Paths of Righteousness

Reading: 2 Samuel 12.1-14
"He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake" (Psalm 23.3b)

Certainly David was a great king. Though the kingdom of his son, Solomon, exceeded his kingdom for splendour, it was to David that the people looked in later times when they thought of the kingdom restored. The Messiah would be the Son of David.

Yet David learnt in bitter experience that his greatness could only lie in expressing God's good purposes in his life.

He had been unquestionably successful in his drive to build and enlarge the kingdom. Perhaps it was with awareness of success and power that he succombed to temptation and committed adultery with the wife of one of his trusted soldiers.

When he learnt that she was pregnant, he did everything he could to cover up his sin. He called Uriah in from battle, but Uriah's loyalty to his fellow soldiers still on the field meant he refused to go in and sleep with his wife. So David contrived to have him killed in battle, and in time took Bathsheba as his wife.

David's conscience had gone to sleep. He had forgotten that he was king over the Lord's people. He had brought discredit on the Lord's name as well as on his own.

So Nathan the prophet came. His message to the king began with a story of high-handed oppression of a poor man by a wealthy neighbour. As David listened, he became incensed, declaring that "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!" (2 Sam. 12.5) Nathan came back with "You are the man!" (v. 7)

David was not enraged, but became profoundly penitent.

Yes, David was a great king. But his sin is part of the record of his life - "David had done what was right in the eyes of the Lord and had not failed to keep any of the Lord's commands all the days of his life - except in the case of Uriah the Hittite" (1 Kings 15.5).

I wonder if any of these things came to David's mind when he wrote, "He guides me in paths of righteousness for his name's sake."

To be one of God's people requires a certain quality of life. The Lord had said to his people again and again, "Be holy, because I am holy" (as in Leviticus 11.44). Their quality of life would be a testimony to the living God.

But there is a problem. It is the problem of human nature twisted and distorted by sin.

In Psalm 24.3,4 we read, "Who may ascend the hill of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? He who has clean hands and a pure heart, who does not lift up his soul to an idol or swear by what is false."

Then, we may well ask, who? Can any of us to included? Aren't we all excluded?

No, not in God's mercy and grace. But we must learn as David did to come to the Lord in repentance and to receive his forgiveness.

Later, David's sorrow for his sin found expression in the words of Psalm 51 - "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin"

And he knew that being guided in the paths of righteousness meant more than just being forgiven - "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit in me" (v. 10).

PRAYER: Father God, we spend so much time priding ourselves on our human achievements and on just how great we are as a human race. Yet I find these claims so sickening and empty. Sometimes, Lord, I get the crushing feeling that I’m missing out – that we’re all missing out – on what life is really meant to be. Lord, you made me and your love surrounds me. Restore my soul! Give me each day the strength to live and to live to the full! In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.

You See Me, Lord!

You see me, Lord!
Not as others see,
but deep within
you see me as I am.
Others may see
a light heart,
you know
the pain within.
Others may see
strength
and confidence,
you see
where I am weak.
Others
may think me good,
you see
my poverty and sin.
And where others see
the weak me,
you see
with love,
forgiveness
and help.


© Peter J. Blackburn, Burdekin Blue Care devotions, 2000, 2001
Except where otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are from the New International Version, © International Bible Society, 1984.

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