This summer, with its vacation interruptions and fluctuating attendance, I prepared to preach on various Psalms and this Sunday brings us to a familiar and often favorite Psalm, Psalm 51. This is the Psalm of David’s repentance after the prophet Nathan confronts him about his adultery and murder. A couple years ago this Psalm was used as the backdrop when our own President’s malfeasance became fodder for the media and comedians. But that was two years ago, I thought, no need to bring it up again. But then on Friday, as I quietly ate my Corn Chex during breakfast and flipped through the Journal-Sentinel I was again reminded of the turpitude of our Commander-in-Chief as he spoke of his indiscretions this past Thursday at a Pastor’s Conference at Willow Creek Church.

Since Bill Hybels, pastor of Willow Creek Community Church, is one of the spiritual advisors to Clinton, it was no surprise that Clinton would address the gathering of 4,500 pastors at the conference in South Barrington, Illinois. While none of us would ever want to have our sins plastered over the press, his remarks reminded me of how difficult it is to acknowledge sin. During his 90 minute address to the clergy Clinton said the following:

"I think that, as awful as what I went through was and humiliating as it was (more to others than to me even), sometimes when you think you've got something behind you and then it's not behind you, this, sort of, purging process, if it doesn't destroy you, can bring you to a different place. ... I'm now in the second year of a process of trying to totally rebuild my life from a terrible mistake I made.

"... And I hope people can see that it's different. You know, you just have to hope that and go on."

As I read those statements I was struck with his transparency over a humiliating episode in his life. But while I was struck with his willingness to speak on an embarrassing issue, I was equally struck by the fuzziness which characterizes not only the leader of our country, but also by the blurry banalities which flow from our own mouths when we speak of our own sin.

Speaking in a religious context, to call adultery a mistake seems peculiar at best, but before you shake your head in hypocritical superiority, it drove home the problem I face each time I sin. How easy is it for me to repent? Why do I have such a difficult time when it comes to acknowledging my own sin? Oh, it is easy to point it out in others; that’s why Jerry Springer is still on the air, why we want our heroes to possess some flaws.

This morning I was scheduled to preach on Psalm 51, David’s prayer of repentance, his public acknowledgment of adultery before a listening nation. But as I prepared I wondered how hollow those words sound to our ears. Like a vaccine, we all become inoculated against the power of God’s grace by mouthing the words of forgiveness without ever wrestling with the depth of our own sinfulness. To call on God to have mercy on us, while all the time not really believing the depth of our depravity cheapens the prayer. To ask God to wash me from my iniquity, yet looking at the filth of others but not seeing my own degradation and debasement, is to miss out on the wonderful opportunity to enjoy God’s cleansing grace.

Therefore, in order to better understand David’s repentance, in order to better experience God’s grace, we are going to look at what lead to David’s prayer in Psalm 51. What caused this man of God to publicly profess his sin and God’s demands for perfection? We are given an important clue in the opening verse of this Psalm as the preface states: "When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba." Next week we’ll look at the Psalm; this week we’ll review what may be a familiar story, but one which I think will have some interesting twists.

1. In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

2. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful,

3. and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

4. Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home.

5. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant."

6. So David sent this word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent him to David.

7. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going.

8. Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him.

9. But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master's servants and did not go down to his house.

10. When David was told, "Uriah did not go home," he asked him, "Haven't you just come from a distance? Why didn't you go home?"

11. Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!"

12. Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

13. At David's invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master's servants; he did not go home.

14. In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.

15. In it he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die."

16. So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were.

17. When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

In this story the first thing we’ll see is the downward spiral of sin. For most of us repentance comes too seldom in our lives because we haven’t grasped the web of sin, its inner connectiveness. We see sin as only isolated acts of disobedience. What was David’s sin in 2 Samuel 11? Adultery? Murder? Sure those were sins, but those were mere evidences of a greater issue, which Nathan points out in 2 Samuel 12. David’s problem goes much deeper than beauty and bloodshed.

After we see the downward spiral of sin, we’ll then look at what it takes to bring us to repentance. We will see that there is an organic network of compulsive beliefs and behaviors which flow from our basic alienation from God and then, and only then, are we able to move from mistakes which disappoint our family, our friends, even ourselves to see that all our sin is against God and God alone.

