2 Samuel 11-12; 1 Chronicles 20; Psalms 51, 31; Acts 27

David's sin with Bathsheba shows that human sinfulness continues to live even in the strongest people of faith. The main fault of David, for which God accuses him, was that he "despised" God (2 Samuel 12:10), seeking pleasure in what is contrary to Him. Every sin always promises joy, diverting from the only source of true joy, our Creator and Lord.

Another typical problem is that David commits this sin when his life has calmed down, all the major enemies have been subdued, major problems have been resolved, and he can relax. Such periods are dangerous because we stop being vigilant, relax, and become more open to sin.


Despite the gravity of David's act, his repentance is worthy of imitation. It should be noted that he did not repent immediately, and besides committing adultery, he also committed murder to cover up his sin. But as soon as the prophet Nathan explained the essence of his sin, David repented deeply and sincerely. His repentance is well expressed in Psalms 50 and 31. In Psalm 31, David speaks of the torments of unrepented sin: "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long... Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity... and you forgave the guilt of my sin" (Psalm 31:3-5).

In Psalm 51, David writes about this in more detail: "Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions and my sin is always before me" (Psalm 51:2-3). David vividly sees his sin, recognizing the gravity of his crime primarily before God: "Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight" (Psalm 51:4). He asks for cleansing (Psalm 51:7) and for true joy that comes from harmonious communion with God (Psalm 51:12).

The main result of David's repentance is a broken spirit: "My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit" (Psalm 51:17).

Paul's journey to Rome turned out to be very dangerous. This was typical for maritime travel at that time. Paul's behavior during the storm is noteworthy. Despite the centurion accompanying the prisoners and trusting the ship's captain and the pilot more (Acts 27:11), Paul continued to behave confidently and firmly. This is one of the qualities of true leadership. Having a clear word from God, the apostle did not fall into resentment and self-pity but continued to calmly and confidently say what was right, persuading everyone to trust in God, whom he believed in.