Create in Me a Clean Heart O God

Anthem for Sunday, 10/07/2012

Text: Psalm 51: 10-13

Music: Carl F. Mueller

MSCL#0236

Composer’s Biography: Carl F. Mueller

Born:  Sheboygan, Wisconsin, August 12, 1892.

Graduated: Elmhurst College in 1910

Career info: organ recitalist, having studied with C. G. Stranger, Wilhelm Middelschulte, Clarence Eddy and Clarence Dickinson.

Key Dates/events:

1915 :             Married Lenore Ann Eckardt and became the Director of Music at Grand Avenue Congregational Church in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

1927:              Moved to New Jersey where he met John Finley Williamson, founder of Westminster Choir College. Mueller attended Williamson’s Summer Schools for church musicians, studying with Williamson, which greatly enhanced his understanding and interest in choral music. Mueller began to compose and arrange for choirs.

1927-1953:    Organist/Choir Director Central Presbyterian Church, Montclair, NJ

1928-1954:    Taught at Montclair State College and Union Theological Seminary’s School of Sacred Music

1931:              Founded Montclair Acapella Choir (a community choir)

1937:              Mueller obtained Westminster’s earned Fellowship

1940:              Became member of ASCAP

1941:              Published Create in Me a Clean Heart O God (2 million copies sold)

1953-1962:    Organist/Choir Director First Presbyterian Church, Red Bank, NJ

Appox. 500 compositions published; held honorary doctorate from Strassberger Conservatory of Music in St. Louis, Missouri.

1982:              Died, November 2, Lakewood, NJ

(from http://beta.rider.edu/sites/default/files/Carl_F._Mueller_Finding_Aid.pdf)

The Text in Context of the Whole Psalm

Psalm 51 is of course the Psalm David gave to the chief musician when Nathan the prophet came unto him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.   The Psalm can easily be divided into three main sections.  Verses 1-6 deal with confession of the sin.  Verses 7-15 deal with purification from the sin.  Verses 16-19 deal with worship of God. 

Confession VV. 1-6

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: 

according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: 
that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Our worship and adoration of God is impeded by the sin and filth of our lives.  Once confronted with his sin David took the steps to bring himself back into a right relationship with God.  Calling on the mercy of God he honestly confessed his wrong.  David recognized his sin was his own and it was against God. He attempted to hide his sin so he would not be ruined politically, but he could not hide from God.  Exposed there was nothing else to do but confess and come clean.  Notice that David’s journey of repentance did not begin until he was first convicted of his sin by the Lord through the word of the prophet.  In our depravity, we too are not able to recognize our sin and respond to it apart from the Lord’s intervention in our hearts and spirits. 

Purification VV. 7-15

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: 
and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

David also recognized his inability to be purified through his own actions.  In verses 7-15 he uses the visual illustration of being purged by hyssop.  Hyssop is used to apply blood ceremonially throughout the Old Testament and draws its historical beginning from when it was used to apply the blood of the paschal lamb on the doorposts of the Israelites before the exodus.  Like the Israelites of old David did not deserve the mercy of God, but seeks it by the power of the blood.  He turns to God so the “bones which (God) has broken may rejoice”.  Here the cry of our anthem is uttered.  A call for God to create a new heart and renewal for the spirit that is dark and low.  A plea to not be cast away as is deserved, but rather that God would restore and uphold.  He desires this that he may once again be a teacher and instructor to sinners.  This may sound like David is making a deal with God.  “Lord, forgive me and I’ll be a missionary!”  No, David is not making a deal.  The natural progression for one forgiven should be from confession to purification to proclamation.  David desires to be able to live beyond his error, learn from it, and help others to find their way back to God when they err as well.

Worship VV. 15-19

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. 
Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

The final verses of the Psalm deal with the restoration of worship of God.  God is not impressed with sacrifices of animals or great deeds or actions.  Those are important parts of the worship of God in the Old Testament and have their place, but they mean nothing without a broken, contrite repentant heart offering them up.  Likewise, our walk and worship is meaningless if we are not broken before God over our own sin. 

It is a fitting prayer/anthem on the day we celebrate the Lord’s Supper.  A time in which we should be reminded of our sin and recognize our need for forgiveness and the uplifting hand of God to heal us, restore us, and create within us the new heart of salvation and purification we so desperately need to be able to show light to others and worship our Lord.