David- Lesson 5

Overview

David on the Edge: Sin, Confrontation, and Godly Sorrow

Having seen David in the field, on the run, on the rise, and on the throne, we now find him on the edge—familiar with the burden of unconfessed sin. In Psalm 32:1-4, David describes both the blessedness of forgiveness and the bodily anguish of silence: "While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long." His adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah, recorded in 2 Samuel 11, exemplify what happens when sin is concealed rather than confessed. As Jesus teaches in Matthew 5:27-28, adultery is not merely an act but a matter of the heart—and David's sin began on the rooftop, long before Bathsheba came to him. Every sin, ultimately, is a violation of the First Commandment, for the sinner displaces God and makes himself the judge.

Nathan's Confrontation as an Act of Love

When the Lord sends Nathan to David in 2 Samuel 12, the prophet's parable of the poor man's lamb functions as law, exposing what David had concealed. Nathan's confrontation is not cruelty—it is love. This runs profoundly counter to a culture that treats confronting unrepentant sin as the chief offense, and that often substitutes "statistical morality" (if most people do it, it must be acceptable) for the Word of God. Yet the church is called to be a Nathan to one another. To leave a brother or sister in unrepentance is not kindness; it is to abandon them, because faith and impenitence cannot coexist. Such confrontation is done not as the sinless to the sinful, but as one fellow sinner concerned for another's eternal welfare, living before an audience of One. The responses vary—rejection, or by God's grace, the joy of "I never knew that was a sin"—but faithfulness, not applause, is the measure.

Confession, Consequence, and Godly Sorrow

David's response—"I have sinned against the Lord"—models the confession that is vital to a healthy and growing faith. This is why every worship service begins with confession and absolution; we need to hear that word of forgiveness. Nathan declares, "the Lord has put away your sin," yet consequences remain, including the death of the child. Scripture does not give a full answer as to why, though we note the child dies in David's place—a foreshadowing of David's greater Son, the Messiah, who would die for sinners. David's words in 2 Samuel 12:23—"I shall go to him, but he will not return to me"—offer the comfort that he will see his son again in eternity.

A pastoral warning: this passage must never be wielded as a bludgeon against grieving Christians. God does not punish His children for their sins—Jesus has already been punished in their place. When Job's counselors and the crowd in Luke 13:1-5 assumed tragedy was proportional to guilt, they were corrected. Bad things in life are not God's wrath against believers; nothing can separate God's children from His love in Christ. Finally, David displays the difference between worldly sorrow ("I'm sorry I got caught") and godly sorrow—grief over sin itself as offense against God. As Psalm 51:5 confesses, we have been sinners from conception; our sinful acts are merely symptoms of a deeper condition. May the Lord work in us the same godly sorrow, the same honest confession, and the same trust in His absolving Word that He worked in David.

Transcript

Grace, this Heavenly Father, we give you thanks for this day of grace. 6s

We give you thanks for your promises. 11s

We ask now for your blessing upon this class to your glory in Jesus' name. 13s

Well, we continue on in our study of David. 21s

Last week we took a look at David's choice of the capital being in Jerusalem. 25s

We also saw David's plan to build a house for the Lord. 33s

But the Lord had different ideas and that it would be Solomon that would build the house. 38s

We also took a look at a picture of David's treatment of Mathimuseth and the picture 45s

of that as an adoption of us in our baptism. 53s

So we've examined so far David in the field on the run, on the rise, on the throne. 57s

And today, we want to explore with you David, on the edge, David, on the edge. 65s

Let's start in Psalm 32. 71s

Please, Psalm 32. 74s

Though the way to find the book of Psalms is just to open up your Bible to the very center. 77s

