Creator, Father, King #111

Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.

DAVID WAS THE GREATEST king in Israel’s long, tumultuous history—“a man after [God’s] own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14).

But David was certainly not perfect. When he failed, he failed spectacularly. Take for instance the infamous story of David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11–12.

One day, as David was gazing down from his palace terrace into the city, he noticed a beautiful woman—Bathsheba—bathing. She was the wife of Uriah, one of David’s most trusted soldiers. No matter. In a moment of wickedness, David brought Bathsheba into his palace, where she became pregnant with his child. Later, in a heinous attempt to cover his sin, he callously ordered Uriah to the front lines of battle, where he died. David then married Bathsheba.

David couldn’t hide his sin from God. Through the prophet Nathan, the Lord condemned David’s immoral actions. David was cut to the heart and repented. “I have sinned against the LORD,” he said (2 Samuel 12:13).

God disciplined David by allowing his child to die. Later, much of David’s family and reign was marked by violence and rebellion. It was an unfortunate conclusion for an otherwise great king.

What’s It Mean?

David’s terrible sins brought tragic consequences that had a domino effect on future generations. But his repentance was real. After the gravity of his transgressions had sunk in, David penned Psalm 51, one of the most beautiful psalms in Scripture.

The psalm is a humble cry for God’s mercy, appealing to his “unfailing love” and “great compassion” to “blot out the stain of my sins” and “wash me clean from my guilt” (verses 1-2). David consistently acknowledged his own depravity and God’s righteousness. But he didn’t wallow in his sad state. Rather, he exulted in the hope of forgiveness available to him through the “God who saves” (verse 14) and expectantly asked for a renewed heart and a loyal spirit to better obey the Lord (today’s verse).

David’s heart of contrition in Psalm 51 is a great model for all of us. Whenever you sin, you can rest assured that you have a heavenly Father who is ready to forgive if you humbly repent and confess your sins. God doesn’t want to banish you from his presence (verse 11); rather, he wants to “restore . . . the joy of your salvation” (verse 12).

Praise God!

Now What?

Read 2 Samuel 11–12 and Psalm 51 to see David’s path from terrible sin to humble confession and repentance.

Did You Know?

Long before Paul developed the doctrine of inherited sin more extensively in the New Testament (e.g., Romans 5–7), David mentioned it in Psalm 51:5.