Message
Psalm 51
The Storm of Temptation
Let me briefly outline an event in Biblical history.
2 Samuel 11:1
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.
David the King is not out fighting … he is at home aimlessly pacing his rooftop porch.
Below him in the palace are at least nine wives.
But from his porch he sees a beautiful woman bathing on her rooftop and sends a servant to find her identity.
2 Samuel 11:3
3 ‘She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’
The servant has much greater integrity than David.
My King – here is the report of my visit. Her name is Bathsheba … the wife. Do you get the hint my King? She belongs to someone else. Maybe if you have specific needs you should go and visit one or your NINE wives ... or a concubine.
That should have been the end of it. But just in case the servant also adds the name of the husband and the father – Bathsheba the wife of Uriah the Hittite and daughter of Eliam.
That is very significant.
In 2 Samuel 23 we are given a description of David’s mightiest warriors. The Three and The Thirty. The “Thirty” were men who have been devoted and loyal to David from before the time he had become king. They were experts in combat – eventually to become the personal bodyguard of King David. Trustworthy. Doing anything for David. Look who is in the list of “The Thirty”.
2 Samuel 23:34, 39
34 Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite
39 and Uriah the Hittite
Bathsheba ... is the wife of your good mate, and the daughter of another good mate.
David come to your senses.
But David doesn’t. A child is conceived. A cover-up which ultimately leads to the death of Uriah is put in place. God sends Nathan the prophet to confront David. The child dies.
If you are not familiar with the fuller story read 2 Samuel 11-12.
So that is the event.
Now let’s turn to Psalm 51 (read including the superscript)
Do you see why having the background is so important.
This Psalm is God’s Word following David’s storm of temptation … and how that storm was broken.
Storm Breaker – God Wants Us In A Place of Restoration
Even as he is in the process of making a confession David expresses an expected outcome.
An outcome that will move him from where he is now
- in the place of
- and carrying all the emotions and feelings of
sin, transgression and iniquity.
To an outcome that David is absolutely confident will occur.
You cleanse from sin (2)
You desired faithfulness even in the womb (6)
You will let me hear joy (8)
You will create a pure heart (10)
Lord renew, restore, revive. As I sit here Lord in the depths I cry out to You knowing that You do not want me to be in this place.
“As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.
Ezekiel 33:11
God does not want us to be sitting in the space of guilt, shame, fear, separation, crushed, unwilling, impurity, uncleanness, judgement, cast-out, spiritually empty.
Think about the way God-in-the-flesh … Immanuel … Jesus.
Think about the way He left sinners
The Samaritan woman at the well
Nicodemus
The woman caught in adultery
Mary Magdalene who had seven demons
Zachaeus
Peter who denied him
Saul who was persecuting his followers
Even of this who were calling for death and on the road to crucifixion … “Father forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.”
The road to breaking the storm of temptation comes by recognising that God wants us in a place of restoration.
But it takes more than that.
Storm Breaker – Our Confession is Grounded in God’s Character
Knowing that God wants restoration gives secure hope.
Knowing that God wants restoration despite the fact that all our sin, iniquity and transgressions are directed against God … well that gives us security because of God’s character.
Think about David.
He was not being a responsible King.
He was not committed to his current wives.
He was not honouring his close friends.
He commits adultery. He murders.
He has abused his position of power.
He has abused Bathsheba.
The book of Samuel says But the thing David had done displeased the Lord (2 Samuel 11:27)
Indeed David realises exactly what he has done …
Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight (Psalm 51:4)
That is what the storm of temptation does.
To transgress … means to rebel or go against God.
Our iniquity … is a bending or twisting of the commands of God.
Sin … is missing the mark or goal set by God.
Ultimately all the hurt, abuse, anger, manipulation, undermining, scheming, exploitation, resentment, damage, conspiring, bitterness, mischief and ungodliness
… those actions that we do towards each other as we fall into the storm of temptation.
… all of that is directed at God.
David understand this completely. Which is why his confession is grounded in God’s character.
have mercy (1)
blot out (1)
wash (2)
cleanse (2)
The way they are written is as imperatives. God you need to act in this way towards me.
Not because of anything I deserve but because of your character.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:1
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love (hebrew word here - hesed );
according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:1
Hesed – this is the word that describes God’s covenant relationship with His people.
