No Penalty At Any Cost?

Psalm 51:8 Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

King David knew what being broken was like. Whether being on the run from a jealous violent King Saul, or a spoiled out of control son. He knew how to live in the wilderness of Israel cold and wet. In these and other situations it is clear that God is working in David's life. The difference though was in earlier occasions God put David into peril for the sake of being better servant. The later events were God chastening David for acts of disobedience.

In the case of Psalm 51 God is chastening David. David of all people guilty of adultry, murder and coverup. David in some sense was fortunate that God did not strike him dead when Nathan the prophet confronted him about the sin. The people would have been justified in overthrowing this murderous king. But God in His Sovereign Wisdom chose this route instead. Yet David still is heart broken. Most men would be happy that they got off the hook with just a preacher yelling at them. But not David. Why the guilt trip? Was he manic depressant? Did he have low self-esteem? What was the big deal?

To David, his relationship with God was more important than just getting off the hook with an unwanted penalty. David wanted more than anything else being right with God. How about you? Do you care more about being free for penalty or chastisement from human authority than being right with God?