God’s Love For A Sinful Man Series

The first verse of Psalm 51 says this: “A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.” Psalms 51:1

David had committed adultery with the wife of one of his best friends (Uriah) and when it became obvious that Bathsheba was pregnant David realized that if Uriah didn’t sleep with her soon everybody would know the child wasn’t Uriah’s. So, David tried to hide his sin by tricking his best friend into coming home and sleeping with his wife.

David sent a message to the commander of the army to send Uriah to him. When Uriah arrived David pretended to be interested in news from the battle, and then sent the man home to his wife… BUT URIAH REFUSED TO GO HOME.

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!" 2 Samuel 11:11

So David got Uriah drunk and sent him home… but still Uriah refused to go home and sleep with his wife.

Finally, David decides on a more drastic solution. He sent Uriah back to the battle front with a message for Joab which read: “Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” 2 Samuel 11:15

And David’s plan worked perfectly – Uriah died on the field of battle. David was free to take Bathsheba as his wife, and his sin was hidden. Or so he thought.

Isaiah 29:15 declares: Woe to those who go to great depths to hide their plans from the LORD, who do their work in darkness and think, "Who sees us? Who will know?"

Hebrews 4:13 tells us “Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight Everything is uncovered and laid bare before the eyes of him to whom we must give account.”

You can’t hide anything from God… and neither could David. David thought he’d hidden his sin. He thought he had it covered. He thought no one would know…. but God knew. And then God sent His prophet Nathan to David and declared “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. 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.” 2 Samuel 12:9-10

What was David to do now? He didn’t DESERVE God’s forgiveness. He’d committed adultery. He’d committed murder by proxy. And God KNEW what he’d done it. David would never deserve God’s forgiveness. So what was David to do?

Well, David did a very unusual thing…. HE REPENTED. In fact, throughout the Psalm David admits his sin. He calls it “MY INIQUITY”; “MY SIN”; “MY TRANSGRESSIONS”. The Psalm is filled with declarations that he was at fault.

He didn’t try to blame someone else for his sin; He didn’t try to blame Bathsheba for bathing in the nude; He didn’t try to blame Uriah for not sleeping with his wife; He didn’t try to blame his other wives for not meeting his needs;

He didn’t try to blame Joab for allowing Uriah to die on the battle front; AND he didn’t try to blame God for allowing him to be tempted.

Instead, he said: “I (have) sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.” (Psalm 51:4) “David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the LORD.’” And Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.” 2 Samuel 12:13

DAVID REPENTED. AND GOD FORGAVE HIM.

Now granted there were still consequences – terrible consequences for David’s sin – but God forgave him. God gave David something he did not deserve. God gave him forgiveness! But why? David had done a terrible thing! How could God forgive him?

Well (as we’ve already stated) David didn’t deserve to be forgiven - even David understood that, David wrote: "Have mercy on me, O God…” Psalm 51:1

Have mercy? What is mercy?

ILLUS: The story’s told about a mother once approached Napoleon, seeking a pardon for her son. And the emperor replied the that young man had committed a certain offense TWICE and justice demanded death. “But I’m not asking for justice,” the mother explained. “I’m pleading for mercy.” “Your son does not deserve mercy,” Napoleon replied. “Sir,” the woman cried, “it would not be mercy if he deserved it, and mercy is all I ask for.” Then Napoleon smiled and said, “Well then, I will have mercy.” And he spared the woman’s son. (Luis Palau, Experiencing God’s Forgiveness, Multnomah Press, 1984)