There is an awful price that one pays for disobedience. The Scriptures are full of examples of such. Not only does disobedience bring broken relationship with our Lord, it always fills the heart of the disobedient with tremendous anguish. The closer one walks with Jesus, the deeper the anguish of the broken relationship when one sins. Perhaps the greatest example of this in the Old Testament is King David. David had spent his entire life worshipping the Lord. He had spent countless hours under the stars as a young shepherd boy perfecting his craft both as a worshipper and a warrior. Psalm 144:1-2 is a record of how David understood this.
Blessed be the Lord, my rock, who trains my hands for war, and my fingers for battle;
2 he is my steadfast love and my fortress, my stronghold and my deliverer,
my shield and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues peoples under me.
Both were essential to the future. Even though he had been overlooked by family, he had not been overlooked by God. David was probably 13-15 years of age when was anointed to be King and he killed Goliath. David was 30 years of age when he became king over Israel. He reigned for 40 years. Tradition says that David was 58 when he committed adultery with Bathsheba. Thus he was in the middle of his reign as king. There is an interesting verse in the beginning of 2 Samuel 11 that sets the stage.
“ In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.”
He might’ve been tired and burned out but for whatever the reason, he was not where a king should be, and he paid dearly for it. A bad decision to not be where he was supposed to be led to adultery Bathsheba which then led to murder of her husband. Even great worshippers are not immune from deep sin. We all must walk in humility and circumspect. David did his best to cover his sin with a scheme of murder, but the Lord’s love would not allow it. Every son the Lord receives is disciplined and is scourged (Hebrews 12). So God sent Nathan the prophet to blow the whole scandal wide open. (2 Samuel 12). We read of David’s response in Psalm 51.
“Have pity on me, O God, in keeping with your mercy.
In keeping with your unlimited compassion, wipe out my rebellious acts.
2 Wash me thoroughly from my guilt,
and cleanse me from my sin.
3 I admit that I am rebellious.
My sin is always in front of me.
4 I have sinned against you, especially you.
I have done what you consider evil.
So you hand down justice when you speak,
and you are blameless when you judge.5 Indeed, I was born guilty.
I was a sinner when my mother conceived me.
6 Yet, you desire truth and sincerity.
Deep down inside me you teach me wisdom.
7 Purify me from sin with hyssop,[a] and I will be clean.[b]
Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.
8 Let me hear ⌞sounds of⌟ joy and gladness.
Let the bones that you have broken dance.
9 Hide your face from my sins,
and wipe out all that I have done wrong.10 Create a clean heart in me, O God,
and renew a faithful spirit within me.
11 Do not force me away from your presence,
and do not take your Holy Spirit from me.
12 Restore the joy of your salvation to me,
and provide me with a spirit of willing obedience.13 ⌞Then⌟ I will teach your ways to those who are rebellious,
and sinners will return to you.
14 Rescue me from the guilt of murder,
O God, my savior.
Let my tongue sing joyfully about your righteousness!
15 O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth will tell about your praise.
16 You are not happy with any sacrifice.
Otherwise, I would offer one ⌞to you⌟.
You are not pleased with burnt offerings.
17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is a broken spirit.
O God, you do not despise a broken and sorrowful heart.
18 Favor Zion with your goodness.
Rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.
19 Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit—
with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings.
Young bulls will be offered on your altar.
To David’s credit, he responded correctly before Nathan and the Lord. You see, what makes an individual truly great before the Lord is not a self-righteousness which comes from attempted sinless perfection, it is a brokenness in response to the sinful condition (verse 17). Jesus then rushes in with mercy and grace and restores the individual to relationship. Yes, Jesus loves a broken and a contrite heart. He resists the proud and gives great grace to the humble. The Apostle John also knew the wonderful grace of the Lord and wrote about it in 1 John 1:5-9 (ESV)
“ This is the message we heard from Christ and are reporting to you: God is light, and there isn’t any darkness in him. 6 If we say, “We have a relationship with God” and yet live in the dark, we’re lying. We aren’t being truthful. 7 But if we live in the light in the same way that God is in the light, we have a relationship with each other. And the blood of his Son Jesus cleanses us from every sin. 8 If we say, “We aren’t sinful” we are deceiving ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9 God is faithful and reliable. If we confess our sins, he forgives them and cleanses us from everything we’ve done wrong.”