You Are the Man
(ESV) Psalm 51:15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
“You da man,” this modern expression is a congratulatory phrase to acknowledge a person’s success in a particular venture. But when I read this psalm of confession and repentance, my mind goes to the story the prophet Nathan told David in 2 Samuel 12.
Samuel told the story of two men, one rich and the other poor. The lamb in the parable was precious to the poor man, yet the rich man stole the poor man’s lamb to feed to one of his guests. David was incensed when he heard the story, proclaiming the man must die. But Nathan said, “You are the man.”
Could there be any more chilling words? You are the man.
Today’s psalm is a direct result of Nathan’s accusation and of David’s realization of his sin. David did what a man after God’s own heart does— he repents. Being a man of God did not make him perfect, but it enabled him to turn back to God.
May we pay close attention to our choices, understanding that poor choices produce poor results. But God’s love produces forgiveness.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
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Seeking Holiness 