It'd really help if you can "hear" Sinclair Ferguson reading this quotation. If you haven't listened to enough/any of him, go for a soft Scottish accent. Trust me. Protestant Theology needs a Scottish accent to be fully appreciated.
Discussing Ps. 51:
There is one final court of appeal, beyond God's mercy, greater even than his "great compassion." It is God's "unfailing love" (v.1).
The word David uses is "covenant-love" (chesedh). It is the love to which God has committed himself, even obligated himself, in his covenant promise to his people.
It is as though David were saying: "O God, obligate yourself to love me with a love that will save me from my guilt." He scarcely knew what he was asking for.
Do we, when we ask for the forgiveness of sins?
In asking for "mercy," David, you are asking that GOd will show it to you, but withdraw it from Jesus.
In asking to experience God's "unfailing love," you are asking that Jesus will feel it has been removed.
In asking to taste God's "great compassion," you are asking him to refuse it to Jesus as he dies on the cross.
In asking God to "blot out" your transgressions, you are asking that they will be obliterated by the blood of Jesus.
In asking to be washed, you are asking that the filth of your sin will overwhelm Jesus like a flood.
In asking to know the joy of salvation, you are asking that Jesus will be a Man of Sorrows, familiar with grief.
In asking to be saved from bloodguilt, you are asking that in your place Jesus will be treated as though he were guilty.
In asking that your lips will be opened in praise, you are asking that Jesus will be silenced, as a sheep before her shearers is dumb.
In asking that God will hide his face from your sins, you are asking that he will hide his face from Jesus.
In asking that you will not be cast out of God's presence, you are asking that Jesus will be cast out into outer darkness instead.--Sinclair Ferguson
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