in sin's wake

The Word for today:
Psalm 51


Many, but not all, of the Psalms contain an ascription at the beginning. Don't neglect to read these. They are part of the inspired text of the Bible.

The ascription tells us by whom the Psalm was written--or for whom, to whom, about whom, about what. Carefully noting its ascription before reading a Psalm will often add a level of personality and context.

The saddest ascription introduces Psalm 51:

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David when Nathan the prophet went to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba.

(You can read more about David's sin with Bathsheba and its tragic aftermath, beginning in 2 Samuel 11.)

The sword would never depart (1) from David's life, from his family, or from his nation after this incident. David did not lose his salvation (2), but sin's consequences spun out of control. Murder, rape, incest, treason, and civil war followed in his sin's wake.

Remember that we, as children of God, will never lose the salvation Jesus purchased for us on the cross. But God has not promised that He will hide the reality of sin's consequences from us, nor shield those around us from our sins' effects.

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(1) 2 Samuel 12:10; (2) 2 Samuel 12:13