May 5, 2014
Psalm 32:10, 11
(All scripture is from the New King James Version unless otherwise indicated.)
Today and on Wednesday we will finish looking at Psalm 32 – David’s reflective thoughts as he looked back on that terrible time in his life following adultery with Bathsheba, and his ordering the murder of her husband to cover his tracks. The king finished this psalm with these two verses, 10 and 11:
Many sorrows shall be to the wicked; but he who trusts in the LORD, mercy
shall surround him. Be glad in the LORD and rejoice, you righteous; and
shout for joy, all you upright in heart.
David speaks from experience – hard personal experience! “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked….” He certainly had sorrows following the grievous sins he committed. And adultery and murder were not the only ones on David’s record concerning this sad time! Trying to cover things up instead of readily confessing and repenting of sin is more sin yet! Here is John’s take on the matter from I John 1:8 through 10:
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in
us. If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and
to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned,
we make Him a liar, and His word is not in us.
Then David also got Uriah drunk (II Samuel 11:13), hoping he would forget his loyalty to the task of fighting the Ammonites and his identity with his fellow soldiers still on the battlefield while he was on leave in Jerusalem. The king wanted Uriah to go home and make love to his wife Bathsheba. Then her pregnancy would be thought to result from her husband’s actions, not the king’s! God put it in writing in Habakkuk’s day, but the principle was in effect long before – Habakkuk 2:15: “Woe to him who gives drink to his neighbor, pressing him to your bottle, even to make him drunk….”
Then there is the matter of David being king of Israel. In that position he is held to a higher standard – an example to the people. It is much like the principle stated in James 3:1 (NIV): “Not many of you should presume to be teachers, my brothers, because you know that we who teach will be judged more strictly.” And it was sin also for David to marry Bathsheb – and not just because he was taking advantage of the adulterous and murderous situation! The king already had many wives (see I Samuel 26:42 through 44; II Samuel 5:13). And God specifically told the Israelites in Deuteronomy 17:17 concerning the king He knew they would request in the future, “Neither shall he multiply wives for himself, lest his heart turn away….” All in all, David had greatly sinned against his God! And he didn’t face up to, confess and repent of those sins until almost a year later when the prophet Nathan confronted him!
What were the sorrows the king experienced? God told David through Nathan in II Samuel 12:10 through 12 and 14:
…the sword shall never depart from your house; because you have despised
Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife….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 the sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this
thing before all Israel, before the sun….because by this deed you have given
great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who
is born to you shall surely die.
It only started with the death of his infant son. Indeed, two of David’s sons – Absolom and Adonijah – tried to oust their father and take over the kingdom. Another son – Amnon – raped his half sister and was murdered for it by this brother Absolom, who was himself killed in battle following his rebellion. Another man – Sheba – revolted against David’s rule. Joab – the king’s army commander – was a wicked man who murdered others to keep his position, causing David trouble. On and on it went – “Many sorrows shall be to the wicked….”
Think about this before you commit what you know is wrong before God! Paul wrote in Galatians 6:7 through 9:
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he
will also reap. For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corrup-
tion, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life.
And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall
reap, if we do not lose heart.
It has been said, “Some people sow their wild oats, and then pray for a crop failure!” But God does not usually negate the law of sowing and reaping! David reaped what he sowed! And we shall too – bad or good!
We will continue this discussion of Psalm 32:10 and 11 in our next blog.