In Psalms, chapter fifty-one, verses one through nineteen, is a psalm for all who have sinned greatly and are overwhelmed by guilt to find forgiveness, cleansing from sin, and restoration to God if they approach Him in the spirit and words of this psalm. David’s appeals for forgiveness and restoration are based on God’s grace, mercy, lovingkindness, and compassion, as in verse one, on a truthfully broken and repentant heart, as in verse seventeen, and ultimately on the atoning death of Christ for our sins, as in First John two, verses one to two.
Have mercy upon me is the start of part for the opening verse for chapter fifty-one under The Penitent’s Psalm section. These first few words of the beginning verse are used from a heart that was living in a godly way until they unknowingly or knowingly admits the faults that caused them to stray away from the straight and narrow path. Did David expect the sin he did would go so far to the point of hurting an innocent man who served God’s will of his heart? “Have mercy upon me” are the words of a sinner crying out for help. To leave the destructive path, they realize that they are living.
“Have mercy upon me” is the beginning of becoming a believer who desires to come out of the ungodly lifestyle when they utter these opening words to God. They hope for the Lord to become their guide and lead them out of this darkness of environment into His marvelous light. The rest of the chapter continues the overall cleansing of the current state physically and spiritually from the ways of the world and the devil to the direction and godly path that God desires for His people. However, only the Lord knows who is sincere when they recite this psalm. The actions will be confirmed thereafter if true or not.