Disciplined But Not Disowned

Transcript

GRM 1122
6/1/2014
Disciplined but not Disowned
Psalm 3; 2 Samuel 11-15
Gil Rugh

We're going to go to Psalm 3 today. I was thinking of doing a break in Hebrews last Sunday since it was a holiday and many people were gone, but it didn't work out as well to break Hebrews there so I thought we would break before we move into the next section and the finishing of the book of Hebrews. I'd like to look at Psalm 3 and it ties to some of what we have been talking about in our study of Hebrews as well.

The psalms are special to us as believers. Probably no other book in our Bibles that we go to regularly, particularly it seems during times of difficulty, trial, problems, our own discouragements because the psalmists, and we usually talk about David in connection with the psalms and he wrote many of them but there are others, but these writers reflect their own inner thoughts, feelings, reflect on their discouragements, their encouragements. We get insights into what they were going through and the Lord has these recorded so that we can be encouraged. Romans 15 tells us that these things written in the Old Testament were for our encouragement. So as we come to these things we see what these believers went through, how they dealt with it and how the Lord was working in their lives.

Psalm 3 is one of those psalms that reflects something of the inner heart of David and the trials that he was facing. You'll note the title of the psalm, not the one in italics at the top which says a morning prayer of trust in God. That is drawn from down in verse 5, the second line—I awoke and the Lord sustains me. So sometimes this has been referred to as a morning psalm, not mourning, sadness, but morning, the beginning of the day. We'll say more about that as we get there. But the title which is very old but not part of the inspired text says a psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, from his son. And we can't identify how these titles became connected with the psalms because they were not part of the original text, but they go back to very, very early period and generally are thought to reflect accurately the setting of the psalm. And I think that is true here as well. Reflects a time when David records what happened to him and what he was going through when he was experiencing that terrible trial of the attack of his own son that he loved so much, Absalom, when Absalom tried to overthrow David, kill him and take the throne for himself.

The background for this psalm is back in 2 Samuel, and I want to take a little bit of time to set the background because I think it gives us a greater appreciation what David records here. Come back to 2 Samuel 11. It's not the immediate context of this psalm in its background, but it sets the stage for it. 2 Samuel 11 records that very unpleasant time in David's life when he sinned greatly against the Lord. It's not the only time when David sinned, but here it stands out as probably the most glaring sin of David and it's a double sin. It's when David entered into an adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. Bathsheba was married to one of David's soldiers, Uriah. Uriah is off with the army in battle, David sees this beautiful woman and has a relationship with her that results in the conception of a child. When David realizes that Bathsheba is pregnant, he sends for Uriah to be sent back from the battlefield. And David's intention is that while Uriah is back he will spend time with his wife and they naturally will express their love sexually and so it will never be known that David was the real father of the child. It would be assumed that it was Uriah's child.

The problem is, Uriah said it is not fitting for a soldier to be having pleasure with his wife when the army is engaged in battle elsewhere, so he did not go to see his wife. So David sends orders to the commander of the Israel army to put Uriah with the army at the most intense part of the battle and then the rest of the army is to pull back and naturally Uriah will be killed by the enemy. And it works perfectly. And David is rather calloused about it. He doesn't want the commander of the army to be concerned because Uriah got killed. He tells him, the battle takes one man and takes another man. That's just the way battles are. Don't be concerned about it. Seems like well, got through that. The problem is the One who really knows and matters is God Himself.

So in 2 Samuel 12 God send Nathan the prophet to talk to David and give him a message from God. And what David has done was to despise the Lord and sin against Him. And that was the God who had set David up as king, who had given him so many things. Verse 7, “it is I who anointed you king over Israel, it is I who delivered you from the and of Saul. I gave you your master's house, your master's wives, the house of Israel and Judah. And if you had wanted more, I would have given you more.” The strange and awful thing about sin, we always want what God says no. No matter what we have somehow there is an attraction to sin and what God says we can't have. Here is David the king, he can have any unmarried woman he wants. God had given him the kingdom, it didn't belong to him, it belonged to Saul the king. He removed it from Saul's house to David's house. And with that you get everything, including the women. But David wants Bathsheba, the one he can't have. God is so gracious, “I have given so much, I would give you more.” But it is never enough because sin has that kind of attraction, even here to a man of God.

