2 Samuel 12:13 & Psalm 51
In this passage we see the effect of God’s mercy and grace upon David’s sin. However, we need to watch how David correctly repented as we had so often seen the failure of incomplete repentance with Israel’s first king, King Saul.
When we do wrong there are several aspects we must observe in David’s repentance that would help us in our own confession of sin towards God.
We do not want to pay just the lip-service of saying sorry, but instead want to do it with a heart-full demeanour and truly contrite heart.
Who did David sin against?
In the sin regarding David and Bathsheba, we could very easily point to the victims in the story – namely, Bathsheba first, then against her husband Uriah through David commanding Joab him to be killed at the hottest part of the battle.
However, when we read our passage we note that David’s first reaction isn’t in the order we would think from what we perceive reading the story. David doesn’t apologise in the order of who was offended first , but instead who was offended most .
His first response is:
And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.
— 2 Samuel 12:13a
We certainly see a more in depth view of this confession in Psalm 51 . In this Psalm we have many passages regarding the acknowledgement and gravity of his sin.
What aspects do you see of David’s confession in Psalm 51?
Psalms 51:1 , 2
What does David know about God?
David pleads with God’s mercy and lovingkindness. David is not pleading for God to exercise these minor qualities, but instead as a reminder to himself of why we should confess our sins to God. David’s example is who we should also run to when we sin and fall short of the grace of God.
How many times in Psalm 51 does David acknowledge his sin?
Notice also David doesn’t point the finger at others, as Adam in the garden of Eden upon being confronted by God of what he had done blamed God and his wife ( Genesis 3:12 ).
7 times in this Psalm we read of David acknowledging his sin:
Psalms 51:1 , 2 , 3 , 4 , 9
Additionally, David places all the evidence before the Lord, he wants the judge to be fully informed of all matters of the case in his confession to the judge:
…that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, [and] be clear when thou judgest.
— Psalm 51:4b
How does David seek God’s help?
Throughout this passage we see how David wants to make things right, he goes to the agent, the source, of who can restore him again. In this passage we see many references of what David knows God can do and how God can help:
| Reference | Request to God |
|---|---|
| Psalm 51:1 | “blot out” – God can remove someone’s sin, as if struck from out from a book. |
| Psalm 51:2 | “wash”, “cleanse” – God can purify that which has been made unclean. |
| Psalm 51:7 | “purge”, “wash” – The removal of sin is full and the restoration is pure ( whiter than snow ). |
| Psalm 51:8 | “make me hear”, “thou hast broken” – God seeks to restore the broken hearted, and is not utterly condemned. |
| Psalm 51:9 | “hide thy face”, “blot out” – Again there is emphasis on sins being hidden due to their removal, so that there is no memory. |
| Psalm 51:10 | “create… clean heart”, “renew a right spirit” – God provides a brand new heart, from nothing. The same Hebrew word bara is used when God created the world. God renews the spirit by setting it on the correct bearing – to righteousness. |
| Psalm 51:11 | “cast… not away”, “take not thy holy spirit” – God has the power to cast away those into hell (Luke 12:5), and to remove His Spirit – something which David would have been evident of seeing it in the life of his father-in-law King Saul (1 Samuel 16:14). |
| Psalm 51:12 | “restore”, “uphold” – Again an appeal to be restore to the joy of salvation that all believers have, and a request to be upheld rather than down cast. |
| Psalm 51:14 | “deliver”, “God of my salvation” – God as deliverer and Saviour. |
| Psalm 51:15 | “open… my lips”, “praise” – God as Creator of body and source of all things praise-worthy. |
| Psalm 51:18 | “good”, “build” – God is the source of goodness and is the protector of Jerusalem. |
Yet it’s important to establish that even though these qualities are true of God, they are not realised until man has first confessed his sins. This is why David adds an important point in this Psalm:
This forms the key to true, sincere, heart-felt repentance – a broken and contrite heart .
What are the similarities and difference with the confessions of sin between King Saul ( 1 Samuel 15:24 ) and King David ( 2 Samuel 12:13 )?
| Similarities | King Saul’s confession | King David’s confession |
|---|---|---|
| Personal acute confession | “I have sinned” | “I have sinned” |
| Confession against God (Jehovah) | “…of the LORD” (Jehovah) | “…against the LORD” (Jehovah) |
| Differences | King Saul’s confession | King David’s confession |
|---|---|---|
| Sin source | God’s commandment | Against Him |
| Excuses given | “I feared the people” | No excuses |
| Feared | “I feared the people” | Feared God |
| Source of pardon | Asks Samuel to pardon his sin (1 Samuel 15:25) | Goes directly to God (Psalm 51) – David doesn’t ask Nathan to do it on his behalf |
The importance in distinguishing the differences between both types of confession is to help you even with our own earthly relationships. For example, if I have done something wrong against my wife, and I apologise to her, how will she know I am sincere in my apology? If I just tell her that I’m sincere, it may be true now at the point of confession, but what about tomorrow, or a month, or a year from now?
This is where a godly husband and wife can really sharpen one another by helping their spouse take their confession to the Lord. While it’s great you’ve been able to confess your faults one to another ( James 5:16 ), and to do so in a timely manner ( Ephesians 4:26 ), but what is even better if you take your confession to God.
David has shown what God can do. Not only is God rich in mercy, lovingkindness and is longsuffering, but He can cleanse you, renew a right spirit in you so that you not only are seen as righteous in his eyes, but that he can empower you to do right and to not be down cast.
What is the consequence of confession?
While the consequence of David’s sin was manifest later in 2 Samuel, we can read David’s exultation and praise upon having his sins forgiven by reading Psalms 32 .
What results have happened which David shares upon confessing his sin?
- Blessed (v1, 2)
- Heavy weight of guilt gone – silent , bones waxed old , roaring all day , hand was heavy upon me (v3-4)
- Willingness to sing, shout for joy (v7,11)
- Guided rightly by God (v8)
- Mercy compassed about (v10)
How can we be genuine in confession of our sin?
It can be easy to apply a blanket statement of “I’m sorry” when confessing a sin or wrongdoing against another and to think that is sufficient. David though gives us a model for what a genuine confession contains.
What are some aspects you realise with his confession?
- David takes full responsibility for his actions, he doesn’t blame shift the problem to anybody else. This is evident with the number of personal pronouns (“I”, “my”) used throughout Psalm 51.
- David confesses his sin personally to God. David doesn’t seek an intercessor to do his pardoning on his behalf – as King Saul did with his request for Samuel to pardon him ( 1 Samuel 15:26 ).
- David knows what God requires, and what God will do. He appeals to God’s nature, and applies his knowledge by going to Him.
Conclusion
From this wonderful chapter in Scripture we see a model of a genuine confession from David on his sin that he committed against God.
If we struggle with our own relationships, could it be that we are reticent to forgive? In this beautiful Psalm we see a wonderful model of forgiveness and something we should apply in our walk with God.
Then, once our heavenly relationship has been sorted we can work on forgiving others and seeking forgiveness from others. God provides a wonderful right spirit and empowers us to make our earthly relationships as they should be.