after his own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).

Mistakes are made by believers; yet God’s Grace and Mercy and Love are greater than our transgressions, because Christ made Atonement for the Sheep’s sins on the Cross. There, God was satisfied, or appeased (Isaiah 53:1-12; Romans 3:24-25; Ephesians 1:7).

Question: How does God bring about those things David listed in Psalms 51:1-17?
God uses three simple methods, or steps:

1) Conviction for the unconfessed sin. By the use of:

a) God Himself;

b) God’s Spokesman (the Prophet, the Preacher) telling what God has said;

c) By the internal Work of God the Spirit (Romans 3:19-23)

2) Chastisement for the unconfessed sin:

“And ye have forgotten the exhortation which speaketh unto you as unto children, My son, despise not thou the chastening of the Lord, nor faint when thou art rebuked of him: (6) For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. (7) If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? (8) But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. (9) Furthermore we have had fathers of our flesh which corrected us, and we gave them reverence: shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live? (10) For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holiness. (11) Now no chastening for the present seemeth to be joyous, but grievous: nevertheless afterward it yieldeth the peaceable fruit of righteousness unto them which are exercised thereby.” (Hebrews 12:5-11)

The Chastisement of God has the goal of causing the believer to be exercised thereby to yield “the peaceable fruit of righteousness.” When this happens, then…

3) Confession for the unconfessed sin happens. It happened with David, and it happens with every other Child of God when exercised thereby.

Praise God for Restoring my soul, as David wrote. Oh what a Mighty Act of God to Restore His Sheep through Conviction, Chastisement, and Confession.

“For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. (17) The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.” (Psalms 51:16-17)

God, help us to praise You for giving us a broken spirit and a contrite heart.