Thursday, August 3, 2017

Psalm 51 - More of Luther's Introduction

AELW 12:306-307

"David’s sin is a very moving example of grace and sin. Indeed, if the Holy Scriptures had not told this story, who would ever have believed that such a holy man could sink so low? Through the Holy Spirit he had instituted the worship of the tabernacle. He had adorned this worship with holy songs. He had waged wars with great success. God had declared him to be a chosen man. He had a most glorious promise about the future Seed, Christ, whom the Prophets called the Son of David and the King of David. Why say more? There is no reason why he could not be rightly compared with Moses and Samuel. Yet such a man fell, not into some peccadillo, but at one time into a whole mass of sins. What is even worse, he fell into impenitence and deep smugness, so that if Nathan had not come, David might have sinned against the Holy Spirit.

The fact that such a great man—filled with the Holy Spirit, with the highest good works and divine wisdom, and famous above all for his outstanding gift of divine prophecy—should have fallen so miserably is an example for us, to comfort us when we are beset by sin and fall, or when our consciences are touched by a sense of the wrath and judgment of God. Here in a glorious example there shines the goodness and mercy of God, who is ready to forgive sins and to justify us, just as long as we do not add to our sin a denial that we have sinned."

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