“David’s repentance”

Summary of sermon by Erlo Stegen, 14 Sep 2014

Ps 51:1-19
1 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.

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.

5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

Many speak about David’s sin but not many about his repentance. It’s amazing that many people are happy for David’s sin but not about his repentance. His repentance they don’t mention.

After David sinned with Bathsheba, he tried to hide his sin by calling Uriah from the battle field and sending him home to sleep with his wife. But Uriah was a true hero and said, ‘how could I go home while my brethren are on the battle field?’ 2Sam 11:11

David’s sin was catching up to him. His sin was daily before him. His bones grew old because of his sin. Ps 32:3

Eventually when Nathan came to him and told him the parable of the rich man taking the lamb of the poor man he recognized his sin and acknowledged it in true repentance. (2Sam 12)

Sin doesn’t remain alone. It hatches more. When David found that Uriah would not go home he hatched another plan to murder her husband through the hands of his enemies.

David says he sinned against God alone and did what was evil in God’s sight. We might say he sinned against people, against Bathsheba and Uriah. But David recognized against whom his true sin was.

Consider that when you sin against another the greater part of your sin is against God.

You might hide your sin from people little realizing God was present all the while.

David’s repentance went deep. He confessed and repented once and never returned to his sin again.

In his old age he was cold through sickness and his counselors sought a beautiful girl to keep him warm in his bed. But the Bible says that he did not touch her. He repented once for all. (1Kings 1:1-4)

We like to hide our sin but David exposed his sin and parted from it. His repentance psalm was taught and set for the choir master for all generations to read.

However if you do not repent like David you are on your way to hell.

Why does a person fall into lust?

Rom 1:21-27

Because that, when they knew God, they glorified him not as God, neither were thankful; but became vain in their imaginations, and their foolish heart was darkened.

22 Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,

23 And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.

24 Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:

25 Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

26 For this cause God gave them up unto vile affections: for even their women did change the natural use into that which is against nature:

27 And likewise also the men, leaving the natural use of the woman, burned in their lust one toward another; men with men working that which is unseemly, and receiving in themselves that recompence of their error which was meet.

We can see how even a small child is born in sin, when a baby gets upset with its mother, biting her.

Everyone has the inner knowledge of God but many deny and won’t acknowledge Him and so their mind becomes dark.

Two close friends used to go hunting together. But then the one got converted and shared with his friend. But the friend was uninterested. They went hunting again and the Christian prayed for wisdom to testify to his friend. One morning he saw a fresh track just outside their tent. He quickly called his friend and when asked if he saw the buck he replied that he saw the fresh track marks and so know it cannot be far off. Then he testified to his friend that in the same way he knows God through His evidence in creation and the Bible that He is there. This convinced him.

God has revealed Himself to us in His Word and Creation.

The Bible says that because they did not acknowledge Him He has handed them over to their sin.

This was also the cause of David’s sin. He stopped singing praises to God as he was used to and became vain in his thoughts.

But after he repented thoroughly, asking God to restore to him the joy of His salvation, he became an evangelist.