Verse 9, “why have you despised the Word of the Lord doing this evil in His sight?” When you despise the Word of the Lord, you despise the Lord who gave the Word. And so it says in verse 10, “now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house because you have despised Me,” God says. And there are three consequences to David's sin, become important for the setting that we are talking about in Psalm 3. #1 is what we have just read—the sword will never depart from your house. When it says “never depart from your house,” that means your family. The sword will never depart from your family. He is going to have this battle and trouble from within. Secondly, verse 11, “I will raise up evil against you from your own household.” And you get closer here, your own immediate family. That's where Absalom comes in, David's own son. And the third consequence is down in verse 14, “the child that Bathsheba is bearing that you have fathered will die.” That becomes the immediate consequence, the child dies.

Then you have the rest of the trouble unfolding as we move along. Trouble happens in 2 Samuel 13, trouble in David's household. One of David's sons, you realize being king he has multiple wives so he has several children and relationships to each other are half-brothers and half-sisters. David is the father but they have different mothers. And his son Absalom has a sister, Tamar, who is very beautiful. One of David's other sons, Amnon, by a different wife so the half-brother of Absalom and the half-sister to Amnon would be Tamar. Amnon has a lustful desire for Tamar so he sets up a setting where he can rape her. Then he hates her and drives her away from his house. When Tamar's brother, Absalom, finds out about it, he tells his sister, just live at my house and don't make an issue of it. David finds out and does nothing. He is unhappy about it but what is he going to do? Execute him? He is his son so David does nothing. Absalom schemes and plans and there comes a time when he is able to arrange to have his half-brother who committed this sin against his sister murdered. Then he flees into exile.

After some time in exile he returns. We won't go into the details. I hope you take time reading the Old Testament, very interesting and fascinating, not always pretty, but the accounts of the scheming that goes on and yet the sovereignty of God rules and overrules in every situation. When Absalom comes back and his relationship with David is somewhat restored, Absalom has his eyes set on being king. So he begins to do things; he is quite a handsome man so in 2 Samuel 14:25, “in all Israel there was no one as handsome as Absalom, so highly praised.” He was a man of great physical attractiveness and he had the personality to go with it. People are drawn to him. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no defect in him. And he had a great head of hair to go with it.

What happens in 2 Samuel 15? Absalom begins to lay a conspiracy. He is the king's son so he is revered and respected. He meets in the gate where people come to transact business, and Absalom is there. He is someone they can talk to, and he'll say, if I were in the position of authority I would resolve this in a way that would be fair to you, I would see that this is taken care of, I would . . . And pretty soon you know what people are thinking, if Absalom were king it would be much better.

And so after time and he thinks he has a big enough following throughout the nation, because everyone came to Jerusalem at one time or another, the all the men would be there. He sends his men throughout the nation to declare Absalom is king in Hebron. Absalom traveled to Hebron and his friends got word out that he has been established as king. Now David is a warrior king but he is not prepared for an attack from within his own family from a son that he has loved and forgiven a great crime. So David is unprepared to deal with the conspiracy that Absalom has laid good groundwork for.

So that's the account of what is going on and the conspiracy grows. In 2 Samuel 15:12 we're told that “Absalom sent for Ahithophel, David's counselor.” Here is a man who was closest in, in giving advice and counsel to David. He changes sides and goes with Absalom. You can see how that would have an effect in the kingdom, as word spread. Even Ahithophel the man so trusted by David and respected by David and honored by David, he turns to Absalom. So this must be the best thing and the right thing. The conspiracy was strong, the people continually increased with Absalom. So this conspiracy now has rolling momentum. And verse 13, “the messenger came to David saying, the hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom.”

So David makes plans with those around him, we have to get out of Jerusalem because you know where they are going to come to take over the kingdom and David is not prepared for defense of Jerusalem. He didn't prepare his armies to gather in Jerusalem to battle against his own son. He is caught unprepared here. So he takes his household, those who are aligned with David, and they flee the city. David makes arrangements with some men of position to stay in Jerusalem to act on his behalf. So the conspiracies multiply here. So there are going to be those there in the city and when Absalom comes he says, why didn't you go with David? You have always served him. No, we're going to serve you, now, like we served your father. Well Absalom thinks this can only be good because the whole country is going to see even David's closest advisors and supporters have abandoned him. So these men, though, that are there to represent David's interest become a big help.

Absalom comes into Jerusalem and there are some ugly scenes. Ten of David's concubine wives have been left there to take care of the palace and the household and Absalom has sexual relations with them in a visible way to show that he is done with his father. There can be no reconciliations. And you don't have to be afraid, if we side with Absalom, then he makes up with his father, we're left out in the cold. So all this planning and scheming.

