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Repentance, Confession and Forgiveness
| Bro Gordon Ochieng (Manyanda Ecclesia, Kenya)
T
he Biblical record of the life of king David
illustrates two things – the depth of
iniquity and triumph of faith, or in other
words, confession and forgiveness. Each
aspect is presented to teach those who come
that repentance and confession are essential
for forgiveness.
In 2 Samuel chapters 10 and 11 when David
went to war with the Amorites, he committed
a heinous act against an innocent man in an
effort to cover up
his own iniquity.
The record of
David’s sin with
Bathsheba is a bold
and stark record of
iniquity. Here we
find “the lust of
the flesh, the lust
of the eyes and
pride of life” (1
John 2:16).
2 Samuel 12 –
Nathan is sent to
confront David and
bring his sin into
the open. I assume
this happened
after the baby had been born. 2 Samuel
11:27. For all this period David concealed his
iniquity from the people and did not seek
forgiveness from God. In 2 Samuel 12:1-4 we
find injustice, in verses 5-6 we find David a
man with strong commitment to justice. I
just think that his mind went straight to the
Law of Moses ... Exodus 22:1. Nathan’s
response was “Thou art the man”. What a
stinging and direct rebuke!
God gave David all he needed, yet he
conspired to rob Uriah of his life and wife. In
2 Samuel 12:9 David is accused of two crimes
that were punishable by death - murder and
adultery. Even though God forgave David, in a
sense he suffered the death sentence through
the death of the child and the sword that
highlighted his household afterwards.
In 2 Samuel 12:13 David acknowledges his sin.
All sin, no matter who the victim is,
ultimately is a sin against God. James 1:14-15
reminds us of how sin is conceived.
2 Samuel 12:15-17 – David poured out his
heart to God, but the die had been cast and
the child had to die. Psalm 51:1-3 reveals
David’s thoughts at this particular period of
time. We need to be washed by God, washed
in the blood of the lamb and this is only
possible if we
confess our sins
and repent. Psalm
51:4 – All sin and
transgressions are
against God.
There were two
ritual offerings for
sin after David had
confessed his sins –
although the
bullock and lamb
were offered on
the altar, there was
the sacrifice of a
brokenand contrite
heart.
Psalm 32 related to this period in David’s
time. It speaks of sin which is concealed for
a period of time. For all those months while
Bathsheba carried their child David
concealed his sin but it gnawed at his very
being. He would have no peace. He was
tormented by his secret. When finally
exposed, David was able to confess and
experience the wonderful relief that comes
with forgiveness. Psalm 32:5,10,11 - Uriah’s
conduct shows an austere soldier-like spirit
that guided his conduct and character and
the discipline of David’s officers. It is one of
the touching parts of the story that Uriah
falls unconscious of his wife’s dishonour –
Bathsheba herself was a woman of extraordi-
nary beauty – is she partly to blame for
placing herself in a position where she could
be seen by king David?