Right after Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, died in the battle because of David's plan to get rid of him, Bathsheba mourned for her husband, and after her mourning was over, David took her as his wife. 2 Samuel 11:27 says, "When her mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to his home, and she became his wife. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord considered David's actions evil." God then sent the prophet Nathan to reveal his sin. God said through the prophet Nathan, "I anointed you king over Israel and rescued you from Saul. I gave you your master Saul's house and his wives. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if this weren't enough, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise my word by doing what I considered evil? You had Uriah the Hittite killed in battle. You took his wife as your wife. You used the Ammonites to kill him (2 Samuel 12:7-9)." The following were the consequences of David's sin. God said to David, "So warfare will never leave your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. I will stir up trouble against you within your own household, and before your own eyes I will take your wives and give them to someone close to you. He will go to bed with your wives in broad daylight. You did this secretly, but I will make this happen in broad daylight in front of all Israel (2 Samuel 12:10-12)."
When David heard the voice of God through the prophet Nathan, he immediately confessed his sin, and this was when he wrote Psalm 51. Psalm 51 was David's confession of sin and humbleness in asking for forgiveness and spiritual renewal. God exposed and rebuked David's sin to give him a chance to repent. You may have heard religious leaders fall into adultery or any other sins that affected their families. One of the pastors of the church that I used to go to had an affair with one of the members of our church. They tried to hide their sinful relationship, but God exposed their sins. God guided the wife of the pastor to catch conversational messages between her husband and the woman. When the sin was exposed, he was immediately asked to resign his position as a pastor and end the affair. The pastor, his family, and the church were devastated. Like David, he repented and went to family counseling to get help, and after a long process of healing, he was restored to his family, but with emotional scars and regret.
Sin is toxic in our lives. It poisons our minds and leads us to do things that destroy what is good in us, and this is why God hates sin. We need to guard our hearts and minds from sin that leads to destruction. Sin is not worth it. It is like a fire that destroys everything in its path. But when we fall into sin or temptation, the only way back is to confess our sins to God, receive his forgiveness, and turn away from our sins. Tomorrow, we will begin to discuss Psalm 51.
Ask yourself these questions for application: (Think through carefully and meditate on the questions while answering them, and let the Spirit of God speak to you). Why did God expose David's sin? What should I do to guard my heart from sin? What should I do when I fall into sin?
Write down all the worries you face today and lift them up to God.
Prayer:
Father in Heaven, thank you for reminding me today of the danger of harboring sin. I confess all my sins to you and ask for your forgiveness. Please help me to turn away from my sin and follow you. Please do not let my heart be hardened with any sin. In your name, Lord Jesus, I pray. Amen.