Psalm 51
“The Storm of Temptation”
This morning we are going to talk about the storm of temptation.
Specifically, how we can storm-proof our lives when we have fallen into temptation.
How do we move on from the upheaval that falling into temptation causes?
How do we move on from the guilt and the shame?
How do we pick up and keep going?
Storm-proofing our lives when we have fallen into temptation.
To help us do this we are going to look at the temptation storm which resulted in the life of King David. We are reading 2 Samuel 11:1-3
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, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
David is the King. It is springtime – the time when kings go off to war.
David is not at war.
But he is in a battle.
David has woken up from a nice afternoon nap and is now walking on the palace rooftop in the very late afternoon perving down at all the women who are having their baths on their rooftop.
That is where a lot of people bathed … on their roof.
It isn’t like Bathsheba went up on the roof and while she is having a bath she is saying “Yoo-hoo … David … look at me I’m having a bath.”
Bathsheba is just going about her daily routine – like many other women in Jerusalem.
Within his own palace David has at least seven wives.
There are also, at the very least, ten concubines.
David has more than enough women in his life.
YET … David still has a battle with this temptation.
So David sends a man on an errand … to find out who this woman is.
The man who brings the report tries to get David to come to his sense.
My King – here is the report of my visit. Her name is Bathsheba … she is a WIFE.
Do you get the hint my King? She already belongs to someone else.
Maybe if you have specific needs, you should go and visit one or your SEVEN wives ... or TEN concubines.
The fact that she is a WIFE should have been sufficient information.
But wait … there is more.
Bathsheba is the
… daughter of Eliam.
… and she is the wife of Uriah the Hittite
These names are significant.
In 2 Samuel 23 we are given a description of David’s mightiest warriors … there are thirty of them.
The “Thirty” were men who have been devoted and loyal to David from before the time David become king. They were experts in combat and fought alongside David in many battles. They were trustworthy and would do anything for David. Eventually they became the personal bodyguard of King David.
Look who is in the list of “The Thirty” (2 Samuel 23:34, 39)
We have
34 Eliam son of Ahithophel the Gilonite … is that the same Eliam who is the father of Bathsheba? There is a good chance it is the same man.
There is no doubt about the other name in the list of the Thirty Mighty Men.
39 and Uriah the Hittite
My King
Bathsheba is … possibly … the daughter of one of your good mates who is a mighty man ELIAM.
Bathsheba is … definitely … the WIFE of your good mate and mighty man … URIAH.
Without saying it the servant is saying, “My King … come to your sense … this is a really bad idea.”
But David doesn’t come to his senses.
Bathsheba is seen, described, named, summoned, and brought to David’s bed.
Surprise. Surprise. A child is conceived.
Then there is a cover-up which ultimately leads to the death of Uriah.
Then God sends Nathan the prophet to confront David.
Then the child dies.
If you are not familiar with the fuller story read 2 Samuel 11-12.
David falls … really David jumps … into temptation. Now David is in the middle of the storm which falling into temptation causes.
With that back-ground in mind let’s read Psalm 51
The subscription reads For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
The Psalm is telling us that the historical background to this Psalm is 2 Samuel 11-12.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love;
according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions.
2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.
4 Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight;
so You are right in Your verdict and justified when You judge.
5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.
6 Yet You desired faithfulness even in the womb; You taught me wisdom in that secret place.
7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice.
9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.
10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
11 Do not cast me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, so that sinners will turn back to You.
14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, You who are God my Saviour, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.
15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare Your praise.
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.
18 May it please You to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then You will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.
2 Samuel 11-12 tells us about the storm which David was in because He fell into temptation.
Psalm 51 tells us how that storm of falling into temptation 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.
David expects to move from brokenness, and shame, and brokenness.
David expects to move on from all the emotions that come with sin.
And move to a place of renewal, restoration and spiritual revival.
You see this expectation being expressed in multiple ways.
6 You desired faithfulness
7 (When you) Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean
10 O God, renew a steadfast spirit within me.
12 Lord Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
David knows the outcome the Lord wants.
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.
God wants spiritual restoration.
