From Pity to Praise

3. Atonement: Restoration Requires Faith In Jesus’s Atoning sacrifice.

• David asked God to atone for his guilt. Knowing that an apology was not enough, David asked God to atone for him and purify him of his guilt under the law. Praying Psalm 51:7-8 as above. Psalm 51:9-10:

David looked for God to do a work of spiritual and moral cleansing, and to do it in connection with the atoning sacrifice of a substitute Hyssop was used to apply the blood of the Passover Lamb (Exodus 12:22). Hyssop was also used to sprinkle the priest’s purifying water (Numbers 19:19). In the Levitical law it was the priests who used the hyssop to sprinkle the purifying water…David didn’t think for a moment that he could cleanse himself. He needed God to cleanse him, and to don’t through the blood of the perfect sacrifice anticipated by animal sacrifices…David knew that God’s cleansing was effective. His sin was a deep stain but purity could be restored. There is a sense that David spoke with the voice of faith, it can be difficult for the convicted sinner to believe in such complete cleansing. It’s takes faith to believe in God despite the doubt and difficulty. (Psalm 51).

• David’s many crimes carried multiple death sentences. Saying that he was sorry would not free him from his punishment under God’s law. The penalty for adultery was death: “If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, the one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer, and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10). “If a man is found lying with a married woman, then both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the women, this you shall purge the evil from Israel. (Deuteronomy 22:22).

The punishment for David’s intentional murder was also death: “Whoever sheds man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed, for in the image of God He made man” (Genesis 9:6). “He who strikes a man so a man he does shall surely be put to death” (Exodus 21:12). “If a man takes the life of any human being, he shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 24:17). “If anyone kills a person, the murderer shall be put to death…” (Nahum 35:30).

Nathan also accused David of “despising” God’s Word (2 Samuel 12:9). His actions blasphemed God’s Holy Name. “Therefore, son of man, speak to the house of Israel and say to them, thus says the Lord God, yet in this, your fathers have blasphemed Me by acting treacherously against Me” (Ezekiel 20:27). “For the name of God is blasphemy among the gentiles because of you, just as it was written” (Romans 2:24). For someone who blasphemed God’s name through his conduct as David did, the penalty for this was also death: “Because he has despised the Word of the Lord and has broken His commandment, that person shall be completely cut off, his guilt will be on him” (Nahum 15:31).

David could not appreciate his need for God’s mercy and grace until he recognized the penalty for his sins. Not could he atone for his sins on his own.

• Faith in Jesus brings atonement for sins. There can be no forgiveness without the shedding of blood (Lev 17:11, Heb 9:22). Jesus was the lamb without defect who fulfilled all the sin offerings for us (Isa 53:7, John 1:29, Heb 10:12-24, 1 Pet 1:18-19). If God accepted the blood of animals “how much more will the blood of Christ (Jesus), who through the eternal Spirit offered Himself without blemish to God cleanse your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?” (Hebrews 9:14). “But if we walk in the Light as He Himself is in the Light, we have fellowship with one another, and the blood of Jesus His Son cleanses us from all sin” (1 John 1:7). All that is needed is our faith in Him as both our Lord and Savior” ( John 3:16, 3:18, 3:36, 6:40, 11:25).
• Jesus will blot out your sin. David asked for God to purify, cleanse, and then wipe out his guilty deeds (Psalm 51:2m 7, 9). Through faith in Jesus’s atonement, God promises to do these things: “I have wiped out your wrongdoings like a thick cloud and your sins like a heavy mist. Return to Me, for I have redeemed you” (Isaiah 44:22). If God could make David as if he never sinned at all what can He do for us?
• “Such is the power of the cleansing work of God upon the heart that He can restore innocence to us, and make us as if we had never been stained with transgression at all“ (Spurgeon on Psalm 51).

