King David’s Broken Yet Repentant Heart

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Psalm 51:1-10

​Why is it that King David is held up in Scripture as the ideal king? The kings after David are all measured by his standard. It wasn't because he was without sin. It was because he was humble and repentant.

David's humility is evidenced when he inquired of the Lord and also through his prevailing attitude that God is the true king and he is God's viceroy, or representative who acts in the king's name.

Examples of David's broken humanity

1. David's implied brokenness and weakness: Though we're not told it directly, at times it appears that David was uninvolved, naïve, vulnerable, or morally ambiguous. 
2. David's overt brokenness and sin: David's sin with Bathsheba and when David took a census of Israel. In both instances David humbly repented from what he did. 

To ponder in light of David's story

• John 7:18: Even the sinless, spotless Son of God came as a viceroy to his Father. 
• "The Christian who has stopped repenting has stopped growing" (A.W. Pink).
• "It is not the absence of sin but the grieving over it which distinguishes the child of God from empty professors" (A.W. Pink).
• Psalm 51: David's song of repentance.

Questions for personal reflection or for group discussion

1. What most stood out to you from the message this morning?
2. Which of King David's characteristics are most challenging to you personally?
3. Can you identify specific actions, thoughts, habits, feelings, words, or attitudes that you need to repent from? 
4. Right at the end, Pastor Marcus mentioned that two things are needed to truly repent: (1) Humility and (2) a confidence that God is good and welcomes sinners. As you read through Psalm 51, which phrases indicate David's humility, and which phrases indicate David's confidence that God would forgive and receive him?