The Grace and Mercy of the Lord

Experiencing David’s Challenges

<norhk yv O.ormov;ivn

“or2a-ov;ivnnyr Tavi;i Hyd

Psalm 51

Last Sunday we started a new series of sermons hoping for us to experience the challenges that David faced. David wanted to build a temple for the Lord. God did not want that to happen and said, “I will build you a house, an everlasting kingdom.”

Today’s Psalm is related with the events written in 2 Samuel. It all happened when the king had too much leisure time! “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle… But David remained at Jerusalem”(2 Sam 11:1).

David saw Bathsheba taking a bath on the roof and was tempted by her beauty. The temptation ended in an affair and a pregnancy. Instead of facing the sin, David tried to hide it. To cover up the pregnancy, David brought back Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, from the battlefield. However, Uriah did not sleep at home but stayed outside David’s palace with his servant saying, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife?” (2 Sam 11:11)

Remember how important for David was the Ark of Lord being in the temple. Today David’s mind is occupied with one thing: how to cover up his sin. I wish he confronted it with Uriah and God. We usually do more harm by trying to cover up our sins. You know the story; read more about it. He sends Uriah to the front line so he will be killed, which means that marrying Bathsheba will become a possibility. It reminds me of many 21st Century affairs. Humanity can fall in sin. We all are vulnerable. What can we do?

David learned to deal with his sin. He was challenged by Prophet Nathan. (Read 2 Sam 12).

David wrote Psalm 51. This psalm brings forth God’s Grace and Mercy. Remember, psalms were sung in public. Therefore David’s sin was remembered every time this psalm was sung.

Psalm 51 has four major parts: an appeal, confession, prayer of restoration, finally a revolutionary approach to Sacrifice. (verses 18-19 were added later on when Israel was in exile).

1. An Appeal. HELP!

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.” (1-3)

David starts his psalm with the word mercy (honneni, or Arabic haneen). Be gracious to me O Lord, I do not deserve it; I need your steadfast love hesed; I need your loyal love towards me, HELP HELP!

Also notice, he used several different words to describe his wrong-doing. As if he was looking for words to describe it fully: transgressions, sin, iniquity!

He is also taking full responsibility: my sin, my iniquity, it is me who was fallen. He is not blaming this or that person.

I wonder how we approach our sins. We often like to find the fault in someone else, in the system, in our parents, in our teachers. Someone else is responsible. That was not the case with David. A genuine confession does not point fingers towards others; it starts from the self.

We will continue in English.