The end result, the counsel going back and forth, Absalom takes bad counsel. The end result, when the battle is engaged with the armies that David has assembled and the armies of Absalom, Absalom loses and will be killed. But you read in 2 Samuel 15:13, “a messenger came to David, the hearts of the men of Israel are with Absalom. David said to his servants who were with him in Jerusalem, arise, let us flee, otherwise none of us will escape from Absalom. Go in haste or he will overtake us quickly, bring down calamity on us, strike the city with the edge of the sword.” And now they are on the move.

So that's the background that is going to come when we come to Psalm 3. David writes this psalm in light of those events, when he has fled from Jerusalem, now to a certain extent he has a rag-tag group of people on the run without enough food, because they had to leave quickly, and provisions, and army divided. And he needs time for those who are faithful to him to come in from other places, because you remember in those days the standing army didn't include everyone all the time. And so when they were going to join the battle, then these men who had been prepared would come in from their communities throughout the nation. Well some of these now have to come in to David. Absalom had made preparation, he got his men in early. So David needs time. He has fled from Absalom but the final battle has not been engaged. So he writes this psalm in light of what was going on, the most discouraging and trying time of events. I wanted a connection, so I want you to understand what he writes here is a result of his own sin. In one sense we say he brought it upon himself, part of the punishment he will endure—“I will raise up evil against you from your own family.” We saw that when Nathan the prophet brought the Word of the Lord. And yet in this context Absalom is not mentioned, David's sin is not mentioned. But the provision of God and the care of God for David is. I think this psalm comes and is an encouragement. David is going to endure the discipline of God, but he is never disowned by God. The enemies of David did not understand that, David did not forget that. God disciplines His children, He does not disown His children. This is the context of what is written here.

We start out in verse 1, “oh, Lord, how my adversaries have increased. Many are rising up against me.” We saw in just the brief portions we looked at, the numbers following Absalom are increasing. It seemed like the whole nation is ready to follow Absalom. So his adversaries have increased and many are rising up against him. It's a growing opposition. The rejection of David and his kingship has gotten strong. And the worst thing is, it's being led by his own son.

“Many are saying of my soul, there is no deliverance for him in God. Selah.” Now you are aware, we get the word psalms from the Greek translation of the Hebrew here, the psalmis, so we just transliterate it over into English, it's the psalm, which is a musical presentation of poetry and so on that this was set to. Selah, we're not real sure, seems to indicate some kind of interlude or pause for emphasis, focus. So many are saying of my soul, there is no deliverance from him. As the opponents and the opposition grow, their testimony is God will not intervene on his behalf, there is no deliverance for him in God. You understand the impact this could have on David. Spurgeon wrote many years ago, “it is the most bitter of all afflictions, to be led to fear that there is no help for us in God.” If you've been a believer very long you probably have experienced such a thing, particularly if you sinned and we look back and we go through the despair of that sin and think, I don't think God will intervene and help me now. And that sense of abandonment. May not be a true abandonment, but for us it becomes real and dominating. And you might think here when these people are declaring there is no deliverance for him in God, David would be parked in a puddle saying, how could God forgive what I have done? I deserve this. What was I thinking? I could have had any beautiful woman in the kingdom and I picked another man's wife. How could I have him murdered? God is probably done with me, they are probably right. But you don't find that attitude in David, this is what his enemies are saying, those who don't know and understand how God operates. He disciplines His children, He never disowns His children. It will be a denial of God and His truth if David would agree with the enemies that God must be done with me. I mean, how bad can it get? David loves Absalom so much, even when Absalom is killed as a result of the battle David is overwhelmed with grief. Now it's his son leading, so they are probably right.

But that's not where David is. So you end here at the first two verses with this pause, it will be three times and that's a unique thing in this psalm. Selah, selah, selah in the right hand margin you see it. But we are not done. We pick up with David's perspective. What a difference. His enemies say of David there is no deliverance for him in God, God is done with him. David says, “but you, oh Lord, are a shield about me, my glory, the One who lifts my head. You are my God, you are a shield about me.” That word shield used numerous times in the psalms. Obviously, in those days of battle a shield was used for protection, so it could be used in this symbolic way of God is my protection all around me. “You are a shield about me, my glory, the One who lifts my head. My only hope is in the Lord, you are a shield to me. They say there is no deliverance for him by God; David says, God, you are my only deliverance. You are the shield about me, my glory, the One who lifts my head.”

