Ground For Appeal
When Israelites sinned against the LORD, the Law of Moses commanded offerings for the forgiveness of sins. There were different offerings for different kinds of sin as written in Leviticus. And there would be no ransom for a murderer. (Num. 35:30-31) Provided there were witnesses against the murderer. Adulterers would be killed too. (Deut. 22:22) Because David committed both adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah though he did not kill with his own hands, he had no grounds to appeal for forgiveness according to the Law of Moses. David in accordance to the Law must be put to death. Even David himself expected the capital punishment until Nathan told him the LORD had spared his life. (2 Sam. 12:13) So on what ground David appealed to the LORD when there was none provided in the Law? The answer was on the promise the LORD made to David earlier.
'from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel; and I will give you rest from all your enemies. Moreover the Lord declares to you that the Lord will make you a house. When your days are fulfilled and you lie down with your ancestors, I will raise up your offspring after you, who shall come forth from your body, and I will establish his kingdom. ' 2 Samuel 7:11-12
'I will be a father to him, and he shall be a son to me. When he commits iniquity, I will punish him with a rod such as mortals use, with blows inflicted by human beings. But I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from Saul, whom I put away from before you.' 2 Samuel 7:14-15
'For you, O Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, have made this revelation to your servant, saying, ‘I will build you a house’; therefore your servant has found courage to pray this prayer to you. And now, O Lord God , you are God, and your words are true, and you have promised this good thing to your servant; now therefore may it please you to bless the house of your servant, so that it may continue forever before you; for you, O Lord God , have spoken, and with your blessing shall the house of your servant be blessed forever.”' 2 Samuel 7:27-29
Based on this wonderful promise the LORD made to David when He established his kingdom and his dynasty and knowing God would keep His word, David was able to summon enough courage to pray for forgiveness. David appealed to God's steadfast love which He declared He would not take away even when David's offspring sinned agains Him. Though he would be punished, but the LORD promised never to remove His steadfast love from him. And this was the ground for David's appeal.
'Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.' Psalms 51:1-2
David knew no amount of offerings would atone for his sins and take away the noose hanging around his head. A truthfully repentant heart that would turn away from wrongs was more delightful to the LORD than any number of offerings. (Ps. 51:16-17) David would have learned about how Saul disobeyed God and offered the sacrifice which Samuel warned him not, resulting in the LORD taking away his kingdom from him and giving it to David. (1 Sam. 13)
Only Against God?
David knew immediately he had sinned against Uriah, Bathsheba and the LORD when Nathan told the parable to confront and rebuke him. (2 Sam. 12:13) But, why did David seemingly say he had sinned against the LORD alone? (Ps. 51:4) Although most English translations reflect this, but I think the more plausible interpretation could be seen in the NET translation.
'Against you – you above all – I have sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight. So you are just when you confront me; you are right when you condemn me.' Psalms 51:4
It is not that David did not sin against Uriah and Bathsheba, but more than anyone else, his sin was against the LORD. If God did not give His commandments to Moses, David's actions would probably not be punishable by death and considered acceptable for a king by the nations and cultures around Israel. It was ultimately against God's standard which David had trangressed.
Remembering A Dead Child?
We know almost nothing about David's birth, but it seemed he thought he was conceived in sin in his mother's womb. (Ps. 51:5) Is this a mere hyperbole? Or was David thinking about his first child with Bathsheba who died in his place? (2 Sam. 12:14) Was David reflecting on the fact that this child was conceived while he committed adultery with Bathsheba? When he was deeply sorrowful as if his every bone was being crushed, was David thinking of the death of this innocent child who died because of him? (Ps. 51:8)
No One Would Know
When David planned in his heart to have Uriah killed at the hands of the Ammonites, he thought it was wise and clever, a secret code only he and Joab shared. (2 Sam. 11) But God knows our hearts and most inner thoughts. Nothing can escape him. What David thought was a clever plan was neither wise nor truthful. David acknowledged this and prayed for change.
'You desire truth in the inward being; therefore teach me wisdom in my secret heart.' Psalms 51:6
A Right Spirit
These verses (Ps. 51:10-12) beginning with the cry "create in me a clean heart" have become my favourite daily prayer and easily remembered and sung with one of my favourite Keith Green songs by the same title. Yes, I'm that old to have listened and worshipped with this firebrand Christian brother who tragically died early in a plane crash.
David knew his heart was not right and sinful after what he did to Uriah and Bathsheba. Like Jeremiah (Jer. 17:9), David had found out that our hearts could be extremely deceitful. His cry was to ask the LORD for a right spirit and to sustain him with it. What does it mean to have a right spirit? Here, NET translation does a better job in providing better understanding. David was asking God for a resolute and ever willing spirit to obey Him and not to stray away from His commandments again. That's the right spirit David was asking for from the LORD. He also pleaded to the LORD not to take away His Spirit from him. I have no doubt that Saul's predicament (1 Sam. 16:14) when God removed His Spirit away from him causing him to be fearful and unable to function normally would have been at the back of David's mind. After all, he was the first hand recipient and eyewitness of Saul's tormented manic condition after the LORD took away His Spirit from him.
Guilty Of Bloodshed & Murder
If you read about David's life in the books of Samuel, you will notice he refrained from killing Saul, Saul's family, Abner and others. Yes, he killed hundreds if not thousands of Philistines, and Amalekites, the enemies of Israel, in war and conflict, but there was always a tendency in David to avoid bloodshed. He even warned his followers from harming Saul when they had the chance multiple times. So, David was right to claim he would "teach sinners God's way" (Ps. 51:13) because he really did. Even in the case of Nabal (1 Sam. 25), David realized he nearly committed this error in anger if it was not for the timely intervention by Abigail. Conspiring with Joab to get Uriah killed would be one of the rare case against David for committing bloodshed against an innocent man. And as mentioned above, there was no ransom for this transgression in the Law of Moses. There was no ground for redemption and the penalty was death. So, when David cried, "deliver me from bloodshed" (Ps. 51:14) and appealed for salvation, he literally meant that he would be delivered from the death penalty which he deserved. To be restored with the joy of salvation to sing aloud God's deliverance (Ps. 51:12,14) literally meant to be delivered from the penalty of death for the killing of an innocent man.
Do Good To Zion
David realized God blessed his rule as king because He was faithful to establish Israel as He had made a covenant with them. (2 Sam. 5:12, 2 Sam. 7:23-24) But because of his sin, strive and conflict would constantly trouble David's family and his kingdom. (2 Sam. 12:11) He knew this and ended his psalm with a prayer that God would remember His covenant with His people and do good to them (Ps. 51:18) even though he, as their king, had failed and sinned. He prayed that his own wrongs would not be the cause of troubles for God's people. It's likely for this reason that David did not fight Absalom immediately, and fled Jerusalem, giving up his kingdom to his usurper son in order to avoid deaths and sufferings in a civil war that arose because of his sin. David also knew that when the people see the goodness and faithfulness of God even though their own allegiance was fleeting, they would naturally return to the LORD to obey Him wholeheartedly, and to bring their sacrifices to Him. (Ps. 51:19)
I hope this reading of Psalm 51 together with 1 & 2 Samuel will be beneficial to you.
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