God's perfect timing strikes again! My Guideposts entries are typically written eighteen months in advance, and I seldom remember what I wrote until a reader writes to me on Facebook. As I'm not on social media these days, I forgot this entry until someone messaged me here today.
Not only is this entry relevant to yesterday's post and last night's Bible study, it's also the cornerstone theme I've (God's) been hammering: Repentance.
Please read on after the devotion below.
In this devotion, I suggest meditating on Psalm 51, King David's poignant and powerful lament after the Prophet Nathan confronted him about Bathsheba. I refer to David's debacle often because it's so incredibly instructive, and I want to highlight a few points to ponder here, some of which you've read before.
We can all find great comfort in knowing our omniscient Father anointed King David, foreknowing he would commit a series of gross--and I do mean gross--sins. Yet David's exploits, extraordinary character, and exquisite psalms expressing rare intimacy with the Lord are oft-cited and foundational to Christian teaching.
"But God removed Saul and replaced him with David, a man about whom God said, ‘I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart. He will do everything I want him to do.’" Acts 13:22 (NLT) See first reference 1 Samuel 13:14
As they say, “God uses broken people because broken people is all there is.”
For those who don't know, King David caught a glimpse of beautiful Bathsheba, the wife of his valiant soldier Uriah, bathing on her rooftop. He sent for her, seduced her, and she got pregnant, leading David to execute an elaborate cover-up, finally resorting to ordering Joab, his nephew and army Commander, to deploy devoted Uriah to the front lines, where he was killed in battle, freeing David to marry Bathsheba. Gosh, Dave! (See 2 Samuel 11 and/or David movie below, starting at 1:14)
Sidenote: I'm irritated nobody ever calls out Bathsheba for bathing naked on her terrace and consenting to sleep with David. Naturally, David abused his power as King, and we don't know all the details, but Come on, girl. Tsk-tsk.
Bathsheba is a 1636-37 painting by the Baroque painter Artemisia Gentileschi, David's story is a sweet little case study on creeping viral narcissism and how even the noblest people can fall prey to a self-blind sin spiral.
I'm mildly entranced by Nathaniel Parker's performance as David (below @1:14), which so credibly captures the slippery slope of sin and how an outstanding human can go totally off the rails, one stupid, self-deceived step at a time. James describes it thus way:
“Temptation comes from our own desires, which entice us and drag us away. These desires give birth to sinful actions. And when sin is allowed to grow, it gives birth to death.”James 1:14-15 NLT
The slide started well before seeing our gal Bathsheba naked...a post-mortem for another time. But note that just before David derailed, Nathan told him he wasn’t going to get to build the temple—e.g.o.— edging God out again.
When David's personal prophet Nathan (played masterfully by Franco Nero) calls him out by parable, David's oblivious outrage is so like us humans! (video 1:34). Before David understands he's the villain in Nathan's account, he wants to punish and kill the culprit without mercy.
Here's where David breaks with the narc playbook and exemplifies repentance, so well-captured in Psalm 51. When Nathan disclosed that David was the bad guy in his tale, David was promptly anguished and repentant. He doesn't get defensive, blame Bathsheba, or fire Nathan. Mind you, we're told God forgave him his sin but David suffered shattering short- and long-term punishments. Nathaniel Parker’s dawning horror and remorse is palpable. He owns it, even fasting and praying for days in the hopes of avoiding the worst penalty.
(Yep, it's Leonard Nimoy! Jonathan Pryce does a fabulously weasel-ee King Saul, too.)
These days, I'm looking for parallel themes in the New Testament to put things in perspective. So, I invite you to ponder Psalm 51 and Romans 7 and 8.
In Romans, my favorite book, the apostle Paul laments our exasperating human battle and our freedom in Christ. I'll let Paul do all the heavy lifting!
“I want to do what is good, but I don’t. I don’t want to do what is wrong, but I do it anyway.” Romans 7:19 NLT
Like David, you can almost hear Paul’s anguished cry,
“Oh, what a miserable person I am! Who will free me from this life that is dominated by sin and death? Thank God! The answer is in Jesus Christ our Lord. So you see how it is: In my mind I really want to obey God’s law, but because of my sinful nature I am a slave to sin.” Romans 7:24-25 NLT
Unlike David, in Christ, Paul is free from the law of sin and death. In Chapter 8, Paul explains our freedom in Christ,
1 So now there is no condemnation for those who belong to Christ Jesus. 2 And because you belong to him, the power of the life-giving Spirit has freed you from the power of sin that leads to death...Romans 8:1-3 NLT
By the power of the Holy Spirit,
"...you are not controlled by your sinful nature. You are controlled by the Spirit if you have the Spirit of God living in you. (And remember that those who do not have the Spirit of Christ living in them do not belong to him at all.)” Romans 8:9 NLT
It's just this simple:
1 Therefore, dear brothers and sisters, you have no obligation to do what your sinful nature urges you to do. 13 For if you live by its dictates, you will die. But if through the power of the Spirit you put to death the deeds of your sinful nature, you will live. 14 For all who are led by the Spirit of God are children of God. Romans 8:12-14 NLT
Sums it up.
FURTHER READING: Galatians 5
A Prayer of Praise
"Now all glory to God, who is able to keep you from falling away and will bring you with great joy into his glorious presence without a single fault. All glory to him who alone is God, our Savior through Jesus Christ our Lord. All glory, majesty, power, and authority are his before all time, and in the present, and beyond all time!" Amen. Jude 24-25
Psalm 51
For the choir director: A psalm of David, regarding the time Nathan the prophet came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.[a]5 For I was born a sinner— yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.6 But you desire honesty from the womb,[b] teaching me wisdom even there.
7 Purify me from my sins,[c] and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.8 Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me— now let me rejoice.9 Don’t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.11 Do not banish me from your presence, and don’t take your Holy Spirit[d] from me.
12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.13 Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.14 Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.15 Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.
16 You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.17 The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.18 Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit— with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.
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