Psalm 51
Repentance
from sin is a vital part of the Christian life. Today’s passage reveals the
great sins of David, Israel’s greatest king. As we examine how God’s anointed
king committed the serious sins of adultery and murder, and how he repented, I
pray that we may learn both the seriousness of sin and the meaning of true
repentance.
Let’s
pray.
Psalm
51 NIV subtitle is “A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after
David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.”
What
happened between David and Bathsheba?
Let’s
look at 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12.
In
the spring, the Israelite army destroyed the Ammonites and besieged their
capital. But David remained in Jerusalem. He sent Joab to lead the army.
Perhaps David had become complacent because the LORD had given him victory
wherever he went (2 Sam 8:6b). Instead of joining the battle himself and
encouraging his soldiers as a king should, he stayed behind in the palace,
spending his days in idleness.
One
evening, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace.
From there, he saw a woman bathing. Her name was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah,
a soldier of David who was away at war. She was very beautiful, and David sent
messengers to bring her to him. Bathsheba came, and he slept with her. Later,
David was told that Bathsheba was pregnant.
So
David sent a message to Joab: “Send me Uriah.” When Uriah arrived, David said
to him, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” David hoped that Uriah
would return home, sleep with his wife, and that everyone would assume the baby
belonged to him. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the palace with all his
master’s servants and did not go down to his house.
When
David asked why he had not gone home, Uriah answered: “My commander and my
lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat
and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a
thing!” He was such a genuine, faithful soldier. Now David had Uriah stay one
more day and made him drunk with food and drink. But again Uriah went out to
sleep on his mat with other servants and did not go home.
In
the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he
wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw
from him so he will be struck down and die.”
So
while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the
strongest defenders were. From this battle, some of the men in David’s army
died, as well as Uriah.
Joab
thought David would be furious about this death. But when the messenger
reported that some of the soldiers and moreover Uriah were dead, David told the
messenger, “Say this to Joab: ‘Don’t let this upset you; the sword devours one
as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.”
Then
David brought Bathsheba to his house, and she became his wife and gave birth to
a son.
It
was written that “But the thing David had done displeased the LORD. (2 Sam
11:27b)”
In
2 Samuel chapter 12, God sent the prophet Nathan to David.
Nathan
told David a story of two men: There were two men in a certain town, one rich
and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,
but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He
raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank
from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a
traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of
his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him.
Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for
the one who had come to him.
David
burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord
lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times
over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”
Then
Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of
Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the
hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into
your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too
little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the
Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with
the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of
the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house,
because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’
This
is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity
on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who
is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did
it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’
This
part predicts Absalom, David’s son, sleeping with his father’s concubines
later.
Why did David commit all these
sins?
First,
we see that David stayed in Jerusalem instead of going out to battle. This
reveals that his heart had grown complacent, and he was neglecting his
responsibility as king. Then, he happened to see Bathsheba bathing. In our GBS
yesterday, some asked what kind of structure would allow David to see a woman
bathing. We don't know for certain. But when David saw her, instead of turning
away, he continued to watch. As he kept looking, an evil desire grew in his
heart.
This
stands in sharp contrast to the story of Joseph in Genesis. In Genesis 39, when
his master’s wife tempted him and urged him to sleep with her, Joseph
immediately refused, saying, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin
against God?” (Gen. 39:9b). One day, when no one else was in the house, she
caught him by his cloak and said, “Come to bed with me!” But Joseph left his
cloak in her hand and ran out of the house (Gen. 39:12). Joseph did not try to
reason with her or negotiate his way out. He simply fled. He removed any
possibility of falling into sin.
When
I was in graduate school, I struggled with conflicts in my lab. I judged my
colleagues as selfish, and that judgment grew into anger and hatred toward
specific people. I even began thinking of ways to harm them. At that time, I
shared my burden with my pastor. After listening, he said, “Why not set your
heart on other things? Think about how the students you meet can grow closer to
Jesus. Think about how you can share the gospel with them more effectively.”
In
the same way, when David kept watching Bathsheba, he ignored God’s Word and let
sin grow in his heart. His sin started with adultery, then turned into lies to
hide it, and finally ended in murder.
We
must not think we can defeat temptation by our own strength. The more we fight
it directly, the more likely we are to fall. The best way is to run away from
temptation and choose to do what pleases God.
Now let’s look at Psalm 51.