By breaking his vow before God, David also propane His Holy name. He was not to “swear falsely by, My name, so as to profane the name of the God” (Leviticus 19:12). His actions also violated the Third Commandment, “You shall not take the Lord’s name in vain” ( Ex 20:7, Dt 5:11). Even if he had only broken one Commandment, he would have broken them all, “For whoever keeps the whole law and yet stumbles in one point, he has become guilty of all” (James 2:10). David came to appreciate and write Psalm 51 where he sought God’s mercy and grace only after God showed him his sins. David was a man after God’s own heart not because he was perfect. Instead, he was a godly man because he repented of his many sins.

• David’s actions resulted in misery and sorrow. David stated that “my sin is constantly before me” (Psalm 51:3). When someone longs for the things of the flesh, God will eventually hand that person over to their lusts (Romans 1:28). But the pleasure Satan offers for the adulterer does not last long (Hebrews 11:25, Luke 12:19-20). About sinners, David said: God gave them their request but sent leanness into their soul (Psalm 106:105). “So is the one who gets into his neighbor’s wife, whoever touches her will not go unpunished” (Proverbs 6:26-29). God also warns of “curses” for those who submit to covetousness (Lev. 26:14-37, Dt 27:15-28, 28: 15:68). Before Nathan confronted David, God softened his heart for repentance by removing his good health: “When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night, Your hand was heavy on me, my vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah” (Psalm 32:3-4). Poor health can have many causes. Sometimes, people who are mostly blameless in their walk can suffer terrible afflictions. But if we have hidden sins our health is suffering. God is likely trying to reach us.
• Repent of your sins. God spared David’s life because he repented (Psalm 51:4, 2 Samuel 12:13). To be saved we must also repent to Jesus. In preparation for Jesus, John the Baptist called all sinners to repent: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is as hand” (Matthew 3:2). Jesus began His ministry with a call to repentance: “From that time Jesus began to preach and say, Repent, the kingdom of heaven is a hand” (Matthew 4:17). But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift his eyes to heaven but was beating his breast, saying, “God be merciful to me the sinner!” (Luke 18:13). His disciples also called on sinners to repent so that Jesus could wipe away their sins: “Therefore repent and return, so that your sins may be wiped away, in order that times of refreshing may come from the presence of the Lord” (Acts 3:19). If you confess your sins, Jesus promises to forgive you: “If we confess our sins He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” ( 1 John 1:9). If you have hidden sin, confess them to Jesus without delay.
• Give thanks that God is merciful. David appealed to God’s mercy: “Be gracious to me, God, according to the greatness of Your compassion wipe out my wrongdoings” (Psalm 51:1, Ex 34:6-7). God is merciful each time you repent and return to Him: “The Lord’s acts of mercy indeed do not end, for His compassion do not fail. They are new every morning, great is His faithfulness” (Laminations 3:22-23). “Then you will say on that day, “I will give thanks to You, Lord, for although You were angry with me. Your anger has turned away, and You comfort me” (Isaiah 12:1). “For a brief moment I abandoned You, but with great compassion, I will gather you” (Isaiah 54:7). He is merciful in the face of our sins because He is filled with compassion and love. “For the Lord, your God is a compassionate God, He will not abandon you not destroy you, not forget the covenant with your fathers which He swore to them” (Deuteronomy 4:31). Doesn’t God deserve our praise because He is filled with compassion and mercy?

