VOTW: Against God only, have you sinned (27 September 2021)

Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge. Psalms 51:4

Psalms 51 is said to be a Psalm which David wrote when he was called out by God through Prophet Nathan for his sin of murder and adultery. It is an astonishing cry of repentance: filled with guilt, sorrow, but also hope in God's mercies.

In our verse of the week, David famously cries, "Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight...". It is a heart-wrenching and hauntingly beautiful account of a beloved who has wronged his lover, and he came to the realization of his failure. Not only for the people that he sinned against, more than all that, David mourned over sinning against the Lord Himself. For in this cry to the Lord, David cries, "Against You, You only...". This revealed the relationship that David had with the Lord. One that he cherished and loved more than anything. A leaning into his flesh, and a moment of taking his eyes off the Lord caused him to slip into sin. David was a great king, but he was imperfect like the rest of us.

David did sin against Bathsheba: he stayed in his palace when it was time for war, and committed adultery with her. David did sin against Uriah: he sent him to the worst parts of the battlefield and told his troops to withdraw so that Uriah would die, so he could marry Bathsheba. David did sin against the whole nation: he abused his position as king and used his power for his own gains. Those are all true. But in this private moment of repentance and despair, David was only conscious of his relationship with his beloved God.

Do not cast me from your presenceor take your Holy Spirit from me. Psalms 51:11

I have often felt bad about the wrong things that I did, I always felt bad for the people that I wronged, the opportunities that I missed. But David's prayer made me realized that beyond right and wrong, there is something even more important that is being threatened: a relationship that is being shaken. When I fall into sin, my whole consciousness becomes caught up in condemnation. Even while God is with me, I feel like I no longer can stand before him. And like Adam in the garden of Eden, I hide myself from God, even though God sees me clearly. And even now, with knowledge of Christ's finished work, I often find myself feeling like David, asking God not to take His presence from me. But the word of God says:

that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation. 2 Corinthians 5:19

God is the one that reconciled me into fellowship with Him. Christ's work, and Christ only, has brought me back in favor with God. So why do I feel this way? I believe that for the believer, it is possible to feel estranged from God even when we have been justified and given the position of the beloved children of God. Especially when we find ourselves stumbling into sin. Yet I realize I am not to mope about in this moment of condemnation. David, a man under the Old covenant, boldly pleaded for the Lord to "deliver [him] from the guilt of bloodshed". Now, we have a better covenant, a better guarantee that is found in Christ. A concrete reality that David could only crave and imagine in his time.

May we boldly hold onto the promise of Reconciliation and remember that God who is able to redeem you through the death of Christ, shall be able to continually transform you through the Life of Christ. Righteousness is a person, and right now, He is your advocate at the right hand of God Most High!