As Luther said, "The sin nature is like a man's beard. You shave and get rid of it one day, but it comes back the next." So it pays to check for the stubble which appears so quickly.

Complacency softens us to sin - verse 11:1

David was complacent in his duties

David had been on the throne some 20 years. He was in his mid to late 40’s. He had witnessed success after success as he conquered territory all the way from the border of Egypt south to the Euphrates River north with one exception, Ammon. Israel was locked in a bitter struggle with her ancient enemy, the Ammonites. With the close of 2 Samuel 10, Israel’s victory seemed assured, as they had ravaged Ammon and were about to take Rabbah, the capital city. But before victory was secured the winter rains came and the armies went home.

Unlike modern combat, ancient warfare was carried out in Israel by farmers, not professional soldiers, as there were no standing armies in Israel. These farmer-soldiers had to take a break from war periodically to go back and farm the land and care for their families. When the seed was in the ground and the harvest was some months off, there was a period in which the armies would re-engage. So it was in the springtime, and we are told it was the time for kings to go off to war. They were properly expected to lead their armies in battle. (S. Zeisler 10/25/98 The Deceitfulness of Sin)

But there is a noticeable difference. David stays home and sends out Joab along with the whole Israelite army, the whole army except its commander-in-chief. It is there we see the first hint of the failure that is to unfold. In the modern parlance, David is fat and sassy.

Sin is seductive in the face of success

Remember – the issue for repentance is not isolated acts of disobedience, but the organic network of beliefs and behaviors which flow from a basic alienation from God. We see that subtly as we recognize that in David as well in each of us, failure in the Christian life is seldom a blowout; it is almost always a slow leak.

David had seen God’s hand grant success for over 20 years. While he knew that it was God’s grace which took him from a shepherd to a sovereign, the subtly of success had blinded him from his duties. He was not where he should have been. The culmination of adultery and murder were but the fruits of a far more frightening problem. David’s problem took the conqueror of Goliath and the Philistines and now conquered him by his own passion. Not even a man after God's heart is immune from a tragic fall from grace.

Prosperity is as dangerous - and sometimes more dangerous - than poverty and adversity. We all get weary of the adversities of life. We all yearn for the time when we can kick back and put up our feet and relax a bit. We tire of agonizing over the bills and not having quite enough money to go around. David certainly looked forward to the time when he could stop fleeing from Saul and begin to reign as king. But let me point out that from a spiritual point of view, David never did better than he did in adversity and weakness. Conversely, David never did worse than he did in prosperity and power. How many Psalms do you think David wrote from his palatial bed and from his penthouse? How much meditation on the Law took place while David was in Jerusalem, rather than on the battlefield? We are not to be masochists, wanting more and more suffering, but on the other hand we should recognize that success is often a greater test than adversity. Often when it appears "everything's goin' my way" we are in the greatest danger. (R. Deffinbaugh, Lesson 8, David &Bathsheba)

When we begin to think that the life God has given us to live, especially regarding the things that we have to fight against, is predictable - "I can handle this problem, I've been here before, I'm confident of my abilities and insights and experience" - then we're more vulnerable than we realize.

Cautionary signs warns us of the dangers of sin - verses 11:2-3

Disordered life

While David’s men were camping out in the fields, David was lounging around the palace sleeping the day away. Verse 2: it was evening and David was just getting up. It was very unlikely that David was doing any "kingly work" in the wee hours of the night. All the men were off at war. From all appearances, David was simply indulging himself. Finally, David could stand his bed no longer. Getting up, he went for a stroll around the roof of his palace. Most certainly, David's palace was built on the highest ground possible, so that it would afford him a commanding view of the city and the surrounding country. Virtually every other residence and building would be below David's penthouse apartment, and thus he would be able to see much that was out of sight for others.

Those who have driven big rigs have commented that a whole lot can be seen from an 18-wheeler that people in cars don't see.

There was a disorder to his life, a restlessness and boredom which found no pleasure in the mundane, so he sought new thrills. Inactivity is not a sign of attaining success; it is not a reward of hard work, but a warning sign that trouble may be brewing.

