“To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.” (Psalms 51:1)
David threw himself on the mercy of God. His sin was grievous. He had allowed his flesh to lead him and to rule him. This was a man who had communion with God, who knew the voice of God and who had been blessed and raised up from a shepherd boy to a king. He realized he had offended the Lord greatly in his sin. There was no excuse. His sin was not a slight lapse, but he has pursued it until it had been accomplished.
On what merit could he ever be forgiven? There is no merit in man. He depended on God’s lovingkindness, His divine love and kindness toward an undeserved sinner. This is the same lovingkindness God extends to us through Jesus our Lord. Man tends to categorize sin. We consider murder one of the most heinous transgressions a person can commit. And we even categorize murder. Intentional and premeditated murder is the worse. This and adultery the other were David’s sins. We may be shocked when we first learn of David’s sins, but we need to realize that sin regardless of its appalling grade, whether it’s a white lie or premediated murder, is all the same to God. Sin is sin, a transgression against God and worthy of death.
David asks not only for forgiveness, but that his sin be blotted out, erased and wiped out. This was before Jesus. His sin could not be erased. But in God’s realm where the end is already accomplished, David’s sin is forgiven and erased. Yet, because he lived before Jesus, he would have to suffer the consequences of his sin. His first son with Bathsheba died.
In the Old Testament the death of an innocent creature, a lamb, was made for sin. This is the terribleness of sin, death. The sacrifices that were carried out in the Old Testament were a foreshadow of the Lamb of God, Jesus, Who would come and die for our sin. We must realize that today, God doesn’t punish sin. That bold statement is based on the Word of God. “And He is the propitiation for our sins: and not for ours only, but also for the sins of the whole world.” (1John 2:2) That word “propitiation” means that Jesus is the expiator. He is the One Who made amends for our sin. He took our deserved punishment and gave us life. Jesus took our punishment so that we could live without sin eternally. The punishment for our sin, which is death has been paid. “For the wages of sin is death; but the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord. (Romans 6:23)
That is cause for great rejoicing. That is why when we come to the Lord and our sin is wiped away and we are snatched from the kingdom of darkness into God’s kingdom of light, peace and life, we feel the difference in our soul (mind, will and emotions). We know that God has done a marvelous thing even though we may not have complete understanding of all that God has done.
David knew it was a done deal. His sin had caused the death of his son. He fasted and mourned before the Lord while his son was still alive, hoping that God’s mercy would extend to his punishment. (2Samuel 12:16-18) But when the baby died, there was nothing else he could do. “Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.” (2Samuel 12:20) God had required his son as punishment for his sin. Nathan the prophet has said to him, “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.” (2Samuel 12:14) Now David said, “...While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” (2Samuel 12:22-23)
In our case, God the Almighty Father, sent His Son, Jesus to die for our sin. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not His Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through Him might be saved. He that believeth on Him is not condemned: but he that believeth not is condemned already, because he hath not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.” (John 3:16-18)
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