The Universalist. [volume] (Chicago [Ill.]) 1884-1897, 1896-08-08
The Sunday School Lesson.
SERIES FOR 1896---THIRD QUARTER.
Studies in Old Testament History.


besought the kings decision concerning
certain rich man who, when he wanted
a lamb to make feast of hospitality,
took none from his own ample flock but
by force seized upon poor mans one
lamb, which was the pet of his house
hold. David's anger was swiftly kim
died against such covetous rich man.
Then came Nathan's terrible charge. the
arraignment of David before the eternal
law Thou art the man.
He then told the king the terrible
story of his recreancy and guilt. The
hidden things were brought to light. 1t
would have been like many king,-like
Saul, like Herod,-to drive the accusing
prophet away with the assumption of
contempt. But David bowed in self
abasement and confessed to the prophet,
Ihdve sinned against the Lord.
David repented. With agony unspeak-
able he turned his cry again unto the
Lord.
He now appeared in new character
before his people; in character without
precedent, almost without successor.
They beheld in their king self confess
ed sinner, seeking peace with God like
the veriest slave among them.
The condemned sinner, after long
agonizing, found inward washing and
pardon. But the shadow on his life
story still remains. In his experience
is pictured the doctrine of Israel: The
auay of the tronsgressor is hard.
1t has been the surmise of the
ages that two psalms specially give ex-
preston to Ddvid's experience in this
period of his failure and shame. Psalm
Fifty one is believed to be the express
sion of David's repentance, while it was
fresh upon him. Psalm Thirty-two, our
lesson passage, is believed to be an ex
preston of David at subsequent per-
iod, when the sharpness of his despair
had been modified, and he had again
found Gods favor.
These psalms, if not directly and COM
pletely David's are surely Davidic. 1t
seems to us that they we're in their orig
inal form David's; they were thence
naturally translated into the popular
language OF later age. They must have
been, we think, in all their temple-ren.
behring's, interpreted by the people as
descriptive of the kings sin and sorrow
and redemption. After all reasonable
concessions are made to the critics these
psalms may without superstition be read
as rhythmically telling David's story.
In the Thirty-second psalm we find
two sharp divisions. We have first Tvs.
1-5) the story of David's repentance and
forgiveness; the covering Of his sin by
Divine mercy; the removal of the Divine
imputation of iniquity. His Intellectual
endeavor to conceal his sin is graph
cally described. Moral death was then
! at work in him. When 1 kept silence
mig bones aoosted aaoay. He confessed
| his transgression; he made visible to all
eyes his iniquity. He found pardon. He
| speaks therefore in the second division
Tvs. 6-11), as a forgiven soul. He be-
comes voice of appeal to all sinners
All sinners may find peace like his own
He ends by bringing the sorrows of the
wicked into sharp contrast with the joys
of the righteous.
The psalm, rendered in strophes by
responsive choirs, with the three selah
pauses for meditative instrumental
music, must have been to every hearer
and beholder a striking drama of the
soul.