The
Redemptive Cleansing of Repentance
A Psalm 51
Bible Study
Written by
Cheryl Samelson Skid
Psalm 51:3-5
3 For I acknowledge my transgression and my
sin is ever before me.
4 Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and
done this evil in Thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speaketh
and be clear when thou judgest.
5 Behold I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin
did my mother conceive me.
Opening our
Hearts to Each Other and to God
1.
Can you remember
the first time you were aware that you had done something wrong? What were the
circumstances? What did you think? How was it resolved?
2.
Can you remember
the first time you thought about God and how He related to you? Tell about
that.
3.
Do you know
anything about the circumstances of your conception, birth, and how your
parents related to you?
Original
Language
Shapen חול (khool) to twist, whirl, dance, writhe, fear, tremble,
travail, be in anguish, be pained
Conceive יָחַם (yacham) to become hot and mate
Let’s look at those words a
little more closely and relate it to nature around us. I was
watching a nature program seeing the rarely viewed mating dance of the bird of
paradise in Papua New Guinea. The male
would call to a female and then prance, twirl, twist, flutter, and cause an amazing
display of feathers as he pranced, producing interesting sounds of quills
clicking together! The female was passively there. The male, all the while cavorting in a mating
dance, could tell by looking at the
female when she was ready to receive him.
But
God! No matter how ready your mother was to receive the seed that formed you,
God wanted you. He planned for your birth and welcomed you in the world. Sometimes
we feel unwanted by parents. Perhaps you
were the product of a one night stand, a drunken party, or a violent rape. None
of that changes the fact that you were wanted and desired by God. Know this: your life was planned by God. You
have inherent value because He, the God of heaven and earth, WANTED YOU ON THIS
EARTH AT THIS TIME.
Cross Examination
Let’s
look at the circumstances surrounding the writing of Psalm 51
For
this lesson we must read two chapters of the Bible. 2 Samuel 11 and 12.
2
Samuel 11:1 David sent the men to war
but where was he? ____________________
11:2
Where was David and what was he doing? _________________________________
11:3
How do we know that David was very much aware of the woman’s identity and that
of her husband? __________________________________________________________________
11:
4-6 Bathsheba and David have
intercourse, and she tells David the news.
Why do you think David sent for her husband from the front lines of the
war? ____________________________________________________________________
11:7,
8 David acts really friendly to Uriah, says (in essence) go home and sleep with
your wife; after all, you deserve it. For what reason is he being so
magnanimous?
_______________________________________________________________________
11:9
Uriah surely is a mighty man. He refuses to sleep with his wife, and instead
does what?
____________________________________________________________________________
11:11
What reason did Uriah give for not sleeping with his
wife?____________________________
11:13
David’s plot did not work. Uriah didn’t sleep with his wife. He was too noble.
He put loyalty to David and his fellow soldiers above his own desires. So David
goes to his next plan.
Which
is?__________________________________________________________________
11:14-17
How did David finally get what he wanted? _________________________________
David
apparently had no twinge of conscience on his own. Instead God sent a prophet
to David to show him the heinousness of his actions.
2
Samuel 12:1-13 How did the prophet Nathan get David to see the reality of his
own sin?
__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________
We come to the place where Psalm
51 begins.
Discussion
1. Instead of allowing
David to sin, hurt Bathsheba, and kill a man, couldn’t God have just stopped
David before he even started this cycle of destruction? _____________ Why do you think God allow David to act is
such a way with such painful repercussions? ___________________________________________________________________
2. Has there
been a Nathan in your life? ___________________________
3. Have you been
a Nathan to another? ____________________________
4. Are you
holding onto anguish or pain of an unconfessed sin? _________________________________________________________________
5. Did God
forgive David? _________________________________________________
6. Can He
forgive you? ___________________________________________________
Do Work
If
you are struggling with an unconfessed sin, or if you can’t forgive yourself
find a Nathan to walk you through forgiveness. He whom the Son sets free is
free indeed!
Contributions may be sent to Women with a
Vision P.O. Box 693 Florissant MO 63032 USA to help ministries around the
world.
No comments:
Post a Comment