Look
at verses 1–2.
Have
mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great
compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me
from my sin.
He
broke at least four of the Ten Commandments; murder, adultery, lying, and
coveting.
As
the king of Israel, David surely knew the punishment for such sins.
Deut
22:22 “If a man is found sleeping with another man’s wife, both the man who
slept with her and the woman must die. You must purge the evil from Israel.”
Numbers
35:20–21 “If anyone with malice aforethought shoves another or throws something
at them intentionally so that they die or if out of enmity one person hits
another with their fist so that the other dies, that person is to be put to
death; that person is a murderer. The avenger of blood shall put the murderer
to death when they meet.”
Both
adultery and intentional murder deserved the death penalty. David knew that the
punishment he deserved was death. That is why he could only plead for mercy.
Mercy is grace given to someone who does not deserve it. David knew he deserved
death, yet he begged God for mercy. His prayer was grounded in God’s unfailing
love and great compassion.
He
prays “Blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me
from my sin.”
“Transgression”
means willful sin—knowing what is wrong and still choosing to do it. David
committed adultery, lied, and arranged a murder, all the while knowing they
were sins.
Look
at verses 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.”
David’s
sins resulted in terrible consequences: the abuse of Bathsheba (which could
have led to her death), the death of Uriah, and the death of the newborn baby.
Sin always brings serious consequences that cause great suffering. But David
here recognizes a deeper truth that, ultimately, all sin is a grave offense
against God. Sin breaks the relationship between human beings and God. It
separates us from the source of life Himself. And this separation from
God—spiritual death—is the most serious consequence of sin.
Look
at verse 5.
“Surely
I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.”
Here,
David speaks about the sinful nature that exists in all humanity—the original
sin committed by Adam and Eve. In Genesis, God created a man from the dust of
the ground. Then, God breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the
man became a living being (Gen 2:7). This shows that humans are composed of
both flesh and spirit and, importantly, that our life is from God. God created
humans in His image and blessed them. He created the Garden of Eden, a place of
abundance, and entrusted the first man, Adam, to care for it. In doing so, God
granted him complete freedom, except for one command: not to eat from the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil.
As
long as Adam remembered his Creator and obeyed God's word, the right
relationship between Creator and creature was maintained. Through this
relationship with God, humans can experience true satisfaction and joy. But
Satan, appearing in the form of a serpent, tempted the woman.
Gen
3:4–5 “You will not certainly die,” the serpent said to the woman. “For God
knows that when you eat from it your eyes will be opened, and you will be like
God, knowing good and evil.”
Gen
3:6 “When the woman saw that the fruit of the tree was good for food and
pleasing to the eye, and also desirable for gaining wisdom, she took some and
ate it. She also gave some to her husband, who was with her, and he ate it.”
After
listening to what the serpent said, the woman saw that the fruit that God
forbade to eat looked good for food and pleasing to the eye, and also desirable
for gaining wisdom. She took some and ate it and gave some to her husband.
What
is the core of original sin? It is disobedience to God. It is the pride of a
creature who desires to become equal to the Creator. Instead of obeying and
following the Creator who gave them life, the desire to become equal with God
introduced sin, shame, and death into the world.
Through
sin, the right relationship with God was broken, and as a result, we lost the
spiritual life that was sustained through that relationship. After the fall,
humanity lost the image of God and has repeated a history of judging good and
evil like God, hating and killing one another. Driven by fear of death, we
attack others first and strive to be stronger than others. Sin encourages us to
love and care for ourselves above all. Because we love ourselves most, we
cannot bear to see others do better than us. Even if we have a lot, if someone
else has more, we seek more.
Ultimately,
the heart of David’s sin is that he despised the word of God and God himself
The
prophet Nathan said to David in 2 Sam
12:9a “Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his
eyes?”
Look
at verses 7–12.
David
asks God to cleanse him. He pleads, “Wash me.” He prays that God would create
in him a pure heart and renew a steadfast spirit within him. David’s point here
is that his heart had been so corrupted by sin that only God could give him a
new one.
He
continues, “Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from
me.” Notice the verbs here—they show us that cleansing from sin requires God’s
direct intervention. It is possible only through His work.
In
verse 13, David says, “Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that
sinners will turn back to you.” Those who are saved by God’s grace are called
to lead others—wandering in sin as we once were—back to Jesus.
Look
at verses 16–17.
