Sunday, September 6, 2009

Today's Passage: 2 Samuel 11-12

Well, I've done all this bragging on David in my previous blogs and then we come to these two chapters. Chapter 11 is filled with selfishness, fornication, betrayal, conspiracy, and murder. What happened to David? This is not the David we've been reading about up to this point! How did this Old Testament super hero do such horrible things? The answer to this question is really not important. The fact is that he was human--we ALL are human. Therefore, we are all capable of these acts and much worse. Jesus tells us later in the New Testament that even looking at someone with lust in your heart is adultery already. In the same way, when we hate someone, we murder them in our hearts. Are any of us completely innocent of either of these? I didn't think so. It follows logically that we have a lot to learn from David. That explains why my admiration for David's life is still in tact--look at chapter 12. It is quite a confrontation. Can you imagine being Nathan? I imagine it would be very difficult to go to the king of Israel and confront him on his sin, but that is exactly what he did. And until Nathan paints the picture of the poor man and the ewe, David seems to be without regret and clueless. How blessed was David to have a man like Nathan as one of his advisers, to look him in the eye and say, "You are THE man!"?

In the last few posts I've noted that David has demonstrated several worthy attributes. In this passage we see the most important one David demonstrated in his life and that is repentance. All we see in chapter 12 is David reply, "I have sinned against the Lord." However, we see his heart and his prayer in response to Nathan's rebuke in Psalm 51. This passage is a beautiful picture of brokenness over sin, repentance from the sin, and dependence on God for forgiveness of that sin. "Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me form my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me." (vs. 2-3). The beauty of this convicting Psalm does not justify his actions; it shows us the importance of being repentant in our lives. So, in what areas of our lives do we need to repent? May we all make Psalm 51:10 our prayer: "Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me."