2 Sam 17-18
I Cor 9
Psalm 51; Psalm 52
THEME: David's great penitential psalm.
The superscription on many of the psalms is actually a part of the inspired Word of God. The title of Psalm 51 is self–explanatory, and it is essential to the understanding of this psalm. “To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.”
At this point, we are stepping into the Old testament.
NOTE - David’s first son from Bathsheba died at child birth. Their second son, Solomon, was the legal lineage of Messiah to Joseph, detailed in Matthew. This lineage from Jeconiah on was so evil that God declared through Jeremiah, “No son of his will ever again sit on the throne of David.” David and Bathsheba’s third son, Nathan, led the biological lineage of Messiah to Mary’s father, Heli, in Luke. Through the virgin birth, a son of David skipped the curse on Jeconiah and became Messiah… Through the line of Nathan.
Back to Psalm 51.
The reference, of course, is to the great blot on David's life. It is not our intention to go into the lurid details of David's sin. Suffice it to say that David broke two of God's commandments. He broke the seventh commandment: “Thou shalt not commit adultery.” He did with Bathsheba. He broke the sixth commandment: “Thou shalt not kill.” He broke it indirectly in that he arranged for Uriah, the husband of Bathsheba, to be put in the front of the battle that he might be killed. And this was a dastardly and cold–blooded deal on the part of David, because Uriah was one of his mighty men and one of his most faithful followers—or he would never have gone into the front of the battle at David's command.
Now after this disgraceful incident, David did nothing, and he said nothing. Actually, both incidents would be considered business as usual down in Egypt, or in Babylon, or in Philistia, or in Edom, or in Moab. What David had done was a common practice and was more or less accepted. As a great preacher of the South said years ago, “When you put together a bunch of crooked sticks, they seem to straighten each other out.” Have you ever noted that? And in this case when many monarchs engaged in things like this it gave it an air of not being as bad as it was. But it was as bad as God said it was.
On the surface it looked as if David had gotten by with it. But let's put down one thing: David was God's man, and David was not going to get by with it. The fact of the matter is, during the interval when he kept quiet, he was a tormented man. He told us later what really went on in his heart. Over in Psalm 32, David says this: “When I kept silence, my bones waxed old through my roaring all the day long” (Psa 32:3). I think if you'd been in the court of David during that period when he was silent, you would have seen him age. This man went through awful anxiety. “For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: my moisture is turned into the drought of summer” (Psa 32:4). This describes his feelings during that interval.
Then God sent Nathan to David demanding an audience regarding an urgent matter. And Nathan approached the subject by telling David a story: “And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity” (2Sa 12:1-6).
Then we come to one of the most dramatic moments in the Word of God, and it reveals Nathan as one of the bravest men in Scripture: “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man …” (2Sa 12:7). Nathan pointed his finger at David and said to him, “You're the man!”
When he said that, there were three courses open to David. He could deny the charge. He could say, “Nathan is entirely wrong and is attempting to smear me.” Or he could have merely pointed his scepter at Nathan, without saying a word because the guards would have understood, and would have led Nathan out and summarily executed him. David would not have needed to say anything. And, I suppose, if it had been carried to any kind of tribunal (which in those days it would not have been), the “supreme court” would have handed down a decision that undue pressure was used by Nathan to extract a confession from David, and David would have been freed from all charges.
There was a third course open to David, and that was to admit the charge. David followed the latter course. He made confession of his sin. Now David was not just a man; he was the king. And the king can do no wrong; he is above reproach. No one points the finger at the king. But Nathan did. And the very interesting thing is that David confessed.
Jay