Psalms 103Sample

The Cross as The Hinge of History

David committed adultery and gave orders to his general, Joab, to have the husband of the woman with whom he committed adultery murdered, by placing him in the fiercest place of the battle.

David thought everything was great. Then, about a year later, the prophet Nathan went before him and said, “There was this rich man who had thousands of lambs and sheep, but next to him was a man who was poor, but he only had one sheep. And he treated that sheep like a pet, calling her by name. But when a visitor came by the rich man’s place, you know what the rich man did? He sent his servants to the neighbor and stole that one little lamb and he had it killed and prepared for the party that night.”

David, who had a heart after God [he sinned, you sinned, but it doesn’t mean we don’t have a heart for God, we still know what righteousness is], when he heard about the man who stole the lamb and killed it, he rose up and said, “That man deserves to die. Who is he?”

And Nathan lifted up his finger and said, “You are that man.” Can you see David’s face turn white? He falls on his knees and he says, “I have sinned.” But notice what the prophet says. The prophet says what none of us would ever say. The law said adultery should be punished by death. But the prophet said, “David, your sin has been forgiven.” Why does God forgive him? Because, “Oh please, boys will be boys, you know, besides she was a beautiful woman, so come on give me a break.” No. Why did God forgive David? Because back then, before Christ came, God was looking forward to the day that he would bust through the ceiling of the universe and become a human being and die on the cross and carry David’s sin upon Himself. The cross is the center of history. In the Old Testament they looked forward, today we look back to the cross. We do that all the time.

God did this to demonstrate that He is fair and just, and that He makes the sinners right in His sight when they believe and trust in Jesus Christ. I urge you if you haven’t made that decision, choose to trust in the risen Lord Jesus as your Savior.

You can ask yourself, “How was all of this hidden in Psalm 103?” As you read the book of Psalms, God will speak to you in ways that will amaze and bless you as you have never imagined. Remember, one Psalm a day.