But what about your sin, David? My sin is the past. David can't undo what he has done. You know we sometimes think we honor God by parking there and doing a Protestant form of penance. At least the Roman Catholics are up front, they are doing penance to try to earn something from God—forgiveness. Protestants and even evangelical groups, we do it by thinking if we make ourselves feel worse, if we are going on. I remember many years ago a couple came to see me and they had been in despair as believers for a number of years because of serious sin that had happened in their relationship. And they just, every day this is the focus and I know God can't forgive me. What a tragedy. We finally worked with Scripture. Parents of this couple came to see me, they were believers and said, how wonderful it was that they realized God had not rejected and disowned them. They are totally different people. They had moved away.

We sometimes get to think . . . All we have to do is like David did, I have sinned against the Lord. David didn't take it lightly, he wrote two psalms reflecting on that—Psalm 32 and Psalm 51 regarding his sin with Bathsheba and the grief that it brought him. But life goes on. I don't honor the Lord by parking there and constantly going back, all I can do is turn from that sin and go on. And that's what David did.

So here he is talking about what was a direct result of his sin and the discipline of God for his sin, but he is not shaken in the fact that God is his God. I belong to Him, He is my glory. He's the One who lifts up my head. One thing that has not changed, David still belongs to the living God. His glory is in this God. What a contrast, there is no deliverance for him in God, but you, oh Lord, are the shield for me. The enemy is saying, God is done with him but David doesn't think that. David is not parked back there. He is aware of that sin, he is aware of the consequences, but he is aware God doesn't disown me.

“I was crying to the Lord with my voice and He answered me from His holy mountain.” I love the balance God brings and we need to keep in our life. God doesn't disown us because of sin, He remains our God, the One who fulfills all His promises to us. But David cries out to the Lord for His deliverance, for His intervention on his behalf. It's not that phrase that we often refer to, let go and let God. I don't just park and wait to see what the Lord does. David is on his knees before the Lord, crying to the Lord to intervene on his behalf. Note, he doesn't say crying to the Lord to forgive me for that sin that I had done back there years ago. No. I mean, God has forgiven him. There are consequences, this is part of it and David is willing to live with that. He still believes God will do what He promises—He will protect me, He will keep me, He will honor me in light of His promises.

“I was crying to the Lord with my voice and He answered me.” How great that is. The enemies, there is no deliverance for him in God, God is done with him; David, “He is my God and protector, the One who will keep all His promises to me, and I was crying to Him to intervene on my behalf.” Sometimes we talk about divine sovereignty and human responsibility, here is a reflection of it. Full confidence in God and crying out to the Lord to do what He promised. And we know what a prayer life David had because he wrote so many of the psalms that reflect the heart he had for God. From His holy mountain, and we talk about Mt. Zion where the temple was, where God met with His people. And he is confident God will respond to his prayer, will answer. Selah, we have a pause again here, reflect on this—the wonder and reality of it.

And here we are, David has enough peace, what are we going to do now? Well, nothing helps like a good night's rest. We live in times when we go through difficulty and we say, I think I'll go to bed and get a good night's sleep and face it in the morning. Sometimes we think, I better stay up and worry about it all night. Well, you worry about it all night, all that happens is in the morning you are exhausted and tired. David, “I lay down and slept.” What do you mean you lay down and slept? Now he is reflecting on this and he's talking about what he did—I lay down and went to sleep. What kind of action is that? Absalom, gathering the army, nothing I can do about that tonight and I've turned it over to the Lord. Maybe I ought to spend the night going over that sin I did with Bathsheba and against Uriah and mourn over that all night. Maybe that will be better. That reflects an unwillingness to believe what God said. David believes God has forgiven him, David also believes there are consequences that may be ongoing. Doesn't mean God doesn't love him, God is not taking care of him, God is not fulfilling His promises.

“I lay down and slept, I awoke for the Lord sustains me.” In other words He does what He promises. “He is my shield, He's the One who keeps me. I cried to Him and I trusted He would..” Remember what Jesus said, and He reflects what David is reflecting here—“don't worry about tomorrow, each day has enough trouble of its own.” Doesn't mean we don't make plans, and David is gathering an army. But I'm not going to worry about tomorrow. If God can't take care of tomorrow, He can't take care of today. And now I am denying His very character. I lay down and slept. I awoke, and that's why this is given that title at the top, a morning psalm. That's not part of the ancient title, a psalm of David when he fled from Absalom, but a title that someone picked up later from this I awoke. This tells what David was like at the dawn of a new day. “The Lord sustains me.”