“You
do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in
burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite
heart you, God, will not despise.”
As
we saw earlier, the sins of adultery and murder could not be forgiven under the
Old Testament law through any sacrifice or burnt offering. Once again, David
confesses that the only offering he can bring is a broken and contrite heart.
He prays that God will accept this repentant heart.
How can we cultivate a broken and
contrite heart?
First,
we must recognize the seriousness of sin. Then, we need to confess that we are
sinners. We must also realize that we cannot free ourselves from sin by our own
strength, and humbly ask for God’s grace.
A
pastor was once called to a formal hearing and faced many questions about his
wrongdoings. The people present had prepared extensive evidence to prevent him
from making any excuses. One person asked, “Pastor, do you admit to all these
legal violations?” The pastor calmly replied, “That is far from all the wrong I
have done.” His answer reportedly brought the room to a stunned silence.
Even
in this world, someone who honestly admits their faults and repents is often
given another chance. How much more, then, should we come before God with
complete honesty? God sees every thought and the deepest intentions of our
hearts. Trying to hide our sins from Him is not only foolish—it prevents us
from receiving His mercy and grace.
The
lesson is clear: first, recognize the severity of our sins. Next, confess that
we are sinners. Finally, acknowledge that we cannot free ourselves from sin by
our own strength, and humbly seek God’s mercy. Jesus said, “Blessed are the
poor in spirit.” Only those who approach God with humility and a repentant
heart can experience true forgiveness and restoration.
1
John 1:8–9 “If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth
is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive
us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”
1
John 2:1–2 “But if anybody does sin, we have an advocate with the Father—Jesus
Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not
only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world.”
Romans
3:10 says “There is no one righteous, not even one.” All have sinned and fall
short of God’s glory.
Romans
3:23–24 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and all are
justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Jesus
gave His life on the cross for our sins. Through His death, once for all, the
debt of sin for all humanity—past, present, and future—was paid. All we need to
do is believe in His cross and resurrection and confess our sins. Like David in
today’s passage, we need to seek the Lord’s mercy.
To
believe in Jesus means trusting that He conquered the powers of sin and death
through His death on the cross for my sins and His resurrection from the dead.
This act of sacrifice and resurrection forms the foundation of our faith,
restoring our relationship with God and granting eternal life.
______________
I
was raised in a Christian family, reading the Bible and attending Sunday
worship as part of the rhythm of life. Yet for many years, I lacked a personal
relationship with Jesus. My faith rested more on the expectations of my parents
and church than on truly walking with the Lord. Though I joined Bible studies
and worshiped regularly, my heart chased worldly success and human approval
while feeding impure desires inwardly.
In
2018, during my Ph.D. program, I began weekly Bible study with my former
pastor. At first, I did not see myself as a true sinner, thinking, “Yes, I sin,
but many are worse than me.” Then John 3 confronted me: “Flesh gives birth to
flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit.” Before God, there is no greater
or lesser sinner—only those born again of the Spirit and those still bound to
the flesh.
Jesus,
in Matthew 5, addressed the root of adultery and murder. He said that anyone
who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart, and
that being angry with someone is equivalent to committing murder. When I
measured my thoughts against this standard, I realized that many of my own
thoughts were, in fact, adultery and murder. Like David, I had no choice but to
cry out to God, “Create in me a pure heart.”
Through
the work of the Holy Spirit, I came to realize that Jesus’ cross was for me
personally. I repented of both my visible sins and the hidden ones I had long
buried.
As
I prepared today’s message, I once again realized how amazing the saving grace
of Jesus is for me and gave thanks for it, which rescued me when I was a
helpless sinner. I confess that without the Lord’s grace, I could not live even
a single day righteously. I am grateful for God’s mercy, which declares me
righteous through the blood of Jesus. I pray that each day I may examine my
life and thoughts by God’s Word, repent with a broken and contrite heart, walk
daily with the Holy Spirit within me, and live a life that pleases God to the
very end.
In
conclusion, there is no greater problem in this world than the broken
relationship with God caused by sin. When we come humbly before the cross of
Jesus and confess our sins with a broken heart, our relationship with God is
restored through Him. Only then can we experience eternal life. I pray that
each day we may examine the motivations of our hearts, repent sincerely, and
enjoy abundant fellowship with God. I also pray that we may live lives that
lead others to the cross of Jesus, helping them come to true repentance as
well. Amen.