Comeback: Coverup to Confession

"I can't believe he did that!"  Have you ever said that about someone?  Even the best of us can do things that are inexplicably bad.  That's because even the best of us are broken!

One of the best examples in the scriptures of inexplicable behavior is David's adulterous affair with Bathsheba and the murder he committed to cover it up.  We read about it in 2 Samuel 11:1ff.

David committed adultery with Bathsheba and she became pregnant.  The difficult thing for him was Bathsheba's husband Uriah was far away on the battlefield.  Everyone would know she was guilty of adultery and the trail would lead to David.  The king went into a coverup mode, ordering Uriah to come back home.  David made repeated attempts to get Uriah to go home to sleep with his wife, but without success.  

Finally, in exasperation, David sent Uriah back to the battlefield with a sealed message for the commander.  The message told the commander to put Uriah in the heaviest part of the fighting and withdraw from him, so he would be killed.  

The commander did as David ordered.  Uriah was killed.  After a time of mourning, Bathsheba came to the palace, and David made him one of his wives.  Later, the child was born.

David thought he had covered all his bases.  But God saw it all.  2 Samuel 12:1ff says the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to confront the king.  Using a clever story, Nathan had the king condemn himself.  The prophet also told David about the judgment to come on his family.

Despite all the bad character he had shown to his point, David suddenly showed good character.  When confronted, he didn't make excuses or blame others for what he had done.  Instead, he said, "I have sinned against the Lord."(2 Samuel 12:13)

All of us sin and fall short of what we ought to be.  We can never change and become what we ought to be until we take responsibility for ourselves and confess our sins when we fail.  As long as we live in denial or make excuses or blame others for what we do, we can never find forgiveness and change.

Let the air into your soul by confessing your sins and receiving God's forgiveness!  (1 John 1:8-9)






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