Thank you for joining us for our series in the Psalms. Today we see David’s wrestling with sin, confession, and seeking to be clean again.
The Bible tells us that David was a man after God’s own heart. But unfortunately in the midst of his fame and glory as a king David didn’t guard his heart with diligence. We read about a dark time in David’s life in 2 Samuel 11 and 12. One night as David was on his rooftop, he saw Bathsheba bathing. And David sent messengers to get her and she came to him and he slept with her. And then she went back home. Bathsheba then conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
Unfortunately, David didn’t initially own and confess his sin. Instead He tries to cover it up. He calls for Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, who is also one of David’s mighty men, to come home from the war in hopes that Uriah will sleep with Bathsheba and everyone will just assume the child is his. When Uriah says he won’t go and sleep with his wife when the rest of his buddies are fighting David then sends the following command to his general, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.”
David commits adultery with the wife of one of his friends. He then has the man murdered! God sent Nathan the prophet to confront David. It is only then that David says, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
It is because of this horrible and tragic incident that we have Psalm 51. It gives us hope that even when we have persisted in our sin, there is hope and redemption. It is not too late to do what David did when he cried out in Psalm 51:1-2, “Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love, according to your great compassion, blot out my transgression, wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, cleanse me from my sin.”
David longed to be cleansed from his sin! He cries to God passionately for it. And He goes on to promise to tell others the joy of walking in the freedom of knowing they are forgiven.
This week, let’s choose to walk in the fear of the Lord. But if we do sin, may we be quick to seek the forgiving power of Jesus and freely proclaim that to others as well.
