Details are Helpful

“For I will declare mine iniquity; I will be sorry for my sin.” (Ps 38:18 AV)

A great attitude to have.  David may have had his faults, but one thing you could never accuse him of was a lack of conscience for his sins.  David was quick to confess and forsake.  To say that David felt bad would be an understatement.  When David asked for mercy, typically it was for the sake of those who were affected by his sin.  He prayed and fasted for the child born to Bathsheba.  He prayed for the nation when he numbered them against God’s will.  David sought mercy for the priests at Nob.  David’s habit was to intercede for those affected by wrong choices on his part.  I cannot say for certain, but the times when David sought mercy for himself before any others seem rare or non-existent.  As a rule of life, the verse above was typical for David.  He genuinely felt badly that his sin had adverse effects on those around him.  He felt bad that he had offended the only God he loved.  He felt shame at failure and strove to improve as a man.  David is a great example of an imperfect man working hard to be the man God wanted him to be.

Declaring our iniquity is the hardest part.  We are not talking about a cursory confession.  No.  When David declared his sin, he didn’t couch it in ambiguous terms.  David got down to the nitty-gritty.  When he declared his sin, he stated the full fault and even the nature of that sin toward God.  There is a legal concept we have in American courts call allocution.  An allocution is a sworn statement by the defendant offered to the court describing the crime committed, the means by which it was committed, and the cause for committing the crime.  Allocution is usually part of a plea deal to ensure the defended is indeed guilty of the crime and that a complete understanding of his actions is in evidence.  Included in the allocution is a statement of remorse intended to help the victims with closure but also intended to plea for mercy from the court.  This allocution must be detailed.  A simple statement of guilt is insufficient.  The court is looking for a fully informed confession and a state of mind able to confess to the crime in question.  If the allocution is not satisfactory, the court has the right to reject it and force the case to trial.  The important thing here is the detail required for an allocution to be accepted.

Often, we go to prayer confessing sin in a general and ambiguous way.  What we do not do is take the time to allocate to the sin at hand.  We don’t spend time sharing with God what He already knows.  Just because He is all-knowing doesn’t mean we have come to terms with what we have done.  Allocution is more for our benefit than it is His.  When David confessed his sin, it wasn’t a general statement.  He didn’t admit to adultery without the details of the affair.  He described what he had done, and that it was wicked.  David didn’t simply state that a poor decision resulted in the death of the priests and Nob.  He stated that he occasioned the death of the innocent.  David did not merely state that a census was taken against the will of God.  He confessed that he was the one who ordered it even against godly counsel not to.  In other words, when David confesses his sin, he does so in detail.  Right down to why God has the right to inflict whatever punishment He deems appropriate.  This is the difference between David and most saints.  David isn’t afraid to confront the ugly side of his life.  He is not timid when attacking his own character.  He gets it all out in the open.  Then he falls upon the grace of God for forgiveness and restoration.