You are the God who says he will bless his people.
You brought us out of Egypt to establish us as a nation.
You established the tabernacle as a place of dealing with sin through the shedding of blood.
You are gave us our land and you established us as your people.
You have remain faithful despite how the nation has acted.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love (hebrew word here - hesed );
according to your great compassion (hebrew word here - raham)blot out my transgressions.
Psalm 51:1
Raham – is the compassionate feeling for someone who is helpless and dependant.
God says in Isaiah 49:15, “Can a woman forget her nursing child, that she should have no compassion on the son of her womb? Even these may forget, yet I will not forget you”
God says in Psalm 103:13, “As a father shows compassion to his children, so the Lord shows compassion to those who fear him.”
Unfailing covenant love. Compassion towards the helpless. This is who God is.
The road to breaking the storm of temptation comes by recognising that our confession is grounded in God’s character.
But it takes more than that.
Storm Breaker – In Our Confession We Need To Take Responsibility For Our Sin.
David takes responsibility. Constantly we see the pronouns “me” “my” “I”
my transgressions (1, 3)
my iniquity (2, 9)
my sin (2, 3, 4, 5)
Psalm 51 doesn’t give a list of excuses, or reasons, or justifications, or rationalisations.
I was under pressure because being the King has heaps of responsibilities.
Bathsheba was naked on her rooftop what else was I supposed to do?
I had my image to protect if the truth came out it would not be good.
I was angry. I was frustrated. I was tired. I was distracted. I was …
… …
They let me down. They made me feel inferior. They were baiting me. They were …
… …
You won’t break the storm of temptation if you keep making excuses and minimising the effect of your behaviour. Other people are responsible for their actions before God …
You are responsible for your response.
It is not about making platitudes, and looking right and acting the part.
It is the heart – what is going on inside?
As the Psalm says
16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.
God I don’t want external piety … I need internal transformation.
So let’s be clear what is happening here.
A stubborn refusal to accept responsibility will keep us in the storm of temptation.
The road to breaking the storm of temptation only comes when, in our confession, we take responsibility for our sin.
And then we can get to the last step of breaking the temptation storm.
Storm Breaker – Temptation Does Not Disqualify Us From Kingdom Service
Remember all that David has done and the magnitude of the sin.
Not being a responsible King. Not being committed to his current wives. Not honouring his close friends. Committing adultery. Murder. Abused of power. Abuse of Bathsheba.
Yet despite this David expresses confidence that he is not disqualified.
13 I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you.
14 My tongue will sing of your righteousness
Psalm 51:13, 14
Is it a false confidence or a veneer of hope?
No it isn’t. In fact we know that David continued to be qualified to add Psalms to the Psalter.
In 2 Samuel 22 … well after the Bathsheba incident … David sings a song of praise. What is written in 2 Samuel 22 becomes Psalm 18.
The storm of temptation did not disqualify David.
Indeed the storm was completely broken.
Paul says in 2 Corinthians 10:13
13 No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted (not “if” you are tempted – but “when” you are tempted), he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it.
2 Corinthians 10:13
What this means is that the storm of temptation is not the end of the story. There is a way out that leads to ongoing qualification to give God-glorifying service to the kingdom
The process to this point is to hold on to the covenant promises God made to his people to be with them.
David saw this … and the storm is broken.
We see also see it today – even more clearly.
God-with-us … Immanuel … Jesus.
15 We do not have a high priest who is unable to empathize with our weaknesses, but we have one who has been tempted in every way, just as we are—yet he did not sin. 16 Let us then approach God’s throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.
Hebrews 4:15-16
18 Because he himself suffered when he was tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.
Hebrews 2:18
There has been a litany of people who have been in the storm of temptation.
People in the Old Testament
People in the New Testament
People in the Early Church.
People in Reformation.
People in This Century.
People in your lives who were the ones who shared the Gospel with you.
People who went through the storm of temptation but whose lives were storm-proofed.
We all can be in that place.
Know that God wants us in a place of restoration.
Have a confession which is grounded in God’s character.
Take responsibility for your sin.
Believe you are not disqualify from kingdom service
Storm proofing against the storm of temptation
Prayer
