Secret sin ∙

The LORD was displeased with what David had done. – 2 Samuel 11:27

Psalms 51:1-12

 1 Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love. Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.

 2 Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.

 3 For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.

 4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.

 5 For I was born a sinner – yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.

 7 Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

 10 Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a steadfast spirit within me.

 11 Do not banish me from your presence and don’t take your Holy Spirit from me.

 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and make me willing to obey you.

Coming to terms with secret sin is never easy, even more so when private sin becomes public sin.

In our day, time and time again, dark, secret, personal private wickedness and immorality have hit the front page.

Over the past few years, several well-known politicians, familiar public figures, and prominent media personalities have been publicly accused of serious sexual misconduct and abuse of power.

Such charges have been made against Roy Moore, Al Franken, John Conyers, Matt Lauer, Kevin Spacey, Bill O’Reilly, Harvey Weinstein, A.J. Calloway, Brett Kavanaugh, Sylvester Stallone, Jamie Foxx, Morgan Freeman, Thom Brokaw, Charlie Rose, David Copperfield, Michael Douglas, and Jeffrey Epstein.

A headline could read Abuse of Power, Sexual Misconduct, and #MeToo. Some of the accused are woefully, horrifically guilty. But the presumption of innocence has been lost in the #MeToo era. To accuse is enough to convict without a trial or hearing.

Regrettably, abuse of power and sexual misconduct are the way of the world. This is nothing new. But the children of the King are expected to be “better.” But sadly, way too often, the King’s kids are no better than the enemy’s kids.

Imagine the headline from the Jerusalem Post, 1000 BC, breaking news: David, the King of Israel, accused and found guilty of adultery, cover-up, and murder. The greatest king in Israel’s history had sunken to the deepest levels of human lust and self-preservation. Because “The heart wants what it wants” (Emily Dickinson).

REFLECT & PRAY

The Father sees as well in the dark as He does in the light.

Father how often have You watched and seen my sin but held back from a harsh, blunt confrontation? I confess and acknowledge that I am a sinful man. Thank You for Your gentleness and kindness.

INSIGHT

The Father has a way of confronting His children and bringing them to repentance. For some of us, it might be considered a curse, and for others, a blessing, but regardless it is a fact.

So it was with David. His secret sin was found out for all to know and see. The Father sent Nathan, His prophet, to confront David and perform the needed spiritual heart surgery. The Father had prepared Nathan for this brutal confrontation. Nathan’s words were wisely chosen. He told the story of a crime another empowered rich man committed.

David was furious and passed judgment on the man in question. But in fact, what he had done was pass judgment on himself. With one quick thrust of the sword, Nathan delivered the immortal words that pierced his heart and still echo down through the centuries, “You are the man!”

2 Samuel 12:1-7

 1 So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor.

 2 The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle.

 3 The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter.

 4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”

 5 David was furious. “As surely as the LORD lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die!

 6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”

 7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!”

Unconfessed and hidden sin has a way of making us callous. It deadens the spirit and distances us from the Father. We find ourselves descending in an ever-increasing downward spiral into a prison of our own making. Without confession and repentance, the future is not bright but dark and dismal.  (Psalm 51).

King David was embarrassed, humbled, and grieved by the revelation. But the confrontation gave David the opportunity for repentance, forgiveness, healing, and restoration. He gladly latched onto it. David knew that the Father was righteous in His judgments. But he also knew that He was gracious, forgiving, and merciful because of His loyal love.

He appealed to the Father and was forgiven. Some would say he was not quite the same afterward. Even though he was forgiven, there were still consequences. Bathsheba gave birth to a child. But the Father sent sickness, and the child died.

The Father was not confused by David’s flailing attempts to hide his secret sins. The cover-up simply did not work. David’s attempts to hide his abuse of power against Bathsheba and Uriah were exposed in full color. His secret sin has been front-page news for 3000 years!

The Father judged and sentenced David for his sins. David paid dearly for his lust and deceit. The spiritual principle of sowing and reaping was executed. David was repaid “in kind” (Deuteronomy 19:21). And more, for the sword did not depart from the king’s household.

Hosea 8:7 For they sow the wind and they reap the whirlwind.

This is an object lesson for us all. We must deal with our own evil and secret sins. If we do not, the Father will reveal them and deal with them for us. Repent and confess but be wise. And by all means, do not put it on Twitter or Facebook.

¯\_(ツ)_/¯ 11-20-2

© Dr. H 2023