And you're going to land on one of them. 82s

And let's focus on Psalm 32 to begin. 84s

David's words in Psalm 32 and also other Psalms. 90s

Tells us that David had a familiarity with blatant and unconfessed sin. 97s

So in Psalm 32, we read. 105s

Happy are those whose transgression is forgiven. 109s

Whose sin is covered. 114s

Happy are those to whom the Lord imputes no inequity. 117s

And in whose spirit there is no deceit. 121s

While I kept silence, my body wasted away through my groaning all day long. 126s

For day and night, your hand was heavy upon me. 133s

My strength was dried up as by the heat of summer. 137s

I want to take a look with you this morning. 144s

Specifically, at the unconfessed sin for time of David with regarding his adultery with Beth Shiva. 147s

We see in Scripture that adultery is clearly prohibited. 157s

Let's go to Matthew 5th chapter. 164s

Matthew 5, first book in the New Testament. 168s

Matthew 5 and we'll pick up in verse 27. 172s

And here Jesus says, you have heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery. 184s

But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lust has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 190s

Jesus now is pointing to the source and the origin of adultery. 200s

Being a matter of the heart, it's not just the act. 206s

It's a matter of the heart. 210s

When we see David's sin of adultery with Beth Shiva, 214s

that started in the heart. 220s

The adultery began at the very moment that he set his eyes on Beth Shiva as she was 222s

abaving while David was on the rooftop. 231s

And every aspect of that sin shows a David's a flagrant sin. 236s

Let's go to 2 Samuel chapter 11 in the Old Testament. 244s

Genesis Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, 248s

Joshua Judges and Ruth, and then you hit the Samuels. 251s

Samuel chapter 11, we'll pick up in verse 1. 256s

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and 266s

all Israel with him. They ravaged the emanates and besieged Robah, but David remained at Jerusalem. 274s

It happened late one afternoon. When David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof 285s

of the king's house, then he saw from the roof of woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful. 292s

David sent someone to inquire about the woman it was reported. This is Beth Shiva, 301s

daughter of Ilyam, the wife of Yuraya, the Hittite. 307s

So David sent messengers to get her and she came to him and he lay with her. 313s

Now she was purifying herself after her period. Then she returned to her house. 319s

The woman conceived and she sent and told David. I am pregnant. 326s

David knows. David knows she's married. He inquires about her, 335s

summons her and sleeps with her. And David lived with his sin and was impenetant with regard to it. 342s

All of sin is really ultimately a violation of the first commandment. You shall have no other 355s

gods. David you served God's place. He made himself to be the judge. When we violate the other nine 364s

commandments, it all goes back ultimately to the violation of the very first commandment. 377s

Let's pick up in verse 6 of chapter 11. So David sent word to Joab. Send me your Raya, 386s

the Hittite, and Joab sent your Raya to David. When Raya came to him, David asked how Joab and the 395s

people fared and how the war was going. Then David said to Raya, go down to your house and wash your feet. 403s

Raya went out of the King's house and they followed him a present from the King. 412s

But Raya slept at the entrance of the King's house with all the servants of his Lord and did not go 417s

down to his house. When they told David, Raya did not go down to his house, David said to Raya, 424s

you have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house? 431s

Raya said to David, the Ark and Israel and Judah remain in budes and my Lord, Joab, 437s

and the servants of my Lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and 444s

to drink and to lie with my wife as you live and as your soul lives? I will not do such a thing. 450s

Then David said to Raya, remain here today also and tomorrow I will send you back. 459s

So Raya remained in Jerusalem that day. On the next day David invited him to eat and drink 467s

in his presence and made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie in his couch with the 475s

wife. As we look at this portion of Scripture, as we see the fact that David knew that she was married, 491s

inquired about her, summoned her and slept with her, she now becomes pregnant and now becomes 500s

the cover-up in the face of this. Raya seems to be and is the faithful one. David is the unfaithful one. 506s

Let's pick up in verse 14. In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of 523s

Raya in the letter he wrote, said Yuraya in the forefront of the hardest fighting and then draw back 529s

from him so that he may be struck down and die. As Joab was besieging the city, he assigned 537s

