Verse 4
David had finally come to the place where he was willing, not only to call his sin what it was, but to admit that it was sin against God primarily. Obviously he had sinned against Bathsheba and her husband, but David rightfully admitted that the worst thing he had done was offending God. He made no attempt to blame God for what had happened but took full responsibility himself. He acknowledged that his Judge was guiltless and that he was guilty. Taking personal responsibility for our sins is an important part of true confession.
"To say ’Against thee, thee only, have I sinned’ may invite the quibble that adultery and murder are hardly private wrongs. But it is a typically biblical way of going to the heart of the matter. Sin can be against oneself (1 Corinthians 6:18) and against one’s neighbour; but the flouting of God is always the length and breadth of it, as Joseph saw long before (Genesis 39:9)." [Note: Kidner, p. 190.]
"Once we understand that no sin is against a fellow human being alone and that all sin is transgression against God, we will no longer treat it so lightly." [Note: Merrill, "Psalms," p. 433.]
Be the first to react on this!
