The Art of Bouncing Back
David was doing so well. You would have thought he was perfect. But then there was Bathsheba. What went wrong?
Obviously, all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. (1 John 2:16) But I eluded to another issue in the recent post, "Watch Out for Whims." David acted impulsively or spontaneously in this matter, unlike his usual habit of consulting God about things. Combine the two, and you have the lust of the eyes/flesh and an impulse to act on those lustful feelings, and sin is born.
There's also another perspective to David's sin. As we've been studying Ps. 119, we've seen that David had a healthy respect for God's commandments. Here are some of the things he said about them:
- (131) I opened my mouth, and panted: for I longed for thy commandments.
- (143) Trouble and anguish have taken hold on me: yet thy commandments are my delights.
- (151) Thou art near, O LORD; and all thy commandments are truth.
Considering that, it's interesting to read what the prophet Nathan said when he confronted David about his sin in 2Sa 12:9-14.
(9) Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. (10) Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. (11) Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. (12) For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. (13) And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. (14) Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
The truth is, we still sin. And when we do, it's against God. It gives unbelievers an occasion to blaspheme. "You call yourself a Christian, and look what you did."
The other truth is, God is merciful. David wisely knew God well enough to appeal to that when he prayed and asked for forgiveness. Here was his prayer after Nathan confronted him.
Psa 51:1-4 Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. (2) Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. (3) For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. (4) Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
And that is our lesson for today. We know better. But sometimes we sin. Or our family members sin. Instead of dwelling on our despicable aptitude to break God's commandments after the fact, choose to pray sincerely and dwell on God's lovingkindness and the multitude of his tender mercies. He forgives. We still face the consequences, but He forgives, and so should we.
In the same Psalm, he moved on from his sin when he prayed, Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. (Psa. 51:10-13)