Year One, October 3

Cursed Be Anyone Who Dishonors His Father1

2 Samuel 18:1; 5-18

Hushai returned to the city and offered his service to Absalom as David asked him to do. “Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed.”2 Absalom listened to the counsel of both Ahithophel and Hushai, but he took Hushai’s advice, because “the LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom.”3  “When Ahithophel saw that his counsel was not followed, he…hanged himself, and he died.”4 Absalom gathered a great army and pursued his father. The battle that followed decided who would be king in Israel.

1Then David mustered the men who were with him and set over them commanders of thousands and commanders of hundreds. (But when all the troops were counted, David did not have even half as many as his rebellious son.)

5And the king ordered Joab and Abishai and Ittai, “Deal gently for my sake with the young man Absalom.” And all the people heard when the king gave orders to all the commanders about Absalom. (The order to be gentle with his son showed that David expected to win the battle, but hoped Absalom would not be killed in it. This is a picture of that gracious King, who, even while his persecutors were scorning and killing him, prayed, “Father, forgive them; for they know not what they do.”5)

6So the army went out into the field against Israel, and the battle was fought in the forest of Ephraim. 7And the men of Israel were defeated there by the servants of David, and the loss there was great on that day, twenty thousand men. 8The battle spread over the face of all the country, and the forest devoured more people that day than the sword.

9And Absalom happened to meet the servants of David. Absalom was riding on his mule, and the mule went under the thick branches of a great oak, and his head caught fast in the oak, and he was suspended between heaven and earth, while the mule that was under him went on.

The very trees of the forest are lined up against the ungodly. Absalom had made his hair his pride and it became his downfall. People are often defeated by the very things they idolize. What must have been the thoughts of this underhanded young prince when he found himself caught in the forked branch of the oak tree and suspended between heaven and earth to die the death of the accursed? Let children beware of not appreciating their parents. It is a sin that especially earns the anger of the Most High God.

10And a certain man saw it and told Joab, “Behold, I saw Absalom hanging in an oak.” 11Joab said to the man who told him, “What, you saw him! Why then did you not strike him there to the ground? I would have been glad to give you ten pieces of silver and a belt.” 12But the man said to Joab, “Even if I felt in my hand the weight of a thousand pieces of silver, I would not reach out my hand against the king’s son, for in our hearing the king commanded you and Abishai and Ittai, ‘For my sake protect the young man Absalom.’ 13On the other hand, if I had dealt treacherously against his life (and there is nothing hidden from the king), then you yourself would have stood aloof.” 14Joab said, “I will not waste time like this with you.” And he took three javelins in his hand and thrust them into the heart of Absalom while he was still alive in the oak. 15And ten young men, Joab’s armor-bearers, surrounded Absalom and struck him and killed him.

16Then Joab blew the trumpet, and the troops came back from pursuing Israel, for Joab restrained them. 17And they took Absalom and threw him into a great pit in the forest and raised over him a very great heap of stones. And all Israel fled every one to his own home.

An old writer says, “One death was not enough for Absalom. He was at once hanged, shot, mangled and stoned. Justly was he lifted up by the oak, for he had lifted himself against his father and sovereign. Justly was he pierced with arrows, for he had pierced his father’s heart with many sorrows. Justly was he mangled, for he had dismembered and divided all Israel. And, justly was he stoned, for he had not only cursed, but pursued his own parent.”6

18Now Absalom in his lifetime had taken and set up for himself the pillar that is in the King’s Valley, for he said, “I have no son to keep my name in remembrance.” He called the pillar after his own name, and it is called Absalom’s monument to this day.

Absalom’s pillar is still pointed out to travelers, but its only purpose is to immortalize the shame of this unprincipled son. Children! Love and obey your parents, so you will not fall into Absalom’s sin and destruction.

  

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¹ Deuteronomy 27:16

² 2 Samuel 16:23

³ 2 Samuel 17:14

⁴ 2 Samuel 17:23

⁵ Luke 23:34

⁶ Bishop Joseph Hall (1574-1656).

Year One, October 2

My Sighing Is Not Hidden From You1

David probably wrote this during these sad times when he was fleeing from his son Absalom.

  

Psalm 38

A Psalm of David, for the Memorial Offering.

1 O LORD, rebuke me not in your anger,

nor discipline me in your wrath!

