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David's reply is one for which we must all be glad, for what added tragedy might not
have accrued had David not repented:
"And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord."
In response to this confession came the words of forgiveness:
"The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die."
David, however, held too high a position in Israel for his sin to have no consequences.
His sin was put away, he was assured that he would not die as a penalty, yet Nathan
added:
"Howbeit, because of this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the
Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die" (II Sam. 12: 13,
14).
Such is the background of Psa. 51: David, the man after God's own heart, the
Shepherd of Israel, the sweet singer of Israel, the glowing type of the Saviour, the one
who gives his name as a title of the Christ `The Son of David', this royal man, this great
king, this intrepid warrior, is revealed as guilty of the sins of adultery and murder! The
bearing of these great facts upon the doctrine and practice of all ages is contained in
Psa. 51: and we trust that meditation upon so profound a theme will minister true spiritual
grace to not a few.