David experienced what most Christians experience in their lives. When we put our faith in Christ, we have a tendency to think we won’t sin like we use to. When we do sin and do it without planning to, Satan begins to taunt us with questions about our salvation. David knew he was saved because of God’s amazing love and forgiveness. He looked forward to the promised Messiah Who would take the place of the Passover Lamb, yet he still felt the guilt of his sin.
What was David worried about? He was concerned with his eternal destiny. “Don’t let me suffer the fate of sinners. Don’t condemn me along with murderers.” Verse 9 (NLT). We know that “Abram believed the Lord, and the Lord counted him as righteous because of his faith”. We know Abraham did not always understand God’s plan for his life, but we do not read of his doubting his faith because God walked and talked with him.
So why did David have doubts? We find in Exodus 19 that God told Moses to give the Israelites this message: “Now if you will obey Me and keep My commandments, you will be My own special treasure from among all the peoples on earth; for all the earth belongs to Me. And you will be My kingdom of priests, My Holy Nation.” Exodus 19:5 (NLT). When Moses told the people what God said, they responded, “we will do everything the Lord has commanded”. Verse 8.
When Moses reported the people’s response to God, God told him to prepare the people for in three days He would appear and speak to them. But when God appeared, “the people trembled”. Verse 16. God then gave the people the Ten Commandments, and after wards the people said to Moses, “you speak to us, and we will listen. But don’t let God speak directly to us, or we will die!” Ex. 20:19 (NLT). God honored their request and changed His relationship with Israel. Instead of becoming a nation of priests, they became a nation with priests. God chose the tribe of Levi to be an intermediary between Himself and the people.
The Temple was divided into two main parts: the Holy Place where only the priests on duty were allowed to enter for their daily work and the Holy of Holies where only the High Priest could enter and only once a year on the Day of Atonement. These two rooms were separated by a curtain that was designed to keep people out and to keep them from even seeing into the presence of God. But when Christ died, at the moment of death the “curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom”. Matthew 27:51 (NLT).
So, God has given the Church the opportunity Israel rejected. Because the curtain was torn apart, it symbolized that people who have trusted Christ as Savior may enter God’s presence at any time. “So let us come boldly to the throne of our gracious God. There we will receive His mercy, and we will find grace to help us when we need it most.” Hebrews 4:16 (NLT). (See also 1 Peter 2:5,9)