I deserve to be rebuked, but Lord be gentle with me. I richly deserve to be chastened,2 but do not strike me so heavily that I perish.

2 For your arrows have sunk into me,

and your hand has come down on me.

3 There is no soundness in my flesh

because of your indignation;

there is no health in my bones

because of my sin.

Spiritual distress is extremely painful. However sweet sin may have been in David’s mouth, it was bitter enough when it reached his inner being.

4 For my iniquities have gone over my head;

like a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

5 My wounds stink and fester

because of my foolishness,

His conscience struck blow after blow until his soul was wounded in a thousand places. And the wounds became repulsive as well as painful. No infected blisters or foul-smelling sores can compare to the extreme suffering that our sin causes us.

6 I am utterly bowed down and prostrate;

all the day I go about mourning.

7 For my sides are filled with burning,

and there is no soundness in my flesh.

8 I am feeble and crushed;

I groan because of the tumult of my heart.

Those who truly regret their sinning feel real pain because of it. Unbelievers feel none of this, but go singing merrily down to hell. Those whom the Lord loves are never allowed to find comfort in sin.

9 O Lord, all my longing is before you;

my sighing is not hidden from you.

The good Physician understands our case without our needing to explain it to him:

“He takes the meaning of our tears,

The language of our groans.”3

10 My heart throbs; my strength fails me,

and the light of my eyes--it also has gone from me.

Here begins another story of sadness. While he was in pain on the inside, he was forsaken and persecuted by those he thought were friends.

11 My friends and companions stand aloof from my plague,

and my nearest kin stand far off.

12 Those who seek my life lay their snares;

those who seek my hurt speak of ruin

and meditate treachery all day long.

13 But I am like a deaf man; I do not hear,

like a mute man who does not open his mouth.

He would not listen to Shimei and punish him for what he said. A deaf ear is often a great blessing.

14 I have become like a man who does not hear,

and in whose mouth are no rebukes.

15 But for you, O LORD, do I wait;

it is you, O Lord my God, who will answer.

16 For I said, “Only let them not rejoice over me,

who boast against me when my foot slips!”

17 For I am ready to fall,

and my pain is ever before me.

18 I confess my iniquity;

I am sorry for my sin.

He would not deny that he was in the wrong, even though he was innocent of the worst charges of which he was accused.

19 But my foes are vigorous, they are mighty,

and many are those who hate me wrongfully.

20 Those who render me evil for good

accuse me because I follow after good.

21 Do not forsake me, O LORD!

O my God, be not far from me!

22 Make haste to help me,

O Lord, my salvation!

God is not only our Savior, but our salvation. The one who has the Lord on their side already has salvation. In this last sentence, the eye of faith sees her prayers as being already answered and begins to glorify God for the mercy she expects to receive. Our heavenly Father will never forsake us. His grace will come to the rescue, and before long we will magnify his name for saving us out of all our troubles. Have we all repented of sin? Are we all resting by faith in him?

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¹ Psalm 38:9

² chasten, chastening or chastisement - The act of discipline which may include scolding, criticizing or pain inflicted for the purpose of correction or moral improvement.

³ Taken from Spurgeon’s The Treasury of David.

Year One, October 1

Let Patience Have Its Perfect Work1

2 Samuel 16:5-14

5When King David came to Bahurim, there came out a man of the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei, the son of Gera, and as he came he cursed continually. (At the very moment when grief had made poor David very sensitive, the foul mouth of Shimei was opened to curse him. When a person turns his abuse on a person who really needs pity, it proves he has a very cruel temperament. It is considered very cowardly to strike a man when he is down. Shimei was just such a coward. All the time that David was successful we do not hear about Shimei. Our trials show us who our friends are. They also reveal our enemies.)

6And he threw stones at David and at all the servants of King David, and all the people and all the mighty men were on his right hand and on his left. (His stones and his words were meant to not only hurt the king, but to show his utter contempt for him; contempt which he had found convenient to keep secret for many years.) 7And Shimei said as he cursed, “Get out, get out, you man of blood, you worthless man! 8The LORD has avenged on you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned, and the LORD has given the kingdom into the hand of your son Absalom. See, your evil is on you, for you are a man of blood.”

