After God's Own Heart: Repentance

Introduction

For the last several weeks we have been study the life of David. We have seen several stories on how his faith, obedience, and character made David made a man after God’s own heart. A very important part in that moniker is the word “man.” David was still a human being just like you and I, which means he too a legend in the faith, sinned and fell short.

Though there are a few examples of this none is more tragic or well known as his affair with Bathsheba. Form where we left off last week, David has escaped Saul attempts to Kill him several times and Saul’s reign would come to an end with his defeat and suicide at the hands of the philistines. From there David won a bloody civil war, finally being anointed King of a united Kingdom of Isreal and Judah. He conquers Jerusalem and makes it the capitol of the kingdom (previously a pagan city). He brings the Ark to the capitol and and God makes a everlasting covenant with his house, the house that Jesus Christ would arise.

All these events pass and time passes, and war comes and goes. David, older and complacent decided one Spring not to go out to War as was his usual style of leadership. This would be the beginning of a grave mistake in David’s life. instead of being active in serving God he became idle. Lets read ,

1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.

2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”

Scripture tells us that “after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death” (). David has sinned, he disregarded God's law’s, he abused his power and violated a marriage. wither Bathsheba was willing or coerced the bible does not say, but we do know that David allowed his idleness and lust to sin. Instead of immediate repentance however David tried to hide his sin and made it worse. Hide called Uriah the husband back from battle and tried to cover his tracks hoping would sleep with his wife. When that didn't work David took despite measures. Continuing in verse 14,

14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 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.”

16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David’s army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

He couldn't cover his tracks so he conspired and succeed in getting Uriah killed. Idleness lead to lust which lead to adultery with led to lies which led to murder. See what sin can do! David may have put it behind him but God didn't, continuing in Chapter 12

1 The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 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.

4 “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.”

5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!

Nathan proceeded to tell David that God would spare David but his house would suffer bloodshed and tragedy. Davids response was short and simple but spoke volumes.

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

From here David would suffer from the consequences of his sin, but he did return to a man after God’s own heart. But it had to start with repentance. David shows several things about repentance,

David shows that Repentance requires a wake up call to our sin.

Paul tells us in ,

10 Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death.

Repentance starts with a conviction that we are wrong and have done wrong. David needed Nathan to bring God’s word to him to break him emotionally and spiritually to admit that he had indeed sinned. We need God and his word to convict us. As Christians we gave that with the indwelling of the Holy Spirit and His word which Paul tells us is for for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness.

It could be a Sermon, a bible study, or a one on one, but the Spirit will confront you about sin one way or another. The Question is will you respond? If so will it be immediately or will it be at rock bottom.

When Nathan used the stolen lamb parable it made David stand up in self-righteous anger, only for that to turn into shame and embarrassment because he was the thief and murderer in the story. David was broken by his sorrow, repentance begins when we wake up to our sin.

David shows that Repentance requires us to make no excuses.

David didn't give a lengthy dissertation on his reasons for adultery and murder, there was no pleading the 5th, God knew His sin and it was laid out before David. Once David broke down he simply said “I have sinned against the Lord.”

With that confession he spoke an acknowledgement that there is no excuse for sin. No one forced him to slack off on his Kingly Duties, no one forced him to lust over Bathsheba no matter how seductive she may have been, and no one told him to conspire murder to cover it up. David sinned and he owned it!

And we too must own up to our sin! all Humans have sinned and all will answer for them but what makes the difference whether you will be forgiven or not is rather you take ownership of your sinned and prostate your self to God, or your say whatever and continue to live in them.

says,

Whoever conceals their sins does not prosper, but the one who confesses and renounces them finds mercy.

That is why even after all those terrible things David did, we still remember him as a man after Gods; own heart because he repented and returned to righteousness. Take note: when Saul sinned he always made excuses, when David sinned he repented.

If you are being convicted of a sin right now, how are you responding? With denial or acceptance of responsibility?

David shows that Repentance requires us to chose a path to walk.

Repentance by definition is the changing of ones life (words actions, belief) from going in one direction to the other direction. There is a conviction which should led to sorrow and conviction that leads to a change!

To see this in David’s life we turn to the Psalms where he knowingly expressed himself. ,

1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 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. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. 14 Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 My sacrifice, O God, is[b] a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise.

18 May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar.

David didn't just give lip service he followed his repentance with obedience. if a conviction and confession are not followed by the action of change then your words are hollow. Davids legacy would not exist if not for his sincerity to repent. He chose to repent and obey!

Conclusion

David’s tragic sin with Bathsheba brought bloody consequences for his house. But it is his repentance that teaches us how we too should act when we fall. Even heroes of the faith had flaws, but its what they did after they fell that makes the difference to God.

Conviction leads to sorrow, sorrow leads to repentance. No matter the sin God is faithful and will forgive if we confess and repent to Him! Remember That God still blessed David and Bathsheba and a future son named Solomon, sin can cause damage but can also bring a blessing when we turn back to God and seek to be after his own heart like David!