"CONFESSION OF SIN"
I. THE SIN OF DAVID.
A. It began with the lust of his flesh. This is the origin of so much sin today.
1. He saw a very beautiful lady bathing and sent his servants to invite her to his palace.
2. Though she was a married woman, he seduced her and they committed adultery.
3. A one night affair, he gave himself over to the lust of his flesh, her husband was gone, no one need to know, end of story.
B. After a time, he received a note from the woman informing him that she was pregnant.
1. This throws a curve at David, the consequences of the fling were not over he will have to deal with the issue.
2. The Bible tells us that he who seeks to cover his sin, will not prosper.
3. We see David scheming as he tries to cover his sin.
4. Her husband is in David's army, and as the commander in chief of the forces he orders her husband to leave the battlefield that he might report to David.
5. He is sent home and David asks him for a report from the front lines.
6. David tells him to go home and he would see him again the next morning.
7. David figured that he would go home sleep with his wife, and then when he learned that she was pregnant, he would figure that it happened the night he was home from the battle.
8. However he did not cooperate with David's scheme, but slept that night on the porch of David's palace.
9. In the morning when David heard that he had not gone home, he called him in and questioned the reason. Uriah said that with his buddies sleeping in the trenches, he felt that it would not be fair for him to sleep in the comfort of his bed at home. A thing of honor.
10. David talked to him that day again about the war, and had the servants keep his wine glass filled, and by the end of the day he was quite drunk. David figured that in his drunken state, he would stagger home, but would be so drunk that he would not remember what happened that night.
11. Again however Uriah slept on David's porch, and would not go home.
C. David's sin is now compounding, he gave a sealed message for him to take back to his commanding officer in which David commanded that the officer send Uriah to the hottest spot in the battle, and then have the other troops withdraw, leaving Uriah to be killed.
1. This is one of the hideous things about sin, it has a way of compounding.
2. You commit a sin, and you think that nobody knows, then as you seek to hide your guilt, you get more deeply involved. You find yourself out of control, the whole issue goes much further than you ever intended it should.
3. When David was first attracted to that woman who was bathing, he never dreamed that this lusting after her would end up with him murdering a man, to cover his guilt.
D. After the mourning time was over for her husband, David called her to be his wife. This was a further attempt to cover his sin. He looked like a hero in the eyes of the people for marrying the pregnant wife of one of his fallen soldiers.
E. But this sin was beginning to have a deep and profound effect upon David. He could not escape from his conscience.
1. Imagine how he must have felt as people would tell him what a kind and gracious man he was to shelter a pregnant widow whose husband was killed in war.
2. David described his feelings.
a. My bones waxed old. That is I was as a man who was stricken with age. I was being beaten down.
b. There was this roaring all day long. He would cry out with the horrible sense of guilt. There was no rest for his soul.
c. For day and night I felt the heavy hand of God upon me. There was no escape from this sense of guilt even at night.
d. My moisture is turned into the drought of summer. He had become completely spiritually dry.
e. He had lost his joy. "Restore to me the joy of my salvation."
f. He has lost his fellowship with God. "Take not Thy Holy Spirit from me."
II. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT DAVID'S SIN WAS COMPLETELY UNKNOWN TO THE PEOPLE, IT WAS A SECRET THAT HE THOUGHT THAT ONLY BATHSHEBA AND HE SHARED.
A. One day David's friend the prophet Nathan came to him with a story.
1. He reported to David of a man in his kingdom who was very wealthy, had huge possessions and flocks.
2. Near him lived a neighbor who was very poor, all he had was one ewe lamb which he had bought and raised. It was almost like a family member to the man. It was like a pet, it ate at his table slept in his tent.
3. A traveler had come to the house of the rich man and he ordered his servants to go next door and take by force the ewe lamb and butcher it so he could feed his guest.
4. David was incensed, he decreed, "That man shall surely be put to death."
5. Nathan said to him, "David, you are the man."
6. It is interesting how horrible our sins look to us if someone else is committing them. The very thing that we are condemning others for, if you will just change the scene and circumstances slightly you discover that you are the man. The Bible says that the person is inexcusable, who judges others but does the same thing himself.
B. God's message to David from Nathan.
1. I anointed you as King over Israel.
2. I delivered you from the hand of Saul who was seeking to kill you.
3. I gave you your master's house and wives.
4. I gave you rule over the house of Israel and Judah.
5. David, if this was not enough, I would have given you even more.
6. Why did you despise the commandment of the Lord to do evil in His sight?
7. You have killed Uriah the Hittite.
8. You have taken his wife.
C. David's confession to Nathan, "I have sinned."
D. Nathan's immediate declaration, "Your sins are forgiven, you shall not die."
E. This is when David wrote, "Oh how happy is the man whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sin is covered."
F. Note that the message "Your sins are forgiven followed the confession of sin." It is first necessary to confess our sin in order to receive the forgiveness of our sin.
G. In proverbs we read:
PRO 28:13 He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh [them] shall have mercy.
H. John wrote:
1JO 1:8 If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.
1JO 1:9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us [our] sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
III. The consequences of David's sin. God will forgive our sins, but often there are consequences that result from our sin.
A. The sword will never depart from his house. There will always be fighting and strife within his own household.
1. One of David's sons Absalom killed his half brother Amnon.
2. Absalom later led a rebellion against David and drove him from his kingdom and was subsequently killed in battle.
3. Another son Adonijah tried to usurp the throne of David while David was dying.
4. Adonijah was subsequently put to death by David's son Solomon.
B. God said that He would raise up evil against David out of his own house.
C. God said that he would take David's wives right before his eyes and give them to another, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of all.
D. You had your little affair in secret, but this will be done openly before all of Israel.
E. In a few chapters we read where David's son Absalom rebelled against David and gathered an army and was marching against Jerusalem, and David fled for his life, leaving most everything behind including many of his wives.
F. Absalom asked Ahithophel, who had been David's chief advisor but who also joined the rebellion, "Give me counsel what shall I do?" And Ahithophel said unto Absalom, Go in unto your father's concubines, who he has left to keep the house; and all Israel shall hear that you abhor your father: then all the hands of all those that are with you be strong."
2SA 16:22 So they spread Absalom a tent upon the top of the house; and Absalom went in unto his father's concubines in the sight of all Israel.
G. You may think, "I will have my fling, I will live it up, then I will repent, get right with God and receive forgiveness."
H. God is gracious and merciful, and though He may say, "You are forgiven, there certain consequences for sin that often you have to face."
1. It may be that you will sued for child support.
2. It may cost you your marriage.
3. It may be that cost you time in jail.
4. It may be that you will lose your job or ministry.
5. It may be public shame and disgrace.
6. It is not that God has refused to forgive your trespasses, but there are still consequences that must be faced.
I. Before you venture on some lark or fling, you should stop to consider the possible consequences of this action. You can be forgiven, but you can't always escape the consequences.
Verse-Reference
Square — [Jhn 1:1 KJV]
Abbreviate Books
Use SBL Abbrev.