When life becomes bland, when everything tastes the same and there are no new opportunities – when life is not well ordered and productive, then trouble can be found. As a youth I found myself getting in trouble more as the summer wore on, as I was no longer occupied by school, and the thrill of time off began to wear off. That same principle is true as adults; when are lives are not structured, when we refuse to be productive, then we will often look in areas we should not for some new thrill.

Disrobed wife

This was obviously going to be a problem. While I’ve heard some blame Bathesheba for seducing innocent David, such a reading misses the mark. The bathing mentioned here was a ritual bath, not an erotic enticement. The ritual bath was commanded by Leviticus 15 for a woman following her monthly cycle. Following this bath she is to wait seven days before she will be ceremonially clean again and then she is to offer a sacrifice of two doves.

But David ignored God’s commands and checked out Bathsheba’s attractiveness. Her pleasing beauty is accentuated in Hebrew as it says: "she was beautiful, exceedingly beautiful!"

He inquired as to who she was, but the answer which came back assumed he should know. With this answer came another red flag, like the robot in Lost in Space saying, "Danger, Will Robinson!"

"Is that not Bathsheba the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"

The background of this woman was another indication that she is off limits.

She was the daughter of Eliam, who was the son of Ahithophel.

Her grandfather, Ahithophel was a trusted advisor of David, part of his cabinet. David was about to go after the granddaughter of a co-worker. Ahithophel’s revenge came later.

What is more, she was married, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

Uriah was one of David’s mighty men, a band of 30 warriors who formed his elite corps when David was fleeing Saul. What is more, Uriah was not even born a Jew, but his love for the God of Israel transcended his ethnic background and he converted.

Disregarding all that, David moved ahead.

David already had multiple wives. It was not an issue of a lonely man longing for intimacy. His core problem was not sexual. His problem was his appetite, his need for constant entertainment, his desire to satisfy his senses. He, like all of us, had a very short attention span, so that what was new became more important than what was holy. But the satisfaction of his indulgence did not satiate his desires, but only fueled the fire for more.

He planned and manipulated events so he could have another notch on his bedpost. But the organic nature of his sin, the web it formed within him, as it does each of us, was still yet to find its end. With matter of fact wording, she went to bed with him, went back home and later discovered she was pregnant. Little was said. Interesting how Scripture does not supply all the sordid details we love to hear about.

Conviction rejected deadens us to sin  - verses 11:4-17

David deadened to sin

The spiral of sin continued to move downward, as David was not bothered by his lifestyle; while others did his work, he was unresponsive to the person he desired, who she was or that she was already married. Even with the pregnancy, David remained resolute in not seeing his own sin. Like leaders of our time, when confronted with sin, rejecting God’s conviction leads to a further deadening toward sin.

He sent for Uriah and engaged in small talk. He acted out the charade he had planned, inquiring as to the welfare of Joab and the soldiers and how the war was progressing. But that was obviously not the reason for the meeting. He only wanted rid of the problem; he wanted to cover up his mistake. For that to happen Uriah must go home and sleep with his wife, thus confusing the paternity of the child.

After hearing the report he sent Uriah home to wash his feet. David was not concern about his personal hygiene, but was encouraging Uriah to take it easy, rest... go to bed. What is more, David sent a little gift along to their home, perhaps a coupon for a night at the Jerusalem Hilton, a CD of romantic music, something to encourage a little passion.

But Uriah didn’t go home. Instead he bedded down for the night with David’s servants, perhaps the same ones who orchestrated the liaison in the first place. We’re not told Uriah knew what was going on, but we can read his response when David confronted him the next morning about why he did not enjoy the simple comforts of home. With an "in-your-face" response, Uriah questioned how anyone could consider the pleasures of hearth and home while the ark of the covenant was out of the tabernacle, and his comrades were away from their wives, sleeping in tents. While David had constantly satisfied his own desires, Uriah refused to seek his own good, but the good of the nation. Uriah showed the integrity David lacked.

This was more than David could stand. He stepped up the plan:another dinner party, but this time the booze flowed freely. Would Uriah's convictions and integrity slip with a few too many sips? Uriah was more of a man drunk than David was sober. David’s concern for Bathsheba showed its true colors. He thought that if Uriah, in a drunken stupor, fumbles through the motions, all wouldl be well. But that plan also failed.