Yuraya to the place where he knew there were valiant warriors. The men of the city came out and 546s

fought with Joab and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Yuraya the hit tight 553s

was killed as well. Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting and he instructed 559s

the messenger. When he was finished telling the king all the news about the fighting, 568s

then if the king's anger rises and if he says to you, why did you go so near the city to fight? 574s

Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? Who killed a Bimilek, son of Jurobal? 581s

Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall so that he died if they 589s

was? Why did you go so near the wall? Then you shall say, you're servant, Yuraya, the hit tight 594s

is dead. Two. So the servant went, came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. 602s

The messenger said to David, the men gained an advantage over us, came out against us in the field 610s

but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. Then the archers shot at your servants from 614s

the wall, some of the king's servants are dead and your servant Yuraya the hit tight is dead also. 620s

David said to the messenger, thus you shall say to Joab, do not let this matter trouble you. 629s

For the sword devours now one and now another, press your attack on the city and overthrow it 635s

and encourage you. When the wife of Yuraya heard that her husband was dead, she made 642s

lamentation for him. When the morning was over David sent him brought her to his house and she 649s

became his wife and bore him. A son. David doesn't repent of the sin. David covers it up. 656s

Members back to Psalm 39. How he felt inside when the sin, he doesn't repent of it. 672s

Here's a perfect example of sin that is not repented. He holds it. He covers it up. The Lord then sends 683s

the prophet Nathan and the Nathan's task that the Lord sends him for is to confront David in his 692s

sinfulness. Let's go to chapter 12. And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, 703s

there were two men in a certain city, the one rich in the other poor. The richman had very many 713s

blocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little Ulam which he had bought. He brought it up 719s

and it grew up with him and with his children used to eat of his meager fair and drink from his cup 725s

and lion his bosom, it's like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man and he was 731s

loath to take one of his own flocker heard to prepare for the way fair who had come to him. 738s

But he took the poor man's lamb and prepared that for the guest who had come to him. 743s

Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan as the Lord lives, 751s

the man who has done this deserves to die. He shall restore the lamb forfold because he did this 757s

thing and because he had no pity. Nathan said to David, you are the man. Thus says the Lord, 767s

the God of Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of soul. Let's pause there. We're going to pick 781s

Nathan's task was to confront the king with regard to his sin. Nathan comes and tells the story 795s

and the story reveals it acts as law. It reveals the sinfulness with regard to David. 801s

What Nathan does here is an act of love. It's an act of love. It is profoundly countercultural 810s

in the day that we live in. We live in a day in which confronting one another in unrepentance 819s

is a poured if that's not too strong word. It's probably pretty epic. 829s

Confronting one another in terms of unrepentance. That is a call of the church to do 837s

so that there might be repentance. It is not an act of love to leave one in their own sinfulness 846s

perhaps even in their own ignorance with regard to their sin. That's not an act of love. 855s

What Nathan is doing here is an act of love. It gets at what's called the office of the keys. 862s

The office of the keys is declared to those that are forgiven that their sins are forgiven to 870s

clear to those that do not repent that their sins are not forgiven. We live in a day in which 875s

there is profound ignorance with regard to what is and what is not sin. 882s

Remember what underlies so much nowadays is what's called statistical morality 889s

that if the majority of people do something, therefore it must be okay. 895s

Instead of what does the Lord say? We are called to the difficult task of confronting one another, 901s

where there is unrepentance sin. We are called to the task of being a Nathan. 912s

And we are met with various responses when we when we do that. 922s

One response is forget you, I'll see you later. 928s

Because whatever sin you want to have substantiated or justified, you can find it in the world today. 934s

And you can find someone that can tell you even in the church. It's fine. It's fine. 940s