This was an obvious lie. David had never laid his hand on Saul or any of his family. Did he not execute the Amalekite who said he had killed Saul? Did he not mourn intensely when Saul and Jonathan died? Did he not ask about any of Jonathan’s family who still might be alive, so that he could show kindness to him? Had he not entertained Mephibosheth at his own table? Evil tongues will not be quiet. No amount of innocence can prevent their slanderous lies.

9Then Abishai the son of Zeruiah said to the king, “Why should this dead dog curse my lord the king? Let me go over and take off his head.” (No one can be surprised at Abishai’s anger. Shimei was barking like a vicious dog. It seemed only fair to repay his stones with iron. But David was not eager to take revenge, so he rebuked his angry bodyguard.) 10But the king said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah? If he is cursing because the LORD has said to him, ‘Curse David,’ who then shall say, ‘Why have you done so?’” 11And David said to Abishai and to all his servants, “Behold, my own son seeks my life; how much more now may this Benjaminite! Leave him alone, and let him curse, for the LORD has told him to. 12It may be that the LORD will look on the wrong done to me, and that the LORD will repay me with good for his cursing today.”

How humbly did David submit to the abuse the Lord sent. He refused to take revenge on Shimei for attacking him so furiously, because he understood it was God’s way of chastening him for his past sins. Nothing helps us be patient when being taunted or harassed as humbly seeing the hand of God in it as his discipline for our former faults. David has well said in the psalms, “I do not open my mouth, for it is you who have done it.”2 He took comfort because he believed the Lord would not always scold him, but would eventually return and bring him peace. Nothing brings God to his children’s rescue like the attacks of their enemies. Fathers cannot bear to hear their dear ones abused.

13So David and his men went on the road, while Shimei went along on the hillside opposite him and cursed as he went and threw stones at him and flung dust. (David’s patience only encouraged Shimei’s rude behavior. That horrible person went from bad to worse, but he could not provoke the king to take revenge. The tolerance that David showed here makes him look even greater than when he enjoyed everyone’s praise. Expensive clothes and gold do not look as good on a king as patience and tolerance. Here, David can be compared to our Redeemer who “endured from sinners such hostility against himself,”3 and answered those who criticized him with prayers and blessings.)

14And the king, and all the people who were with him, arrived weary at the Jordan. And there he refreshed himself. (Even when David was at his lowest point, he still had some who followed him. When he and his men were worn out, providence4 gave them refreshment. In the worst of times, let us hope for better days to come.)

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¹ James 1:4 (New King James Version)

² Psalm 39:9

³ Hebrews 12:3

⁴ Providence  - Usually, when used with a capital “P” it refers to God; when used with a lower case “p”, it refers to God’s will, his divine intervention, and his predetermination (predestination).

Year One, September 30

The Lord Disciplines the One He Loves1

2 Samuel 15:29-37

29So Zadok and Abiathar carried the ark of God back to Jerusalem, and they remained there.

30But David went up the ascent of the Mount of Olives, weeping as he went, barefoot and with his head covered. And all the people who were with him covered their heads, and they went up, weeping as they went. (This was a sad scene. The good king was fleeing from the rage of his own son. He was old, his heart was heavy, his head was covered, his feet were bare, his eyes were weeping. This much sorrow and distress is rarely seen. It is not at all surprising to see the people so touched and joining the king in his mourning. Little did David think, when he acted so wickedly with Bathsheba, that his sin would cost him so dearly.) 31And it was told David, “Ahithophel is among the conspirators with Absalom.” And David said, “O LORD, please turn the counsel of Ahithophel into foolishness.”

David was grieving, but not to the point where he did not pray. He knew where his strength lay and did not fail to turn to his strong helper.

32While David was coming to the summit, where God was worshiped, behold, Hushai the Archite came to meet him with coat torn and dirt on his head. (Perhaps the king stopped at the top of the hill, looked back toward the ark, and fell to the ground in worship. Just as he rose from his knees, he found that God had sent him a valuable helper in the person of Hushai.  His tactfulness would lead to the downfall of Ahithophel. When we honor God the most, he will be ready to help the most. David was glad to see Hushai, but thought he would be the most useful to his cause by returning to Jerusalem) 33David said to him, “If you go on with me, you will be a burden to me. 34But if you return to the city and say to Absalom, ‘I will be your servant, O King; as I have been your father’s servant in time past, so now I will be your servant,’ then you will defeat for me the counsel of Ahithophel.”

