David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”

2 Samuel 12:13 ESV

The events of 2 Samuel 11 are nothing short of a tragedy.

Deciding one spring not to go to war with his armies, David stayed in the comfort of his palace instead. While walking around one day, he looked out the window to see a woman bathing on her rooftop. Fixated upon her beauty, David calls her to his palace and sleeps with her.

Soon he learns that she is pregnant, and because her husband, Uriah, was a noble soldier, David’s attempt to have Uriah leave the battlefield to sleep with his wife fails.

In desperation to hide his sin, David has Uriah murdered in the heat of battle.

Months pass, and Bathsheba, now David’s wife, gives birth to David’s son. The sin was successfully hidden; David could proceed with business as usual.

But God has other plans.

He sends Nathan the prophet to rebuke David with a parable about a wealthy man who slaughters his poor neighbor’s beloved and only lamb rather than using one of his many lambs. When David becomes angry at the story, Nathan declares that David is the wealthy man and Uriah was the poor man.

David was caught red-handed before God. The anointed king was now an adulterer and murderer.

Though we knew from chapter 7 that David was not the Savior, we now get a glaring display of why he was not the Serpent-Crusher.

The coming Messiah, though wounded by the serpent, would smash the serpent’s head; He would defeat sin and evil decisively. David, however, did not conquer sin but was conquered by sin.

Fortunately, because Jesus would defeat sin, David was able to come before God in repentance, writing Psalm 51 for our benefit and to give words to the repentant heart.

Take time today to consider and repent of any sins you have committed. Use Psalm 51 to guide your prayerful repentance.