Verse 6, “I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves against me round about.” Does it matter the numbers? The whole nation it seems like is going with Absalom but David says, God is on my side. So if we have ten thousands of people over here and God with David over here, who wins? I will not be afraid of ten thousands of people who have set themselves round about me. I don't go to bed that night fearful and afraid, I don't go to bed that night thinking God really abandoned me. That sin I did with Bathsheba and Uriah really was so bad that God wrote me off. No, He's my God, He's my shield and defender. I stumbled, I sinned against Him. That was grievous, it broke my heart, but He is still my God.

Somewhat like, perhaps a child does something that grieves their parents greatly, he feels badly about it and wishes he hadn't done it. What you really want them to do is recognize that? You want to stop it, then go on. He doesn't have to be worried whether you really love him anymore, whether you really take care of him anymore, whether he is really going to be your son anymore. Of course. Sometimes even we as believers lose sight of the beauty of our relationship with God and the settledness of that relationship. And sin always has a tendency to unsettle us, to confuse us, that's why we want to stop it and get out of it quickly. Better yet, don't do it. But none of us live perfectly since the day we were converted. We don't want to think lightly of sin, but sin can't break my relationship with God. I will be His child. That doesn't make me want to sin, it makes me not want to sin. So here is David, “I won't be afraid of ten thousands who set themselves round about against me.”

Then you have “arise, oh Lord, save me, oh my God, for you have smitten all my enemies on the cheek, you have shattered the teeth of the wicked. Arise, save me.” In Numbers 10:33-36 when Israel is traveling, before they come into the land, the cloud which would go before them during the day, that would move and Israel would begin to move. And the cry would go out from Moses, “rise up, oh Lord. Let your enemies be scattered, let those who hate you flee before you.” David would be aware that he had the Law of Moses. “Arise, oh Lord, save me, oh my God. God, you rise up, you go before me, you are the One who will defeat my enemies. Smitten them on the cheek, shattered the teeth of the wicked.” This pictures what God has done, what He is doing, what He will do. The picture smiting the cheek, shattering the teeth, to render them powerless, like we would talk about a toothless lion. I mean, he has been rendered powerless, ineffective.

So the cry goes out but David is confident. I may be surrounded by ten thousands but you arise, you go before me, Lord. Full confidence in the Lord. I mean, we render ourselves ineffective for the Lord when we get stuck in the past sins, we're denying what the Lord said. We keep asking Him for forgiveness, for forgiveness, for forgiveness. I forgave you, let's move on. Then why do I have this trouble? Nobody says there are not discipline and consequences for sin. We move on. I want to serve the Lord. David here, would he honor the Lord? Is this psalm, he's parked reflecting I can't go on, I can't deal with it, I'm overwhelmed. My sin was so . . . Thousands of people will die because I sinned, my family is shattered because I sinned. I just can't face it. Get over it, believe what God said. I can't change the yesterdays of my life, I have to serve Him today. And here in the midst, even though this is part of the discipline of the Lord, the Lord records it here and we are benefiting from it 3,000 years after David. How gracious God is.

Verse 8, “salvation belongs to the Lord, your blessing be upon your people. Selah.” Salvation, the word here, salvation, deliverance, same word but he is not talking about primarily spiritual salvation but the physical intervention which would be a reflection of God's spiritual relationship with David. But you have verse 8, “salvation belongs to the Lord;” up in verse 2, “there is no deliverance,” there is no salvation for him in God. God won't act on his behalf, God is done with him. Verse 8, God is not done with me, deliverance belongs to the Lord. Your blessing be on your people. We are your people, I belong to you, your promises are still true. I mean, what kind of assurance would we have as God's children if all His promises to us were dependent on us living perfect lives after we are saved. We are not making light of sin, but we all stumble in many ways. I want to have a true perspective on God's salvation and His greatness.

We've been talking about discipline, just come back to Hebrews where we have been in recent studies, chapter 12. These Hebrew Christians were going through trials and pressures and persecutions and obstacles. Not saying that every trial and persecution and obstacle is a result of specific sin in our life, some is just part of the molding process. Depends on what is necessary. In Hebrews 12 we have the example of faithful people from the Old Testament. And he is saying, “let us run,” the end of verse 12, “with endurance the race that is set before us, set aside the sin which so easily entangles us.” Which was what in the context? A failure to continue to trust God, believe what He has said. What God says holds true not because I am faithful, but because He is faithful. He can't deny Himself. If it depended on my faithfulness, if it depended on your faithfulness, none of us would make it. It depends on His faithfulness. And part of His faithfulness is the discipline that comes. Even Christ during His earthly ministry endured the pain and suffering so He could bring a perfect salvation to us.