We see this so clearly when we think about the ministry of Jesus and the way He left sinners
The Samaritan woman at the well
Nicodemus
The woman caught in adultery
Mary Magdalene who had seven demons
Zacchaeus
Peter who denied him
Saul who was persecuting his followers
Even of those who were calling for death and on the road to crucifixion. Of these He said, “Father forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.”
When Jesus gets involved restoration occurs.
The storm which comes when we fall into temptation can be broken when we recognise that God wants us in a place of restoration.
But that is only a part of the process.
Storm Breaker – Our Confession Is Grounded In God’s Character.
David treated Bathsheba as his personal play-thing.
David committed adultery against his wives.
David dishonoured his close friends.
David murdered Uriah.
David has done all this.
Yet, when David confesses what He has done, he says.
4 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 brings.
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 understands this completely. Which is why David’s confession is grounded in God’s character.
Psalm 51:1 describes God as One who has unfailing love;
This describes God’s covenant relationship with His people.
He is the God who said He would bless His people.
He is the God who brought Israel out of Egypt and established them as a nation.
He is the God who brought them to the promised land and gave it to them as an inheritance.
He is the God who have the temple as a place of dealing with sin through the shedding of blood.
He is also the God who remained faithful to His people no matter how many times they sinned.
This is God’s unfailing love.
Psalm 51:1 also describes God as One who has great compassion.
The word used for compassion is in the same word-family as the Hebrew word for womb.
God’s compassion is a feeling of great love and care for people who are helpless and completely dependant on Him to provide for them.
These people who have sinned, they are God’s children, and so God will keep walking with them, no matter how they act.
That is the great compassion of God.
In the storm which comes when we fall into temptation we call out to God
… the God of unfailing love.
… the God of great compassion.
We call out to God confessing that we have sinned against this God … and our only hope is to trust His loving and compassionate character.
But it takes more than that.
Storm Breaker – In Our Confession We Need To Take Responsibility For Our Sin.
Right through the Psalm we see David constantly taking responsibility … “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 having a bath 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.
It is easy to justify falling into temptation.
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 …
We won’t break the storm of falling into temptation if we keep making excuses and minimising the effect of our behaviour.
Other people are responsible for their sins before God.
We are responsible for our sins.
Which is why God is looking for a change within.
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.
Psalm 51:16-17
The storm which comes when we fall into temptation can be broken when we personally take responsibility for our sin.
And then we can get to the last step of breaking the temptation storm.
Storm Breaker – Falling Into Temptation Does Not Disqualify Us From Kingdom Service
Remember all that David has done and the magnitude of the sin.
Treating Bathsheba as his personal play-thing.
Committing adultery against his wives.
Dishonouring his close friends.
Murdering Uriah.
Abusing his power.
David has done all this … and more.
Despite the extent of his sin David is not disqualified from serving God.
Look again at Psalm 51:13-14
I will teach other transgressors to repent and come back to You.
I will sing songs about You.
Having finished his confession in Psalm 51 David is confident that he will be used by God to call others out of their storm of falling into temptation.
Is it a false confidence or a veneer of hope?
No it isn’t.
Later today go and read 2 Samuel 22.
Historically it is about 10 years after the David and Bathsheba situation.
In 2 Samuel 22 David writes a song.
If you compare what he writes to Psalm 18 … you will see that it is the same song.
Psalm 18 talks about the way God saved David from His enemies – and how David trusted God.
Despite all that David has done – the storm which came because of falling into temptation did not disqualify David from continuing to serve in God’s kingdom.
The storm which came when Daid fell into temptation is broken.
When we, today, find ourselves in the storm of having fallen into temptation – that storm can also be broken. It is more so for us than it was for David because of the ministry of Jesus and His work in our lives. When speaking about this ministry Hebrews 4:14-16 tells us
14 Since we have a great High Priest who has ascended into heaven, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold firmly to the faith we profess. 15 For we do not have a High Priest who is unable to feel sympathy for 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.
The time of need being when we are in the storm which comes because we have fallen into temptation. We do this knowing that God has equipped us in Jesus to storm-proof our lives.
Know that God wants you in a place of restoration.
Have a confession which is grounded in God’s character.
Take responsibility for your sin.
Know that you are not disqualified from kingdom service
Storm proofing our lives against the storm of falling into temptation
Prayer