One response is, I'll forget you, I'll see you later. Another response is, 949s

I never knew that that was a sin which can lead to repentance. 954s

That's a joyous time, a joyous time. When the person understands that you are going to them 962s

in love because you're concerned about their spiritual welfare and you confront them in terms of 969s

their unrepentance. To do that, one does that as a fellow sinner. 976s

The issue is not one who is sinful being confronted by the sinless, 983s

because we're all sinners. The issue is, I'm so concerned for you and your spiritual welfare. 992s

I want to come and I want to share with you what God has to say with regard to them. 1000s

That is, that is then living in terms of an audience of one, which is God, 1006s

and not in terms of whether you will get applause from the person that you are confronting. 1014s

You might not. You might get hatred spewed back to you. 1020s

But what is the ultimate concern? Is it the immediacy of having a friendship, this side of heaven, 1027s

or is it the concern for that person's eternal destiny? 1035s

Because faith is killed where there is no repentance. Faith and lack of repentance. 1043s

They can't, they can't coexist with each other. 1050s

And so the loving thing to do is to confront the other in terms of their sin for the purpose that they 1056s

might come to repentance. That's what Nathan does. And Nathan is confronting the king to do it. 1063s

The king who has the sheer power to be able to turn and to say, kill him. 1074s

Kill him for that. We're called to be Nathan's. That is the most loving thing to do. 1080s

The most loving thing to do is not to go along with the tide of the world that says we simply 1089s

tolerate sin. Not to go along with the tide of the world that says the greatest sin is to offend someone. 1096s

Not to go along with the tide of the world that says, if the majority of people are doing it, 1105s

therefore it must be right who am I to say anything. The most loving thing we can do is to be 1111s

Nathan's. And that's difficult. That's difficult. Who looks forward to doing that? 1119s

But as we do that, God uses that to change the heart of people and we're the messenger, 1127s

just like Nathan was. So Nathan confronts the king. We'll pick it back up now, 1135s

reverse eight. I gave you your master's house and your master's wives and your bosom 1142s

and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. If that had been too little, I would have added 1147s

as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord to do what is evil in his sight? You've 1152s

killed him with the sword of the Aminites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart 1165s

from your house. For you have despised me and have taken the wife of your eye of the hitite to be your wife. 1171s

Thus says the Lord, I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house. 1179s

I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbors and he shall lie with your 1183s

this thing before all Israel and before the sun. David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the 1195s

Lord. He says, Nathan is revealing that which God has told him to reveal. God uses that and Nathan's 1204s

heart has changed into the confession. I have sinned against the Lord. Confession is vital to a 1215s

healthy and growing phase. It can be incredibly difficult to admit wrong sinfulness without excuse or 1227s

inclination because that's part of our sin. But confession is part of a healthy and growing 1241s

phase life. What do we do at the beginning of each and every worship service? We confess. We confess. 1250s

The organ strikes the opening hymn. We rise to our feet. It is the Lord's day and the Lord has 1260s

taught us to his house and after the opening hymn of praise what we do, we confess. We confess. 1268s

And we hear that word of absolution because it's vital to our faith. Verse 13 again, David said, 1276s

Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. Nathan said to David, now the Lord has put away your sin. 1289s

You shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, 1294s

the child that is born to you. Shall die. That raises the issue, right? How is it right for the new 1301s

born to die? And David, indeed there's consequences of his sin. But why isn't right for the 1315s

innocent newborn to die for the sin of his father? In the end, there's no answer from scripture that we 1328s

can guess that when the pagan people heard of David's crime, if there wasn't any consequence, 1344s

they would look then upon the God that David worshiped as one who simply winks at sin. 1354s

So because of his position, then God takes the life then of the newborn. 1362s

There's no scripture behind that. In the end, there is no answer to that question. Interestingly, 1374s

the child dies instead of David, which foreshadows the sacrifice of David's son, the Messiah. 1384s

Interesting? Then the end. There's no direct answer of why God does that. David believes 1395s

that he will one day see his infant son again. Go to verse 23, please. 1405s

But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not 1414s

return to me. There's a comfort that of David that he will see the son in eternity. 1424s

