Day 15: Psalm 51
of The Heart of God: Through David’s Eyes
Below is Day Fifteen of the study, but there is an introduction to check out which gives context and sets the tone, and previous weeks to look at below. If you would like the full content all in one place, this book is now available for purchase on Amazon. Week 1 - He Longs for Us to Know Who We Are
Week 2 - He Longs for Us to Respond
Week 3 - He Longs for Us to Know Him
Day 15: Psalm 51
“When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.” In our time together this week, we are going to stay in Psalm 51 and look at the way David interacts with God in one of the lowest (if not the lowest) moments of his life. Before we jump into the Psalm, it may be helpful to set the scene for exactly when this Psalm was written.
Many Psalms that David wrote were general, but a handful of them have a direct label explaining at which point in his life he wrote the lyrics or poem. Psalm 51 comes with a very clear label: “For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.” While there isn’t much wiggle room here for interpretation, we can slide back into the mindset we were in when we looked at 2 Samuel 12 early last week.
When instructed by God, Nathan came to David and told him a story about a spoiled, wealthy man who stole a sheep from a poor man. This man was deeply bonded to his sheep, and the rich man used the stolen lamb to feed a traveler instead of using his own sheep. David, appalled at the actions of the man in the story, said that man should face grave consequences: pay back the man four times what he took, and he should be put to death.
Nathan revealed that David, himself, was the spoiled wealthy man. Not only did he steal a prized, beloved companion of the poor man, he stole his wife. Then, he covered up his sin by having a man killed. David swiftly agreed that he sinned against the Lord.
In response, David was told his son, who was a product of his affair with Bathsheba, would die; he mourned for about a week until his son died. This may be the precise time that he wrote these words. It’s hard to know exactly when it was written, but we do know that this is talking about the sin that he had committed against God.
As we walk through this passage this week, we will look at a few verses that show us a part of God’s character that David sees. He knows God well and describes Him in such detail, it reveals pieces of God’s heart and thoughtfulness that we may otherwise ignore.
Without looking at Psalm 51 (or trying to recall it if you have read it before) what would you expect in a prayer of David who just realized he had completely lost sight of himself?
Consider God’s perspective: Nathan had to be sent to bring David into awareness of his apathy towards God. How may God have felt when someone he had chosen and been so connected to was acting as if they had no relationship?
Consider a time that you were made aware of a way you had violated your relationship with God. How did you feel when you realized you had completely messed up?
What did the process of healing and restoring your relationship with God look like?
An excerpt of The Heart of God: Through David’s Eyes by Jill Ng