No Christian can approve of this sort of trickery, even though it was highly admired in that society. We are sorry that David should fall into it. In this case, we must look at him as a warning, rather than as an example.

35“Are not Zadok and Abiathar the priests with you there? So whatever you hear from the king’s house, tell it to Zadok and Abiathar the priests. 36Behold, their two sons are with them there, Ahimaaz, Zadok’s son, and Jonathan, Abiathar’s son, and by them you shall send to me everything you hear.” 37So Hushai, David’s friend, came into the city, just as Absalom was entering Jerusalem.

  

2 Samuel 17:22; 24; 27-29

David’s plan succeeded because, “The LORD had ordained to defeat the good counsel of Ahithophel, so that the LORD might bring harm upon Absalom.”2 Hushai sent his report by the two young priests. He urged the king to get further away from Absalom by crossing the Jordan River and retreating to the far eastern part of the country.

22Then David arose, and all the people who were with him, and they crossed the Jordan. By daybreak not one was left who had not crossed the Jordan. (Here was another sad march. It was a discouraging sight to see David and the people crossing the Jordan in the dead of night.)

24Then David came to Mahanaim. And Absalom crossed the Jordan with all the men of Israel. (This wicked young prince hotly pursued his father and could not be content unless he could shed his blood. Yet this was a son of David! What bad sons may come of holy fathers!)

27When David came to Mahanaim, Shobi the son of Nahash from Rabbah of the Ammonites, and Machir the son of Ammiel from Lo-debar, and Barzillai the Gileadite from Rogelim, 28brought beds, basins, and earthen vessels, wheat, barley, flour, parched grain, beans and lentils, 29honey and curds and sheep and cheese from the herd, for David and the people with him to eat, for they said, “The people are hungry and weary and thirsty in the wilderness.” (In that way, strangers became the good man’s friends. They were like drops of sweetness in his cup of sorrow. The Lord never leaves his people completely. He may strike them, but he is always on their side. Never stop trusting him.)

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¹ Hebrews 12:6

² 2 Samuel 17:14

Year One, September 29

The King Crossed the Brook Kidron1

2 Samuel 15:13-15; 17-26

13And a messenger came to David, saying, “The hearts of the men of Israel have gone after Absalom.” (This must have sounded like a thunderclap in David’s ear. He was rejoicing because he believed his son was paying his vows and making offerings to God. Then the news of his son’s rebellion was suddenly brought to him. David had rebelled against his God and king and now he sees his own son in arms against himself. God had told David that evil would come to him out of his own house. How well God keeps both his promises and his threats!) 14Then David said to all his servants who were with him at Jerusalem, “Arise, and let us flee, or else there will be no escape for us from Absalom. Go quickly, lest he overtake us quickly and bring down ruin on us and strike the city with the edge of the sword.” (The city could not be defended, because its walls were not built. David had prayed, “Build up the walls of Jerusalem.”2)

15And the king’s servants said to the king, “Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides.”

17So the king went out, and all the people after him. And they halted at the last house. (His wicked son had horses, but David had to leave the city on foot. He took his family with him. He was always a loving father and would not leave them in danger. Who can tell the sorrow that filled poor David’s heart? God’s rod struck him heavily.) 18And all his servants passed by him, and all the Cherethites, and all the Pelethites, and all the six hundred Gittites who had followed him from Gath, passed on before the king.

This was his bodyguard. They remained faithful when others deserted to the popular side. May we always stay close to our Lord Jesus, even if all the world should wander after the beast and the false prophet.3

19Then the king said to Ittai the Gittite, “Why do you also go with us? Go back and stay with the king, for you are a foreigner and also an exile from your home. 20You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the LORD show steadfast love and faithfulness to you.”

David was too generous to wish troubles on others. He could have used Ittai’s help, but he would not take advantage of his kindness.

