Getting ready for our study in Davids life I spent the morning studying 2 Samuel chapter 11. As I read these verses over and over again I could not help but think of this verse. in Proverbs
Proverbs 28:13 “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper, but he who confesses and forsakes them will obtain mercy.”
In 2 Samuel 11 we are told about David’s adulterous relationship with Bathsheba. Not only are we told about his sin but we are given some insight into his attempted coverup of this sin. David made several attempts to keep his sin covered. He resorted to lying and murder and for a while it seemed like it worked. However there is a little phrase at the end of chapter 11 vs 27 “but the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.”
Try as we will we can never hide our sin from God’s eyes. God is a gracious God, a loving God and a caring God. He is our Father and tells us to come boldly to the throne of grace to find help in our time of need. He promises to answer our prayers, he tells us to ask, knock, seek and we shall find. However there is one thing God will never help us do. God will never help us hide or conceal our sin. It is ironic that the sin David tried the hardest to cover up is the sin for which he is most well know. Scripture says be sure your sin will find you out. Numbers 32:23 That is not a threat it is a promise. God loves us to much to allow us to live with hidden sin. He knows the consequences. Psalm 32 is David’s testimony of what it is like to live with unconfessed sin in your life.
“For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.” Psalm 32:3-4
God is a merciful and gracious God and he loves us to much to allow us to live with the torment of unconfessed sin. If we do not confess it and choose to cover it up God promises that our sins will find us, it will be exposed.
When we sin the temptation is always to cover it up, hide it, to excuse it or justify it. But he who does so will experience the torment of a guilty conscience. However, we serve a God who tells us … “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” 1 John 1:9
David tells us what happens when we choose to confess rather than conceal our sin.
“Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity, and in whose spirit there is no deceit.
I acknowledged my sin to you, and I did not cover my iniquity; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.” Psalm 32:1- 2,
I takes humility and brokenness to confess but if we do we find cleansing, forgiveness, renewed joy and fellowship with God. As hard and humbling as confession is, concealing our sin will be even harder and cost us more than we ever imagined.
Confession does not cancel the consequences of our sin but it removes the torment of a guilty conscience. He who confesses find not judgement, rejection or scorn. But He who confesses finds mercy. What a wonderful promise. One we need every day to remember.
If you are a true believer in Jesus Christ, born again by the Spirit of the living God and are trying to conceal or cover up a sin in your life. I believe, based on the authority of Gods' Word, I can say two things for sure...
- You are miserable.
- Your sins will find you out. It may take a while but they will.
You need to go to the throne of grace to find mercy today. Humble yourself, turn from your sin, (repent) and God will cleanse you wash you, God will forgive you. “God will once again instruct you in the way…” Psa 32:8 Therefore ...
Be not like a horse or a mule, without understanding, which must be curbed with bit and bridle, or it will not stay near you. Many are the sorrows of the wicked, but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD. Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous, and shout for joy, all you upright in heart! Psalm 32:9-11
David would sing again and so will you. Forgiveness comes to us through the death of Christ on the cross where he bore the punishment for our sin, and bore the full extent of God’s wrath against my sin. God laid on Jesus Christ the iniquity of us all. Isaiah 53:4-6 Now he offers that forgiveness to us. I comes to us by trusting in what Christ did for us on the cross . We cannot undo our sin by our good works. The wages of sin is death, Christ has paid that penalty, we just accept the free gift by faith alone. Romans 6:23
For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them. Ephesians 2:8-10
2 Samuel 12
For further reading read Psalm 51 Davids prayer of confession and repentance.
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