David was a good man, a religious man; God said David was a man after His own heart. In the early days of his reign as king, he wrote this psalm. In this psalm, David made several promises to God that he intended to live by. This psalm should be the goal of every believer.
In verse 2, David said, “I will be careful to live a blameless life. . .I will lead a life of integrity in my own home.” Yes, though he had several wives, David summoned Bathsheba to his house and committed adultery with her. Then, after he found out she was pregnant and he couldn’t cover it up, David had her husband, Uriah, killed in battle. Uriah was one of David’s best soldiers.
In verse 3 and 7, David said, “I hate all who deal crookedly; I will have nothing to do with them. . .I will not allow deceivers to serve in my house, and liars will not stay in my presence.” But Joab, David’s nephew, was a liar, deceiver, and a murderer, yet he commanded David’s army.
David had trouble in his own household. His son, Ammon, raped his half-sister, Tamar, using David as an unknowing accomplice, but David did nothing about it. Then, Tamar’s full-brother, Absalom, killed Ammon and David did nothing about that. Finally, Absalom revolted against his father so that the royal family had to flee for their lives. When Absalom was killed in battle, David wept to the disbelief of his army.
If David, a man after God’s own heart, could fail so miserably with keeping his promises to God, can we be expected to do much better? Yes, we want to do better, but we all fail. It becomes terribly embarrassing if others find out about our failures. Some people leave the church because they feel so guilty about their failures. So, how can we overcome the guilt?
First, we need to confess our failures: 1 John 1:8-2:2. Second, realize that even Paul struggled with sin: Romans 7:14-25. Third, recognize that we are no longer under condemnation because of what Christ did for us: Romans 8:1-2. Finally, ask the Lord to rebuke Satan to stop his nagging condemnation as He did for Jeshua, the high priest: Zechariah 3. This has helped me, and I believe it will help you also. Remember God kept His promise to David for both Joseph and Mary were his direct descendants who bore and raised the Lord Jesus Christ.