So he says in Hebrews 12:4, “you haven't resisted to the point of shedding blood in your striving against sin.” Sin is not easy to deal with in that sense, the battle goes on. You have forgotten the exhortation which is addressed to you as sons, “my son, do not regard lightly the discipline of the Lord nor faint when you are reproved by Him. Those whom the Lord loves, He disciplines. He scourges every son He receives.” It's a painful thing David is going through, but He deals with it as a son. You are my God, you are the One who will deliver me, you are the One who will be faithful to your promises to me, you are the One that I can trust in. I belong to you. That's where I am, that's where we go. “If you are without discipline,” verse 8, “you're not a real child of God.” Verse 11, “all discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful but sorrowful. But to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.” David is growing. Doesn't mean his sin was a good thing, but my sin does not frustrate the plan of God. And David continues to grow. He is being used of God to write Scripture. I mean, that's amazing. This is a man who as a child of God committed adultery and murder and he is going to be used to write Scripture. Not my choice.

We want to be careful, don't make light of sin, but don't make light of the forgiveness and grace of God either. I frustrate for myself what God has for me when I park in the past, even as a believer. And we all go through it. We say, I don't know what I was thinking, I don't know why I would do such a thing. God has been so good and I want to face the reality of my sin. But I have to say Lord, all I can claim is your forgiveness. I can't undo what I have done. You are the God who is so great in grace that you can forgive me for what I have done, and my relationship with you is still firm and sure.

One other passage and we are done, Romans 8:33. “Who will bring a charge against God's elect? God is the One who justifies, declares righteous. Who is the one who condemns? Christ Jesus is He who died, rather who was raised who is at the right hand of God who intercedes for us. Who will separate us from the love of Christ? Tribulation, distress, persecution, famine, nakedness, peril, sword?” All these things may come into the life of a child of God, they do not separate us from our God. David is just as sure and secure in his relationship with God (now be careful but understand this) as he was before his sin. The sin means added discipline, just like in my family. If my children sin, they are just as much my child after they sinned as they were before they sinned. Now there may be discipline as a consequence of that sin, but the relationship stands just as secure, just as settled.

“Just as it is written, for your sake we are being put to death all day long, considered as sheep to be slaughtered. But in all these things we overwhelmingly conquer through him who loved us. I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, principalities, things present, things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.” We are blessed to have a fuller revelation from God than even David had, but the message is basically the same. We belong to God for time and eternity. How sad we grieve Him with sin, how sad we sin against His grace. How glad I am it doesn't end the relationship, it doesn't cut me off from the promises, it doesn't mean He is not my Father or I've been moved to second third gear back here. I belong to Him, He's mine. That's the amazing thing of forgiveness provided by God and the salvation in Christ. That's why he had to tell the Hebrews, you understand about discipline. It's a necessary part of growing. My sin is always my sin, but God's grace is always His grace.

An encouragement to us as believers, the blessing of God we enjoy, the richness of our relationship. And if you don't know Christ, what are you missing? You are accountable for your sin, you are under condemnation for your sin. Make no mistake here. We are not talking about a God who is soft and easy and doesn't think much of it. Sin is horrible, sin is so terrible it necessitated the Son of God to pay for it. But you can be forgiven, you can be cleansed, you can know what it means to have God as your Father. Today, tomorrow and whatever happens, whatever I may do, and the desire is not to displease Him, but my relationship with Him is settled. And all His promises to me are secure. And that's our security in Christ.

Let's pray together. Thank You, Lord, for the richness of Your Word, the greatness of Your salvation. We are blessed that You used David, Lord, whose failures are so clearly presented in the Word, and yet, Lord, he is a man that is remarkably used by You. Not because he was without sin, but because You are God of great grace. And he placed his full trust and confidence in You. And even when he stumbled, he recognized his failures, his sin for what it was, but Lord, he never allowed himself to be turned away from knowing You belong to him, he belongs to You. And Lord, you have recorded it for our encouragement. We give You blessings, honor, glory, praise for the greatness of our salvation. We praise You in Christ's name, amen.