2. Honesty: Restoration Requires honesty regarding your sinful nature.

• David was honest before God regarding his sinful nature and his need for God’s help. David confessed that he was a sinner and that he needed God to keep him from sinning again: “Behold, I was brought forth in guilt, and in sin my mother conceived me. Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, and in secret You will make wisdom known to me” (Psalm 51:5-6). When Adam sinned, he blamed Eve (Genesis 3:12). Eve in turn blamed the serpent for deceiving her (Genesis 3:13). David offered no such excuses. David confessed his sins.
• All have fallen short and need salvation. David confessed that he was sinful by nature (Psalm 51:5). He later proclaimed that all mankind is evil from birth: “The wicked have turned away from the womb those who speak lies go astray from birth” (Psalm 51:3). He, therefore, proclaimed that not is righteous before God: “They have all turned aside, together they are corrupt, there is no one who does good, not even one” (Psalm 14:3). “Do not enter into judgment with Your servant, for no person living is righteous in Your sight” (Psalm 143:2). Through his mistakes and his God-given wisdom, Solomon also declared that all have sinned: “Indeed there is not a righteous man on earth who continually does good and never sins” ( Ecclesiastes 7:20). “When they sin against You (for no person who does not sin). and You are angry with them and turn them over to an enemy, so that they take away captive to the land of the enemy, distant and near” (1 Kings 8:46). “Who can say, I have cleansed my heart, I am pure from my sin?” (Proverbs 20:9). God only spared Solomon’s end-of-life revelations to form two of the central tenants of universal sin and the need for salvation (Romans 3:23). The prophet Jeremiah made a similar revelation about our sinful hearts: “For My people are doing evil, but they do not know how to do good” (Jeremiah 4:22). If you believe that you are without sin, the truth is not within you: “If we say that we have no sin, we are deceiving ourselves and the truth is not in us” (1 John 1:8). Every person must be honest regarding their sins with God.
• Acknowledge that your salvation is not earned according to your works. Moss was a murderer. He was a sinner who did not deserve to be God’s Lawgiver. Likewise, David, Solomon, and Jehoram were also murderers, and every king from Solomon to Jehoram either tolerated or practiced idolatry. They were all sinners and none of them deserved to be king. But God uses these sinners out of mercy and grace. You or I do not earn our salvation. “For by grace, you have been saved through grace of the Lord Jesus, in the same way as they also are” (Acts 15:11). “being justified as a gift by His grace through the redemption which is in Christ Jesus” (Romans 3:24). If you feel that you will be saved based on your good works or for being a good person, “then Christ died needlessly” (Galatians 2:21).
• There is no sin that we can hide from God. Nathan told David that his secret sins would be made public (2 Samual 12:12). Unlike David, Jospeh did not give in to the advances of Potiohars wife because he knew God would have known (Genesis 39:9). “The eyes of the Lord are in every place, watching the evil and the good” ( Proverbs 15:3). “And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are open and laid bare to the eyes of Him with whom we have to do” (Hebrews 4:13). “But if you will not do so, behold, you have sinned against the Lord, and be sure your sin will find you out” (Nahum 32:23). If was a lack of fear and respect for God that brought David into temptation: “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, fools despise wisdom and instruction” (Proverbs 1:7, Psalm 110:10, Job 28:28). And, to fear the Lord we must hate evil: “The fear of the Lord is to hate evil” (Proverbs 8:13). Are there any sins that you are trying to hide? I know I have a few I would like to keep under lock and key. But God sees everything.
• A godly person only speaks truth. Davis stated “You desire truth in the innermost being” (Psalm 51:6). Solomon warns that “life and death are in the power of the tongue” ( Proverbs 18:21). And “a wholesome tongue is a tree of life” (Proverbs 15:4). God condemned those who refuse to repent of their lies: “For He said, surely, they are My people, sons who will not deal falsely” ( Isaiah 63:8). “ You shall not deal falsely, not lie to one another” Leviticus 19:11). “Therefore, laying aside falsehood, speak truth each one of you with his neighbor, for we are members of one another” (Ephesians 4:25).
• God’s hidden wisdom is found in His Word and the Spirit. David depended on God to stay free from sin. “In secret You will make known to me” (Psalm 51:6). He needed the wisdom of God’s Word to guide him: “Your Word is a lamp to my feet and lights my path” (Psalm 119:105). “Your Word is truth” (John 17:17). When we read the Word and pray, the Spirit will give you wisdom: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit whom the Father will send in My Name, He will teach you all things, and remind you of all that I said to you” (John 14:26). When we read the Word and pray for the Spirit to give us wisdom we find the guidance to live life abundantly. “But if any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God, who gives to all generously and without reproach, and it will be given to him” (James 1:5).

