Lesson 17
Yahweh-Tsidkenu – The God our Righteousness (2 Samuel 12:14; Jeremiah 23:6)
“Acknowledge Sin, Ask God for Forgiveness” (Psalm 51)
Read 2 Samuel 11:1-27; 12:1-17; Psalm 51:1-12 www.bible.com/bible/59/2sa.11.esv

King David sent his army out to war against the Ammonites, but he stayed home in Jerusalem. One day David saw a beautiful woman bathing on her roof and sent his servants to bring the woman, Bathsheba, to him. He went to bed with her and she became pregnant.

David asked his army commander Joab to send Bathsheba’s husband Uriah to him. He tried to get Uriah to go home to Bathsheba so the baby would seem to be his, but for two nights he refused. He told David his fellow soldiers were sleeping in the fields, and he didn’t feel right being comfortable at home, so he slept outside with the servants.

Next David told Joab to put Uriah in the front lines and allow him to be killed by the enemy. Soon word came to David Uriah had been killed in battle. Then David married Bathsheba.

God was very displeased with David and what he had done: committing adultery and murder. The Lord sent His prophet Nathan to King David with a story about a very rich man with many sheep and cattle. A poor man lived nearby who owned no livestock except for a little lamb that was a family pet.

One day the rich man had someone visit him, but instead of taking a lamb from his own large flock to prepare a meal to share with his guest, he stole and killed the poor man’s pet lamb.

David became very angry at this injustice and yelled, “He should repay the poor man four times for taking his lamb! In fact, this rich man deserves to die for his crime!”

Nathan answered, “You are the man! God made you king over His people, both Israel and Judah, freeing you from Saul, giving you much. Why have you done this terrible thing against the Lord? You murdered Uriah with an Ammonite sword and took his wife. God has told me to let you know this: as a consequence, killing, murder and marital unfaithfulness will abound in your own family.

King David then confessed, “I have sinned against God.”

“God forgives your sin,” Nathan assured him. “You won’t die, but because you blasphemed the Lord, your son born to Bathsheba will die.”

David prayed ceaselessly for his baby boy – he refused to eat, and slept on the floor. After a week, the baby died, as God had said.

David wrote Psalm 51, confessing his sin and asking his Yahweh-Tsidkenu for forgiveness. This Psalm has encouraged many people down through the ages to come to the Lord our Righteousness for forgiveness and cleansing.

Apply God’s Word to your life:
*What do you learn about sin and asking Yahweh-Tsidkenu for forgiveness from Psalm 51?
 *When in your life has God forgiven your sin, but you’ve still had to suffer the natural consequences resulting from that sin?