When King David committed adultery with Bathsheba, and then engineered the death of her husband in order to conceal his sin, God sent the Prophet Nathan to rebuke him (2 Samuel 11:1-17; 12:1-12). David repented sincerely and God forgave him (2 Samuel 12:13 ; ) Psalm 32: 1 – 5). Also, the memory of the sin of David, as well as that of his repentance and forgiveness that God has given to him then, remained until today, for the sake of those who read the Bible (Romans 15:4; 1 Corinthians 10:11). In fact, since “the word of God contained in the Bible remains forever,” God’s word is eternal, and His promises are absolute!-1 Peter 1:25.
Some 360 years after David, Manasseh inherits the throne of Judah. Its 55 years of rule were marked by the wickedness, and detestable practices earned him the divine condemnation. Among other heinous acts, it draws up altars for Baal, love “all the host of heaven”, made his son pass through the fire, and encourages spiritualism. In short, he does “on a large scale what is bad in the eyes of God”. -2 Chron. 33: 1 – 6.
Manasseh will eventually be captured in his country and then imprisoned in Babylon. Manasseh indeed comes to God. How? He humbles himself a lot and pray to God (2 Chron. 33: 12. 13), The Bible does not reveal the exact terms of his prayers, but we can imagine that they resemble those of David in Psalm 51. Whatever it is, his heart radically changes as David before him, and Manasseh recognizes the seriousness of his sins and repents sincerely. That is why God forgive him and restores in his Kingdom in Jerusalem. Then “Manasseh knew that the LORD is God”. (2 Chron. 33: 13.)
Awareness and recognition of sin
Recognizing that he has to be accountable to God, David said: “Against you, you alone, have I sinned, and I done what is evil in your sight, so that you reveal you just when you talk, you’re perfect if you’re judging.” (Psalm 51:4). David had broken the laws of God, disgraced the King function and “really missed respect towards God” by throwing opprobrium on him (2 Samuel 12:14 ; ) Exodus 20:13, 14, 17). David’s Sins were also transgressions against Jewish society and members of his family, as it is now a baptized transgressor plunges into sadness or anxiety of the Christian Church as well as his relatives.
While acknowledging his sin against his human companions, such Uriah, the repentant King confessed to still have greater responsibility before God (see Genesis 39:7 – 9). David also acknowledged that the judgment of God would be just (Romans 3:4). Christians who had sinned should have the same vision of this.
Regrets and confession according to God
Years earlier, David was gnawed regrets after his adultery with Bathsheba; he had begged God in these terms: “according to the abundance of your mercies, clear my transgressions… My SIN is always before me. See! In the fault I was put in the world in pain, and in Sin my mother conceived me. “(PS. 51: 1 – 5).” In His great mercy, God takes account of the fact that we have inherited sin. Obviously, David’s heart was filled with remorse for what he had gone. However, the regrets of David had to deeply tearing his heart.
Looking for forgiveness
Soon after, David prays, God forgives. David composed a song which reflects the depth of his remorse. Psalm 51 contains his touching supplication to God and clearly shows that it does not merely recognize faults. He repents of his sins. David is worried especially for his relationship with God. “Against you, you alone, I’ve sinned”, he admits, before imploring: “create in me a clean heart, o God, and put a new spirit inside of me. Give me the joy of your salvation, and can you support me with a willing spirit. “(Psalm 51: 1 – 4, 7-12). Are you talking about God to your faults with the same honesty and sincerity? One of the reasons why God forgave David is perhaps the fact that David himself forgave Saul (1 Sam. 24:4-7). As Jesus explained, God treats us the way we treat each other.
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