With all apparently humane plans down the tubes, he sent Uriah back to the front, carrying the letter detailing his own demise. Uriah did this because he trusted David. David knew this loyal servant will never think of opening the letter.

Joab's plan was easier to cover over, but it involved a greater loss of life. Not only did Uriah fall but other valiant men of Israel fell as well. And now David was guilty not only of adultery; he was guilty of multiple murder. One wonders how many wives and children and mothers wept that night because of David's folly. We say, "It doesn't matter what I do as long as I don't hurt someone." But how can we ever know how far-reaching the implications of our actions will be?

Conviction accepted allows us to repent of sin - verses 12:1-14

David repents when faced with his sin

God sent Nathan the prophet, who was David's friend.

1. The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.

2. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,

3. but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

4. "Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."

5. David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die!

6. He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."

 
7. Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: `I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.

8. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more.

9. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

10. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'

11. "This is what the LORD says: `Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight.

12. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'"

13. Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.

14. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die." 2 Samuel 12:1-14.

In the story Nathan tells David we see past the blatant sins, the gross immorality, to the root of the problem. The sin which David needed to repent of was not infidelity and murder. Those were but symptoms of a deeper issue which needed confrontation. If David merely repented of the obvious, he could easily have said that he made mistakes, that he’d try harder. That is what we often do, isn’t it?

Look at the story more closely and then at Nathan’s astute assessment of the sin.

David identified the sin in the story. It was not just that the man stole a lamb. The law prescribed a penalty for robbery, repaying the debt fourfold. But David’s anger that the man must die is because he showed no pity. The wealthy man had no compassion. It was his heartless disregard of others which led him to steal.

With that, David was trapped. The very thing which angered him was his own sin.

Notice what God says through Nathan in the story, hear the emphasis on God’s constant provision and David’s disregard for God’s tender gifts. David’s sin was not so much in the act, but in that organic network of compulsive beliefs and behaviors which flow from alienation from God. David despised God’s gifts; he considered them worthless, useless. David rejected God’s goodness. That was the heart of his sin. That is the core of all our sin.

What is the difference between admitting we’ve made mistakes and confessing sin?

It is in recognizing sin not as an isolated act, not just something we’ve done, but seeing what we truly are. In order to understand repentance, we must see the depth of our sinfulness, that it clings to us like our skin and that only God can save us from ourselves and our sin.

It is in that light that David’s response makes sense

"I have sinned against the Lord!" Certainly the effects of his sin had destroyed many lives. Like a stone cast on a calm lake, the ripples would continue. What Nathan promised came true in the following years as his own family raped and murdered one another and his own son Absalom wrested control of the kingdom from his father. But while the fallout continues, ultimately his sin, all our sin, was sin against God.

David did not try to excuse his behavior or hide behind the wall of private morality, as nothing is hidden from God. He did not blame a deprived background or a temporary loss of moral sanity.

Jeremy Taylor, a Puritan of the 1600's, said, "No sin is small. Sin is against an infinite God, and may have immeasurable consequences. No grain of sand is small in the mechanism of a watch."

For David it was the small, seemingly petty sin of discontentment which bound him. It was his rejecting God’s gracious gifts which allowed him to rationalize his complacency and reject the warning signs of sin and the conviction of those who maintained their integrity.

It is for that reason it is so important that when we speak of confessing our sin, when we call one another to repentance that we don’t play games with our sin, that we don’t think it a trifling matter which on the grand scale is of little importance. We do not make "mistakes," we offend God. We offend Him not only by gross immorality, but whenever we forget His daily provision for us, His providential care, His loving gifts of our life, our families, our friends. When we sin, we spit in God’s face and stomp on all His gifts.

David repented and was forgiven. But forgiveness comes at a cost. When it comes to stealing sheep, fourfold restitution was demanded. When it comes to adultery and murder justice demands death. But notice how this was handled. At first we may be horrified, but in this we see the Gospel promise.

Nathan said, "You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die."

How is that right? Why should the son of David be born to die? Why should the innocent suffer? But it is there David saw God’s provision that was to come. The Son of David, the Messiah, the Son of God, the one who knew no sin would become sin for us. Christ’s death would propitiate God; it would answer the demands of justice by love.