Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1896-08-06
THE SUNDAY SCHOOL.
International Lesson for August 16. 1896
David's Confession and Forgiveness
Psalm Sc: Ill


GOLDEN TE%T.-Create in me a clean
heart. o God; and renew a right spirit with
in me.-Psa. 51:I0.
THE SECTION includes Sam. II and
u. also Psalms 90 and 81.
TIME.-The great sin of David was COM
mitted about B. c. 1885 Nathan's reproos
was about a year later. and the psalm of
the lesson belongs to the period follow
ing. David was so years old. having reigned
20 years.
PLACE.-David s palace in Jerusalem.
LESSON NOTES.
/. David's SMITHS was a double
crime, consisting of the two most
heinous wrongs one person can commit
against another adultery and murder,
mingled with meanness, selfishness and
injustice. Moreover. it defied Gods
law and dishonored God and religion
before all the. people. 1t is not at all
| likely that this fall was entirely sudden.
| Probably there was a relaxation of
| David's religious fervor and zeal, which
| were his guard. Then his multiplying
wives were in the same direction.
David, too, parleyed with temptation.
/ He should have shut his eyes and turned
away, and then he would have been safe.
There is 20 apology for David's sin.
/
| He knew the commandments, and it was
sin against light. 1t is to be held up
| in eternal execration and scorn. But
we should see that many wicked thing
| in the past would be very much worse
! if done in our day and in our light.
/ Then we must consider the prevailing
sentiments and feelings of the day
mo other king of the time says Spur
geon, would have felt any compunc-
ton for having acted as he did" The
degree of guilt depends very largely on
the circumstances in which sin is COM
mitted.
II. David's Repentance.-Fo year
! David said nothing about his sin. He
thought that he could go on just as be-
fore. But the knowledge that his sin
/ was known would put stings in his con-
! science. Then the relations between
| himself and Ahithophel, David's chief
and wisest counselor and the grand
father of Bathsheba may have been
strained, for not long after Ahithophel
! turned against David. 1t also seems
| probable, from Psalms 1874, that this
burden. added to his long-continued
cares, brought sickness upon him.
Nor ear can hear nor tongle can tell
The fortunes of that inward hell"
When those silent influences had pre-
pared the way, God sent his prophet
Nathan. With great wisdom he spoke a
parable to David, which led the king in
dignantly to condemn another, uncon-
scious that his condemnation fell upon
his own head, till the prophet spoke the
| terrible words: 'Thou art the man."
All these things brought David to
the deepest and most sincere repent
ance The proof of David's sincerity,
Ethat he was not merely sorry for the
consequences, but repented of the sin,
is shown by his forsaking that sin and
hating all sin, and by his efforts to re-
move the evil effects of his wrong.
Psalms 80 and 81 were David's public
confession to both God and man. He
who taught men to sin by his example
should also by his example teach them
repentance.
III. David's Song of Forgiveness and
Peace.--Vs. Ill. The first stanza, con-
sisting of the first four verses, expresses
longing for forgiveness. Not the three
threes- three names for sin, three
words for forgiveness, and Psalms 81,
three aspects or names of mercy. The
three words for sin are ''transgression, $
"sin" and ''iniquity.'' 'Transgression
means literally separating or breaking
loose, hence signifying apostacy or re-
bellion. "Sin" is, literally, missing a
mark. All sin is a fearful failure as to
reach ng the ideal of conduct and as to
winning the desired satisfaction. In
Equity" is something twisted or dis
turbed. Forgiven covered" and
'imputeth not" are the three terms for
forgiveness. The first means taken
away" or Hghtened of the burden of
sin. The second signifies their being
blotted out of Gods book of remem-
brance, hidden from sight of God and
man. 'Imputeth not is as a case re-
moved from the docket of the court,
so that il will never be called up. Three
words expressing Gods love are
mercy" flowing kindness" and tender
mercies," in the plural to express the
numberless acts of mercy to unnum-
bered sins. In verse David lilxens him
self to Tree dried up in a drouth All
all the joy of living was taken away.
The second stanza oversees SD tells of
confession and forgiveness. Three
truths are here brought out: "a confess
sion is necessary before forgiveness can
be granted; (2) there is "too late''
! ("pray unto Thee in time when Thou
mayest be found''), and (3), the for
given will be compassed about with
songs Of deliverance." AS David was
besieged on every side with troubles,
so on every side there would be vic
tories, and songs to celebrate them.
The third stanza takes in verses S
to II, and is an exhortation from ex-
perience. Maclaren says that verses s
and seem to him ito be best taken
as the divine voice answering the conf
dence of verse ~ and ''the + and thee