We have been exploring the heart of David's heart in Psalm 51. The superscription (the title stated above the beginning of the Psalm) reads as follows: "TO THE CHOIRMASTER. A PSALM OF DAVID, WHEN NATHAN THE PROPHET WENT TO HIM, AFTER HE HAD GONE INTO BATHSHEBA" (Italics added). The superscription of each Psalm tells us the reason each Psalm was written, providing the historical context to enable our understanding and interpretation. This Psalm is David's repentance due to adultery (or for us any sexual failure) and the others sins that resulted from it (murder and deception).
One can only imagine what David felt as Nathan - God's agent of mercy - spoke to him and revealed matters of his life that David, to this point, thought he had covered up. He probably, like most of us, figured that the further he was removed from the actual act of sin without any consequence he was likely free from its sting. Then comes Nathan, not only reminding David of what he had done, but showing him that he sat under the judgment of God because God saw the evils of his heart and life. I have felt this place of David. I have been removed by time from an act of sin and believed that I had escaped its consequence only to be undone by the penetrating and rightly timed exposure from the Lord. Not pretty!
Now, in this moment, not only is David reminded of his offense against Bathsheba and her late husband, Uriah, but he has come to find that he has a new problem: God! In today's parlance I can hear the theme song beginning to rise as Nathan leaves David: "Bad boy, bad boy watcha gonna do? Watcha gonna do when God comes for you?" What would you do? What would you do when you realize that it is the Lord who is coming for you? What would you do when you come to see that it is the Lord that you have offended? What would you do when you see that the One you offended can, in a moment, thrust you into eternal torment because of your heart and life of sin? What would you do? Here is what David did - he cried out for mercy: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions" (Psalm 51:1).
Please note this: the heart and desire to cry out for mercy is, in itself, a mercy. God sent Nathan as an expression of His mercy to expose David's heart in order that David would desire and want to cry out for mercy. This is insane mercy! That is why David qualifies the mercy he is seeking by calling it "abundant mercy" which is sometimes translated "tender mercies." I love the tender mercies translation because it speaks to the two-sided nature of mercy. David knew that God could have simply taken him out which would have been right and just. In other words, God can take our breath from us to keep us from ourselves and this, as tragic as it might feel, would be a mercy preventing further depths of sinful activity. So, David says, “I’ll take tender mercies for $100 please.”
Paul, admonishing the Corinthians for their ungodly habits during communion makes this shocking point about the consequence of such behavior: "That is why many of you are weak and ill, and some have died" (1 Corinthians 11:30). Did you read that? Paul says that some people, who have been operating in ongoing sin have died as an expression of the active mercy of God so as to keep them from sinning even more. Paul shows us what David knew, that mercy is two sided: the mercy that kills or the tender mercy that wounds but allows you to live. David wanted the latter. Tender mercy hurts, but at least you are still living! Tender mercy exposes but at least you are living to be exposed! David wanted God to land softly on him and not to kill him.
Every day we are alive is an expression of God’s tender mercy day. He guarded us from hurt, harms and dangers that could have taken our life (Psalm 3:3) and kept us breathing, rhythmically, allowing air to pass through properly while we slept (Psalm 3:5). All of this is an expression of tender mercy. Yet, in our days of being gifted with tender mercy we have, at times, offended Him and rebelled against Him. Perhaps you are in that state right now as you read this. Perhaps you now see that your problem is God and not people. Now, perhaps, you have come to see clearer that your heart is exposed before the Lord who knows it truly and fully. You have come to see that your sin, past and present, are worthy of destruction and death, but are compelled, now, to cry out for tender mercy like David. If you feel that way thank God because that feeling is a mercy from Him. After you thank Him, do it; cry out for tender mercy!
He is listening and waiting right now.