20150111 Sunday, January 11 2015
Psalm 051: The Bathsheba Cover Up

by Wayne Blank
See also 1 Year Holy Bible Reading Plan

"A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba"

King David (see Israel In History and Prophecy: King David) knew many troubles in his lifetime. Some happened for political or military reasons. Others happened as a matter of personal choice by David or some member of his family.

David's adultery with Bathsheba was itself a moral failing. The attempt to cover the resulting pregnancy, first by having Bathsheba's away-at-war husband return so that he would seem to be the father of his wife's child, failed. It was also a moral failing, because Bathsheba's husband Uriah was a righteous man who refused to accept what seemed like special treatment from his commander. David then resorted to outright murder by having Uriah killed in battle, so that David himself could quickly marry Bathsheba and appear to be the father of his own child (see David And Bathsheba).

Nathan was a true prophet of the LORD who was sent to confront King David with what he had done (see Who Has A Spirit Of Confrontation?). The throne itself had a pure Messianic purpose that could never be stopped or replaced (see The Prophecy Of King David's Messianic Throne). Any individual king, including David, could however be removed. David's fate was in his own hands by virtue of whether or not he would confess and repent. The man that David murdered, Uriah, will be resurrected in due time (see The Postponement Of Death); he is not lost - but David could have been if he had responded to the LORD's rebuke with unrepentant, Satanic arrogance.

"12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 12:8 And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 12:9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. 12:10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

12:11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12:12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.

And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die." (2 Samuel 12:7-14 KJV)

David acknowledged what he had done, to all of Israel at that time, and to all of the world ever since in this Psalm.

"51:1 To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 51:2 Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

51:3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest. 51:5 Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me. 51:6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

51:7 Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice. 51:9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

51:10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. 51:11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. 51:12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

51:13 Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. 51:14 Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness. 51:15 O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise. 51:16 For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering. 51:17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

51:18 Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem. 51:19 Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar." (Psalm 51:1-19 KJV)

Fact Finder: David at first attempted to cover his sins by concealment. How and by what means were his sins later truly covered in the eyes of the LORD?
See How Are Your Sins Covered?