Neglect. Adultery. Manipulation. Murder. Cover-up.
David committed all of these sins as he neglected to go to war as a king should do. He then had an affair with Bathsheba since her husband was away on the battlefield. Upon discovery of her pregnancy, David called Uriah, her husband, home in an attempt to get him to sleep with his wife so the pregnancy could not be pinned on David. When that plan did not work, he had Uriah killed in battle. David took Bathsheba for his wife to wrap up the entire mess, so his baby was born in the palace.
2 Samuel 11:27b
But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.
The Lord sent Nathan, a prophet, to confront David on his actions. David had committed all of these sins about a year earlier, yet there had been no sign of repentance until the day Nathan rebuked him.
2 Samuel 12:9a
Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes?
It is in the midst of this conversation that David finally admitted that he had done wrong.
2 Samuel 12:13
Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
This was not all that David did in his repentance. He wrote a song which is now recorded as Psalm 51. In the song, he laments his sin and asks restoration of his relationship with the Lord.
Psalm 51:1-2
Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.
David understood that he not only needed God’s mercy to forgive what he had done in the past, but he also needed help to live differently in the future.
Psalm 51:10
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
David wrote an allegory to explain the emotional healing that takes place in confession. In his poetic discord, David gave a visual of what this healing is like.
Psalm 51:8
…let the bones which you have broken rejoice.
When a bone breaks, the bone marrow cells send a message for other cells to help the body heal. The result of these extra cells causes inflammation. Then, a substance known as callus surrounds the broken bone. Callus is a soft substance so the bone needs to be held in place during this stage of healing so no further damage occurs. That is why a broken bone is stabilized in a cast. Eventually, new cells come and form a new bone. The process takes weeks.
When do broken bones rejoice? When they are healed. If we do not go through the healing process, the “broken bones” of our lives will stay shattered instead of strengthened. The healing takes time. The healing involves steps. There is a process to be able to regain what was lost. It is not immediate, but it can come. God forgives in the moment, but restoration takes time. We want to be healed so as to be protected to not sin in the same way again.
What in your life is broken? What is not working? Do not ignore the signs but instead focus on healing in that area.
I have to do this in my own life often. The Lord shows me a sin area and takes me into root causes of that sin. Some of the issues are deep enough that I have enlisted counseling. No matter the sin issue, I always share my broken places with trusted friends for I know that vulnerability and accountability lead to transformation. We should value our healing so much that we are willing to do whatever it takes to be whole. Too many people are going through life with obvious “broken” areas which everyone else can see. However, nothing can be done to help the person until there is an acknowledgment that the “emotional bones” are hurt. Healing can be attained but only if one humbles himself to receive the help of God and others.
If we broke our arm, it would be foolish to not go to a doctor. Yet, we do not take our broken lives to our Heavenly Physician. Often, others in our lives attempt to point out areas for change, but we ignore them. By doing this, we only delay or even further damage the broken places, leading us to more sin and consequences. Sadly, this hurts not only ourselves but others in the process.
We must not delay any longer! It is time for the broken places in our hearts to be healed. Our Heavenly Physician and others help us in the process and let us know when it is time for the “cast” to come off so we can be reinstated into service. Then, our broken bones will rejoice! The joy will be evident in our lives and seen by others. We will then know we are truly whole!
(By the way, this blog stems from thoughts I wrote about myself in my journal in 2023. Now, God is dealing with me on a whole other set of broken areas in my life. He is such a good Doctor. I hope to become even more healed and whole this year! Let the broken bones rejoice!)