Some people have used this text and used it as a bludgeon against people that experience 1435s

tragedy in their lives. Sometimes even Christian parents who have lost a child will ask, 1447s

what sin did we commit to have brought God's anger down upon our child? 1459s

And that's heartbreaking when that question is asked. God does not punish his children. 1466s

God punished Jesus in our place. That is the gracious word to give. 1480s

When cannot take one story here, extrapolate out from it. When scripture doesn't give us the 1489s

reason, can't extrapolate out from it and say then to people that experience a tragedy. 1498s

Well, there must be something that you have done in your life. What did Job's counselors do? 1508s

It was exactly the question that Job's counselors asked. So, Job, what did you do 1514s

that brought this on? What was the question in terms of Jesus, in terms in the New Testament of the 1522s

Tower of Siloam that had fell and killed the people and the question was, Lord, are they greater 1529s

sinners than all the rest? That's how we can think. If I am not as great a sinner, 1535s

then a Tower won't fall on me, which is what? It's what's righteousness, right? 1547s

Where when we confess our sinfulness, we confess we sin and thought word and deed by what we've 1554s

done and by what we've left undone. Jesus responds to that question of where they greater sinners, 1558s

Jesus turns and says, no, no, they weren't where sinners. And then he turns it to the call to repent, 1563s

to be prepared for when the Lord comes again. When can't take this text and use it as a 1575s

heart of Scripture and the gospel message that when bad things happen to us in life, God is not 1590s

punishing us. Remember the song from the sound of music, I must have done something right. 1599s

Isn't the girl singing? She's 17 or something like that. And she goes, I must have done something right 1610s

that all of a sudden now she has this, that's this relationship. That's just, that's just the reverse, 1615s

that's so often we can be tempted to think that I don't know what I'm doing, but I must be doing something right 1621s

because, boy, my life seems to be really going good, right? That's just the reverse of all of this. 1629s

It's terrible, terrible theology. It's incredible bondage and works righteousness. 1635s

Just as if someone says, I don't know what I did that cause God to punish me in this way. 1640s

I don't know what I did on that. That's Bantheaology too. God doesn't punish us. 1649s

Jesus has been punished in our place and that is the word of grace that we hold to. 1657s

Nothing can separate us from God's love for His children. Lastly, they've, they've 1665s

a demonstrate the difference here between worldly sorrow and godly sorrow. You see worldly sorrow 1675s

all the time in the days in which we live. worldly sorrow is I'm afraid that I got or I'm sorry I got 1685s

caught. I'm sorry I got caught. Godly sorrow is I am sorry of the sin and offense against God 1693s

because while we sin against each other ultimately all sin is against God and what David exhibits here 1706s

is as as is heart then is brought to the awareness through the story of Nathan that God had given 1714s

a prophet Nathan to tell him when his heart then comes to that place of repentance. 1721s

That's godly sorrow. That's godly sorrow. That's God pleasing when we understand that we sin against him 1729s

constantly and thought word indeed what we've done left we've undone that we are constantly in the 1739s

condition just like a runny nose and achy feeling is a symptom of the condition of the virus that 1749s

has caused the cold our sinfulness is simply the expression of the condition of our sinfulness 1757s

and when when does that condition start? Psalm 51 says I was a sinner since I was when conceived 1767s

when life begins you have a sinner there's never a moment where the child is sinless. David exhibits 1777s

here the beauty of Godly sorrow. Let's go to verse 24 chapter 12. The David consoled his wife Bathsheba 1785s

went to her and lay with her and she bore a son and he named him Solomon. The Lord loved him 1799s

and sent a message by the prophet Nathan so he named him Jetta Daya because of the Lord. 1807s

David on the field on the run on the rise David on the throne and we've seen him on the edge 1819s

today. Next week David under the sword under the sword. We'll continue next week. 1827s