I have been doing this study for quite some time, but because of the extensive bulk of it. It is a deep study, that teaches about what David’s life and how he became a man after God’s own heart. What can we learn from David’s mistakes? We don’t have to be adulterous, or murders to want restoration from our sins. This is a deep study so I will be doing multiple posts so I can meditate in it, and let in soak in. I thought would be a great lesson for anyone who is struggling with sin and needs complete restoration.

At his lowest point, King David committed terrible acts of adultery, under, and lies. After David became blind to his sins, God used the prophet Nathan to expose his sins and convict him. (2 Samual 11, 12). For the rest of his life, David endured ongoing consequences for his sin. But God eventually restored him. Overcome with gratitude for God’s mercy and grace, David wrote Psalm 51 to help sinners find God’s restoration after sin. His Psalm pointed to Jesus Christ. Through Psalm 51 and the whole counsel of God, the Bible reveals seven lessons for finding Jesus’s full restoration after we sin.

These lessons include:

• Repentance

• Honesty
• Faith in Jesus’s atonement
• The Holy Spirit
• Service
• Gratitude
• Fellowship with Jesus

First, after Nathan confronted him, David openly confessed his sins and repented to God. Our restoration through Jesus also begins with the confession of our sins. Second, instead of making excuses, David confessed his sinful nature and his need for God’s wisdom to guide him. Restoration through Jesus also requires honesty, regarding our sinful nature and our need for His guidance through the Word and the Spirit. Third, David asked God to purify him, something that required faith in the blood sacrifice at the cross fulfilled the need for blood sacrifices. But our restoration requires faith the Jesus paid the price for our sins through His atoning sacrifice. Fourth, David asked for a clean heart and a renewal of the Spirit within him. Restoration through Jesus includes allowing the Holy Spirit to transform us to renew our minds on a daily basis. Fifth, restored with the joy of His undeserved salvation, David promised to teach sinners about God’s ways and how to be converted in their faith. Restoration through Jesus includes being a living sacrifice for Him. This includes evangelizing the lost and teaching God’s Word. Sixth, out of gratitude for His underserved restoration, David promised to sing God’s praises. Restoration through Jesus should also include gratitude for His deliverance. Finally, David looked forward to an ongoing relationship with God where He would delight in His sacrifices. Restoration also requires a desire to live in fellowship with Jesus.

1. Repentance: Restoration Begins With The Confession of Your Sins.

David openly confessed and repented of His sins before God. After Nathan confronted him, David admitted to terrible sins against God that included adultery, murder, and lies. This Psalm of David is when Nathan the prophet came to him after he had gone into Bathsheba. After writing Psalm 51:1-4 David was a broken man at this point. He acknowledged his “guilt” once, his “wrongdoings” twice, and his “sin” three times. He offered no defense. All he could do was to appeal to God’s compassion and forgiving character (Ex 34:6-7).

• David’s blindness to sin seven deadly sins. Through his adultery, murder and lies, David violated at least seven of God’s Ten Commandments. First, by lusting after his neighbor’s wife, he violated God’s Tenth Commandment against coveting (Exodus 20:17; Deuteronomy 5:21). Second by repeating giving into his lusts of his flesh,he made an idol out of attractive women and violated God’s Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4-5 Deuteronomy 5:18). Third, by sleeping with a married woman, he violated God’s Seventh Commandment against adultery (Exodus 20:14). Fourth, he violated God’s Sixth Commandment against murder he violated God’s Ninth Commandment when he killed Uriah (Ex 20:13). Fifth, by engaging in lies and deceit to cover up his neighbor Uriah’s murder, h violated God’s Tenth Commandment against bearing false witness (Ex 20:16, DT 5:20). Sixth, after he later married Bathsheba, he violated God’s law against a leader having more than one wife: He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away…” (Deuteronomy 17:17. He further violated God’s purpose of marriage by joining himself together by more than one person (Matthew 19:4-6, 1 Timothy 3:2). To become king, he would have made a public vow to uphold the Torah (Bible).