Two Beholds and the Grace Between

Psalm 51:5–6

“Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.”

When David cried out “Behold” in Psalm 51:5, he was not merely stating a fact — he was making his case before the God he had offended. The word bursts out like a closing argument in the courtroom of confession:

“Against You and You only, God, I have sinned. Behold! I was born this way!”

In that first Behold, David acknowledges a truth as old as humanity: we are born with a fallen nature. The doctrine of original sin is not just a theological statement; it’s the lived reality of every human heart. We are not sinners merely because we sin — we sin because we are

sinners by nature. David knew that the corruption he was confessing wasn’t an isolated slip but part of a condition that had plagued him since birth.

Yet David does not wield this truth as an excuse. He does not say, “I couldn’t help it” or “That’s just how I am.” Instead, his next Behold turns the spotlight away from himself and onto God:

“Behold, You delight in truth in the inward being…”

Here is the tension: humanity is utterly sinful, yet God’s holy standard has not changed. Our fallen nature does not lower His expectations. He still delights in purity. He still requires truth in the deepest parts of who we are.

And this is where the third reality bursts in — grace.

“…and You teach me wisdom in the secret heart.”

Between the two Beholds stands the reconciling work of divine mercy. Without grace, these truths stand in opposition — man’s depravity versus God’s holiness. But with grace, the God who demands truth also provides it. The God who delights in purity can create it within us.

David knew what we must know: only the Creator can create a clean heart. Only the One who commands holiness can also gift it. That’s why Psalm 51 goes on to plead, “Create in me a clean heart, O God…” (v.10).

Which Behold are you living in today? Are you stuck in the first — dwelling on your sin and brokenness — or have you moved toward the second, where God’s holiness meets you? Better still, have you stepped into the grace that bridges the two?

Prayer:

Lord, I confess my sin and my nature. Yet I cling to Your holiness and to Your grace. Create in me what I cannot create in myself — truth in the inward being and wisdom in my secret heart.