10 Reasons David’s Called “A Man After God’s Own Heart”

(Part 7 David A Man Who Owned His Own Sin)

“And when He had removed him, He raised up for them David as king, to whom also He gave testimony and said, ‘I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after My own heart, who will do all My will” (Acts 13:22)

So far, we have noted attributes of David that present him in a good light. Trusting, reverent, respectful, loves God and is humble, but we all know that David was not perfect. Yes, David was a great man in many respects, and it is true that he was a man after God’s own heart, but unlike Jesus who lived, “without sin” (Heb. 4:15), David did sin. But, in regard to sin, what is commendable about David “He owned his own sin”. Hopefully, we will see a pattern in examples from 2 Samuel chapters 11, 12 and 24 that we all might benefit from. David’s sins—His sin is revealed to him—He owns it and repents.

David Sins: In the first 4 verses of 2 Samuel 11 we read from the roof of the king’s house David, “…saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold” (v.2), “…and she came to him, and he lay with her…5 And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child” (vs.4-5). In the remainder of the chapter David tries to cover up his sins and devises multiple schemes which ultimately ended in the death of Bathsheba’s husband Uriah (v.17), and David taking Bathsheba as his wife (v.27).

David’s Sins Revealed: Now in chapter 12 Nathan, sent by the Lord to David, tells a parable of two men, a rich man who, “…had exceedingly many flocks and herds” and a poor man who, “…had nothing, except one little ewe lamb…and it was like a daughter to him” (vs.2-3). The rich man desiring to feed a traveler, “…took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him” (v.4). After Nathan finished his words, we read, “David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, as the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die!” (v.5), and Nathan’s response, “You are the man!”, followed by a list from the Lord God of Israel of the many things He did for David concluding with a question for David, “Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight?” (v.9). Then a declaration of consequence: “Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun’” (v.11-12). All this did happen: (2 Sam. 12:15-23, 13 through 24)

David Owns His Sin: “So David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord” (v.13). When I say David “owns his sin”, I am saying that he doesn’t make excuses when it is revealed. So many try to redirect the dialog of their own sin to the sins of another person as an attempt to excuse themselves by comparison. So many say, “It’s not that bad, or everybody doing it”. How many times have you heard, “Yes I sin but I’m forgiven”? Paul wrote, “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom. 3:23). How many take Paul’s words out of context and use them as a justification for their sins saying, “We all sin”? Not so of David. Because of what Nathan said, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die”, I see not only did David “own his own sin”, but he also repented of it.

If we follow this simple pattern, realize our sin, we accept it, “own it”, blame “me, myself and I”, then repent of it knowing sin often comes with a price that must be paid. In David’s case, “…the child also who is born to you shall surely die” (v.14b). Remember, this happened because David’s sin allowed the “enemies of the Lord to blaspheme” (v.14a). When our “light” is darkness, when we walk according to the course of this world—the world will “blaspheme” the One we represent. What makes us men and women after God’s own heart? When we repent, we move the pointer away from our Holy Father and to ourselves in godly sorrow (2 Cor. 7:10). Isaiah wrote, “The Gentiles shall see your righteousness…You shall be called by a new name…” (Isa. 62:2), and that new name—“Christian” (Acts 11:26). Let us rise up to the new name; identifying sin, owning our own sin, and repenting letting the world see our righteousness, and glorify our Father.

The next example is from 2 Samuel 24. David sins by ordering the Census of Israel and Judah. In the first verse we read, “Again the anger of the Lord was aroused against Israel, and He moved David against them to say, Go, number Israel and Judah” (v.1). It is especially important to note that the “He”, does not refer to the Lord but to Satan. This is made clear in 1 Chronicles 21:1. “Now Satan stood up against Israel, and moved David to number Israel” (v.1). Whenever we sin, know that the devil is behind it and we are serving him instead of God. Jesus said of those who cannot hear His word, let alone obey it, “You are of your father the devil, and the desires of your father you want to do” (John 8:44). To believe that God moved David to sin is quite contrary to the nature and attributes of God. James wrote, “Let no one say when he is tempted, I am tempted by God; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone” (James 1:13). With this in mind let us learn from David again.

David Sins: First, we see the command is given by David to Joab, commander of the army, “Now go throughout all the tribes of Israel…and count the people…” (2 Sam. 24:2). Joab and the captains of the army went out from the presence of the king to count the people of Israel (vs.3-4).

David’s Sins Revealed: In 1 Chronicles 21:7 “God was displeased with this thing; therefore He struck Israel” and when David saw this he knew he sinned. David had a sudden taste of reality, the realization that his pride motivated him to number the people—and not his trust in God. But David did come to the right conclusion for we read, “And David’s heart condemned him after he had numbered the people…” (V.10a). O’ that we all could have a heart that is self-condemning, that we would through the Spirit of truth have an inborn grasp of truth and error, or right and wrong, or what is from God and what is from our own devises, “For if we would judge ourselves, we would not be judged” (1 Cor. 11:31). David did just that.

David Owns His Sin: After the realization of his sin note David didn’t have a light-hearted view of his sin, for he confessed, “I have sinned greatly in what I have done; but now, I pray, O Lord, take away the iniquity of Your servant, for I have done very foolishly” (v.10b). What makes David a man after His own heart is the same thing that makes you, me or any person such. Admission of our guilt, and a desire to remove it from our being. “I” is the all-important nominative pronoun that points only to one—me. Too often we fear those words, “I have sinned”, because of the consequence that may come after. But David looked beyond the consequence to the reward. So, we too must do for this is the way that leads to everlasting life (Matt. 7:13-14). The very next day the LORD through the prophet Gad gave David three choices for a punishment. At verse 14, “…David said to Gad, I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the Lord, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.” Thus, the Lord sent a plague upon Israel and seventy thousand died (v.15). When David saw the result of his own sin, pleaded to the Lord saying, “Surely I have sinned, and I have done wickedly; but these sheep, what have they done? Let Your hand, I pray, be against me and against my father’s house” (v.17). Once again, we see David owns his own sin, and in this case seeing others paying the price, pleaded with God to punish him and his house and not the innocent.

From David I pray we understand the importance of owning our own sins. May we understand that our sin touches others, no man is an island unto himself, and the eternal consequence of unrepented sin is, “everlasting punishment” (Matt. 25:46). May all sin cause your heart to hurt and may the hope of Heaven motivate you to stop the sin and obey the Gospel of Christ (Mk. 16:16).

Love

Dave Scarpino