21But Ittai answered the king, “As the LORD lives, and as my lord the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be.” (This true and loyal heart shows us how we should follow Jesus.) 22And David said to Ittai, “Go then, pass on.” So Ittai the Gittite passed on with all his men and all the little ones who were with him. (The Lord did not leave his servant completely alone. He provided him friends in his time of need.) 23And all the land wept aloud as all the people passed by, and the king crossed the brook Kidron, and all the people passed on toward the wilderness. (The common people mourned with their king, and well they should. There was even a sadder sight when Jesus, “the King, crossed the brook Kidron.”4 Oh Lord, we see you represented by David and our hearts adore you.)

24And Abiathar came up, and behold, Zadok came also with all the Levites, bearing the ark of the covenant of God. And they set down the ark of God until the people had all passed out of the city. 25Then the king said to Zadok, “Carry the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the eyes of the LORD, he will bring me back and let me see both it and his dwelling place. 26But if he says, ‘I have no pleasure in you,’ behold, here I am, let him do to me what seems good to him.” (David was concerned for the safety of the ark and the priests. He would not permit them to be exposed to the same danger he was in. He was also deeply submissive to the Lord’s will. This shows the sanctifying influence his trials had on him. It is a blessing when God sends us trials because of our sin and they make us bow before our Master in holy and humble submission.)

Lord, when you afflict our family, make it always a blessing to each one of us.

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¹ 2 Samuel 15:23

² Psalm 51:18

³ The reference is to Revelation 13. The beast and false prophet rise up and deceive those who dwell on the earth. The false prophet is also referred to as “another beast.”

⁴ John 18:1, “When Jesus had spoken these words, he went out with his disciples across the Kidron Valley, where there was a garden, which he and his disciples entered” (and where Judas betrayed him).

Year One, September 28

A Flattering Mouth Works Ruin1

The hand of God fell heavily on David from the time of his great sin until the end of his life. His children became the source of many of his troubles. Ammon committed an awful sin and his brother, Absalom, killed him for it. Absalom was forgiven for murdering his brother and returned to the king’s court. Then he began to plot the overthrow of his own father, who loved him far too much. In his attempts to undercut his father’s authority Absalom acted very cunningly. He used every method he could to win the approval of the people and make them suspicious of his father.

  

2 Samuel 15:1-12

1After this Absalom got himself a chariot and horses, and fifty men to run before him. (Outward show often catches the attention of ordinary people. Absalom added the attraction of magnificent chariots and running footmen to his own handsome self.) 2And Absalom used to rise early and stand beside the way of the gate. And when any man had a dispute to come before the king for judgment, Absalom would call to him and say, “From what city are you?” And when he said, “Your servant is of such and such a tribe in Israel,” 3Absalom would say to him, “See, your claims are good and right, but there is no man designated by the king to hear you.” 4Then Absalom would say, “Oh that I were judge in the land! Then every man with a dispute or cause might come to me, and I would give him justice.” 5And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him.

Absalom’s ambition prompted him to take great pains to appear very friendly and attentive to everyone. He came to the palace gate early in the morning and spoke to anyone who had a reason to see the king. He flattered them. He convinced them their cause was good. He pretended to regret they were not getting the justice they deserved and that they had to wait so long before their case was heard. He persuaded them that if he were the king, their concerns would have his immediate attention. There would be no delay or injustice for them to complain about. Everybody said, “What a courteous prince! What a just and careful ruler Absalom would be!”

6Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.

The hearts of the people were not won, but stolen. The vain young prince deceived them. While pretending such zeal for their welfare, he was only advancing his own traitorous schemes.

7And at the end of four years Absalom said to the king, “Please let me go and pay my vow, which I have vowed to the LORD, in Hebron. 8For your servant vowed a vow while I lived at Geshur in Aram, saying, ‘If the LORD will indeed bring me back to Jerusalem, then I will offer worship to the LORD.’”

To crown all his other deceit, Absalom pretended to be extremely religious, and claimed that he needed to make a trip to Hebron, in order to keep a holy vow that he had made in the days of his exile. It is a bad person indeed who uses religion to hide their shameful ambition.

9The king said to him, “Go in peace.” So he arose and went to Hebron. 10But Absalom sent secret messengers throughout all the tribes of Israel, saying, “As soon as you hear the sound of the trumpet, then say, ‘Absalom is king at Hebron!’” 11With Absalom went two hundred men from Jerusalem who were invited guests, and they went in their innocence and knew nothing.

