April 1, 2023 -- Psalm 7:1-5 -- The Psalm Series: can you truly say your hands are clean, innocent?

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A Shiggaion of David, which he sang to the Lord concerning the words of Cush, a Benjaminite.

O LORD my God, in you do I take refuge;
    save me from all my pursuers and deliver me,
2 lest like a lion they tear my soul apart,
    rending it in pieces, with none to deliver.

3 O LORD my God, if I have done this,
    if there is wrong in my hands,
4 if I have repaid my friend with evil
    or plundered my enemy without cause,
5 let the enemy pursue my soul and overtake it,
    and let him trample my life to the ground
    and lay my glory in the dust. Selah
Psalm 7:1-5 ESV

Here’s the kicker in these opening verses of Psalm 7, David has done wrong. He slept with the wife of one of his closest friends, his mighty general Uriah. He committed this wickedness while Uriah was off fighting one of David’s wars. Yes, he had done wrong. But Psalm 51, and the passages of II Samuel 11 through 12:25 show the sin, the exposing of the sin by the prophet’s words, and importantly show David's confession and humbling. The LORD had taken away David’s sin. However, the LORD did tell David there would be lasting consequences to his sinful act. David brought great trouble on his own household. Those troubles meant he’d always be compelled to turn to the LORD in humility and fear and expectation that the LORD would help.

As one who learned the power of forgiveness, David learned to keep short accounts with the LORD His God. When he sinned, he confessed. God knew He had chosen him not because he was perfect, or exceptional in any way but this one: David was a man after God’s own heart. When David’s sin was revealed, he confessed it. He owned his wrongs and asked God for help and healing. And David’s sins were many. And God’s mercy is more. Always more.

When David’s son Absalom rose up in rebellion against David and tried to take his throne, David fled from Jerusalem. A Benjaminite, Shimei, cursed David resoundingly. The former king, Saul, was from the tribe of Benjamin. David prevented his soldiers from taking revenge on Shimei musing out loud that his own son was trying to kill him, why should not this man curse him, if this is what God has appointed him to do so?

So this Psalm exposes David’s profession of innocence. David knew all his wrong-doing. In this instance he knew his hands were clean and if it were not so, Absalom would gain the victory and David’s life would be thrown down. David’s righteousness and cleanness of hand and heart came from his devotion to the LORD. There is no other refuge. There is no other soul-cleansing, spirit-reviving healing than the forgiveness of the Father given through the sacrifice of Jesus! No wonder it is in the LORD, and Jesus His Son, in Whom our souls take refuge. Blessed be the LORD our God, now and forevermore.

Our Father in heaven hallowed and blessed be Your Name--now and forevermore. Oh LORD my God, if there is wrong in my hands, if there is sin in my heart, lodged there unconfessed, I confess it now. Thank You for the true freedom given in Christ alone. Lead me in the way everlasting. Through the power of Your Spirit I'm thanking You, God, You make all things right. I'm singing Your fame, the glory and blessedness of the Heaven-High God, Who is always praise-worthy. Amen.

https://youtu.be/W5EUvOnQr4Y

His Mercy Is More — Matt Papa

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