Meaning of Psalms 51:6

This verse from Psalm 51, attributed to David's penitential cry after his sin with Bathsheba, expresses a profound understanding of God's intimate involvement in human life from its very inception. David acknowledges that even before his birth, in the hidden formation within his mother's womb, God's will was for faithfulness, and it was in this "secret place" of pre-natal development that the foundational principles of wisdom were instilled. This implies that God's redemptive and instructive purposes are not contingent upon a person's conscious awareness or outward actions, but rather are woven into the very fabric of their being from the earliest stages of existence. The "desire for faithfulness" signifies God's inherent nature and His longing for a relationship characterized by truth and loyalty, a desire that predates human sin and is foundational to His covenantal relationship with humanity.

Context and Background

Psalm 51 is a deeply personal and somber psalm of repentance. David, having been confronted by the prophet Nathan about his adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of Uriah, pours out his heart in confession and seeks restoration. The psalm is a plea for cleansing, renewal, and the re-establishment of a right relationship with God. In this specific verse, David moves beyond his immediate sin to contemplate the origins of his moral and spiritual understanding, tracing it back to the deepest recesses of his pre-natal existence. This demonstrates an awareness that his moral compass and capacity for wisdom were not merely acquired through experience but were, in some sense, divinely imprinted from the outset.

Key Themes and Messages

• Divine Immanence and Providence: The verse underscores God's presence and active involvement in the most private and hidden aspects of human life, including gestation. It speaks to a God who is not distant but intimately concerned with the formation of every individual.
• Innate Moral Capacity: David suggests that a predisposition towards faithfulness and the capacity for wisdom are not solely learned but are, at least in part, divinely imparted during the earliest stages of development. This doesn't negate the role of external teaching and experience, but points to a foundational spiritual endowment.
• God's Desire for Faithfulness: The phrase "you desired faithfulness" highlights God's intrinsic nature and His longing for truth, loyalty, and integrity in His creation, particularly in His covenant people. This desire is presented as a constant, not a reaction to sin.
• Wisdom as a Divine Gift: Wisdom is portrayed not just as intellectual knowledge but as a profound understanding of God's ways and moral principles, instilled by God Himself in the hiddenness of the womb.

Spiritual Significance and Application

This verse offers a powerful assurance of God's deep and abiding love and His comprehensive plan for each individual. It suggests that even before we are aware of ourselves or our Creator, God is at work, imparting His character and guiding principles. For believers, this can foster a profound sense of security and worth, knowing that they are fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139:14) and that God's purposes for them are established from their very beginning. It also calls for a greater appreciation of the sanctity of life and the spiritual potential inherent in every human being. The desire for faithfulness, instilled from conception, serves as a reminder that God's standards are absolute and that our lives are intended to reflect His truth.

Relation to the Broader Biblical Narrative

The concept of God's involvement in pre-natal development is echoed throughout Scripture. Jeremiah 1:5 states, "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." This emphasizes God's foreknowledge and predestination, aligning with the idea that His purposes extend to the earliest stages of life. The creation accounts in Genesis also highlight God's deliberate and purposeful creation of humanity, implying an inherent design and purpose for each individual. Furthermore, the theme of God's covenant faithfulness, a central thread in the Old Testament, is here traced back to the very origins of human existence, demonstrating that this desire for a faithful relationship is foundational to God's interaction with humanity.

Analogies

One analogy for God desiring faithfulness even in the womb is that of an artist sketching the foundational outlines of a masterpiece. Before the intricate details and vibrant colors are applied, the artist lays down the essential structure and form, anticipating the finished work. Similarly, God, in the "secret place" of the womb, laid down the fundamental principles of faithfulness and wisdom as the initial design for David's life, even before conscious awareness. Another analogy could be a gardener planting seeds. The gardener's intention is for the seed to grow into a healthy plant, and the seed itself contains the inherent potential and blueprint for that growth, guided by the gardener's care. God's desire for faithfulness is like the inherent nature of the seed, and His wisdom is the "soil" and "sunlight" that nourishes it from the beginning.

Relation to Other Verses

• Psalm 139:13-16: "For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother’s womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well. My frame was not hidden from you when I was made in the secret place, when I was woven together in the depths of the earth. Your eyes saw my unformed body; all the days ordained for me were written in your book before one of them came to be." This psalm directly corroborates the idea of God's intimate involvement in pre-natal formation and His foreknowledge.
• Jeremiah 1:5: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart; I appointed you as a prophet to the nations." This verse echoes the theme of God's knowledge and purpose for individuals before their birth.
• Proverbs 1:7: "The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction." While this verse speaks of the fear of the Lord as the beginning of knowledge, Psalm 51:6 suggests that the capacity for wisdom and the desire for faithfulness are divinely instilled from the earliest stages, providing the foundation upon which the fear of the Lord can later be built.
• 1 Corinthians 1:30: "It is because of him that you are in Christ Jesus, who has become for us wisdom from God—that is, righteousness, holiness and redemption." This New Testament verse highlights Jesus as the embodiment of divine wisdom, suggesting that the wisdom instilled in the womb finds its ultimate fulfillment in Christ.