These two hundred men joined Absalom in his devotions out of respect because he was the king’s son. They did not know about his plot to overthrow the king. Absalom used their presence for his own ends. The common people believed in these honorable men. The rebellious Absalom convinced them they had left David and had come over to his side.

12And while Absalom was offering the sacrifices, he sent for Ahithophel the Gilonite, David’s counselor, from his city Giloh. And the conspiracy grew strong, and the people with Absalom kept increasing.

Ahithophel was a very close friend of David as well as hiscounselor. However, he appears to have been a selfish person who cared more about his own well being than doing what was right. He was convinced that Absalom was stronger than the king and joined his side. David was driven to great distress. His friends were deserting him. His enemy was growing stronger and aiming to dethrone him. Worst of all, that enemy was his favorite son. What dark clouds hung over David after he so sadly turned from the way of holiness.

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¹ Proverbs 26:28

Year One, September 27

Blessed Is the One Whose Transgression Is Forgiven1

After David had received a sense of pardon, he sang that sweet gospel psalm, the thirty-second.

  

Psalm 32

1 Blessed is the one whose transgression is forgiven,

whose sin is covered.

Yes, even a great sinner may be blessed. When their sin is effectively hidden by the great propitiation,2 they are as blessed as if they had never sinned. Have all the members of this family experienced this blessing? Sin has cursed all of us. Has pardon blessed all of us?

2 Blessed is the man against whom the LORD counts no iniquity,

and in whose spirit there is no deceit.

The person who is released from their guilt is also cleansed from scheming or deceiving. David had been very crafty in his efforts to hide his crime. He felt greatly relieved to escape from the tangled way of living that came from trying to cover up his sin.

3 For when I kept silent, my bones wasted away

through my groaning all day long.

4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me;

my strength was dried up as by the heat of summer.     Selah.

As long as sin remains unconfessed it grows in the heart and is like mental torture. When God adds to this by applying his pressure from the outside, the sinner’s unhappy predicament becomes even worse. These are the feelings, to one degree or another, experienced by everyone who seeks the Lord.

5 I acknowledged my sin to you,

and I did not cover my iniquity;

I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,”

and you forgave the iniquity of my sin.     Selah.

Forgiveness followed on the heels of David’s confession, because Christ’s atonement had already taken place in eternity’s future. If anyone admits their sin before the Lord, the blood of Jesus will put it all away immediately and forever.

6 Therefore let everyone who is godly

offer prayer to you at a time when you may be found;

surely in the rush of great waters,

they shall not reach him.

7 You are a hiding place for me;

you preserve me from trouble;

you surround me with shouts of deliverance.     Selah.

David was overcome with sighs before he prayed to the Lord. Now he is overcome with songs. If we want to be happy, we must be pardoned. If we want to be pardoned, we must confess our iniquities and look to Jesus who covers all our sin.

8 I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go;

I will counsel you with my eye upon you.

9 Be not like a horse or mule, without understanding,

which must be curbed with bit and bridle,

or it will not stay near you.

People who have been forgiven should have tender hearts and be afraid to sin again. We should not need to be treated roughly, like a stubborn animal, but should be sensitive to the slightest touch of the Lord’s hand.

10 Many are the sorrows of the wicked,

but steadfast love surrounds the one who trusts in the LORD.

11 Be glad in the LORD, and rejoice, O righteous,

and shout for joy, all you upright in heart!

Those who begin with holy weeping shall end with holy rejoicing. If there is someone in this family who is unforgiven, let him or her go to the heavenly Father and cry for that gracious forgiveness that is given to all who believe in Jesus. It is not given as a reward for good works. It is not given because of any efforts of our own. It is the free gift of God in Christ Jesus. Paul says that David is describing “the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works.”3 The apostle clearly says that our salvation is not a matter of merit but of grace. The very worst and most horrible sins will be freely and immediately forgiven if we will confess them to the Lord and trust in the infinite worthiness of his dear Son. Do not wait! Rush, right now, to the open fountain of Jesus’ blood.

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¹ Psalm 32:1

² propitiation - The act of satisfying someone’s demands and changing that someone from an enemy into a friend. When Jesus Christ died on the cross he satisfied the demand of God the Father that a sacrifice for sin must be made to him. The wrath or anger of God was used up on Christ so that God’s justice was satisfied and we who were once the enemies of God became his friends.

³ Romans 4:6