Psalms 51:1

David appealed to God (Elohim) to cleanse him because of His loyal love and compassion. This is the first of David’s psalms in which he addressed the Lord as Elohim, possibly reflecting the distance he felt from God as Yahweh. [Note: Merrill, "Psalms," p. 433.] He knew he did not deserve the Lord’s forgiveness nor could he earn it. Divine pardon comes to sinners by His grace alone. He asked God to blot out the record of his transgressions, namely, sins that go beyond the limits that God has established for conduct.