Today’s message is based on Psalm 3 from the Old Testament. This psalm was written by King David. He was the king of Israel about 3,000 years ago, and he wrote this poem.

The first sentence of the first book of the New Testament, the Gospel of Matthew, says, “The book of the genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David, the Son of Abraham.” Jesus Christ, the Son of God whom we believe in and rely on, is described here as the Son of Abraham and the Son of David. While we believe that Jesus is the Son of God, the Bible also calls Him the descendant of Abraham and David.

Why is that? God foretold that Jesus would come to this earth, and He first gave that promise a very long time ago to a man named Abraham. “From among your descendants, the Christ who will save this world—the one sent by God—will come! He will come from the lineage of David!” Moreover, David was a king. God told us that He would come as a King. Thus, when God promised Abraham, “I will bless you!” it was the same as promising, “The one who will bring you this blessing will come as a King.” That person is our Jesus Christ. The one you are about to meet is Jesus Christ, the King. When you receive Him as your King, you can enjoy the blessings that God has given.

There was a specific situation David faced when he wrote Psalm 3. He wrote these words while he was fleeing from his own son. He was a king, so why was he being chased by his son? David was a king who left behind incredibly important and great achievements for Israel. Yet, in his later years, he faced this ironic situation of being pursued by his son. He was a man who shed much blood throughout his life, fighting wars to conquer Israel. After finally conquering the land and just as the nation was becoming stable, he was chased by his son. He encountered such a strange situation. Despite being a major figure recorded in the Bible, his life was by no means smooth.

How wonderful would it be if everything in our lives flowed perfectly as we imagined when we were young? If our children grew up healthy, studied hard, found great jobs, earned good money, were devoted to their parents, and married well; and if every family member remained healthy, never entertained wrong thoughts, never committed adultery, never did drugs, and never fought… how happy and good would it be if we could all live like that?

But life is not like that. Factors that cause us pain always lie in wait at unexpected moments. We want to erase them completely, but they will not be washed away. There are many flaws. There are so many flaws in our lives. People who cannot tolerate such imperfections will likely find it unbearable. Moreover, it is not just others or our circumstances that are flawed; what is truly difficult to endure is the fact that I myself have so many flaws. If someone else does something wrong, you can just get annoyed or dislike them, but when your own conscience weighs you down because of your own mistakes, that is truly agonizing. Because of such things, in some cases, people even take their own lives.

Our lives are filled with all sorts of flaws, and God knows this. Even though He knows that humans have such flaws, He does not distance Himself from us. Instead, He seeks to draw near to us and give us His blessings. These blessings belong to God, and He wants all of us to enjoy them. Even if you have committed a mistake or a crime that makes you lose your confidence before yourself, your family, or God, He still wants to welcome you when you come before Him. He desires to share the happiness He possesses with you.

Why was David being chased? This is what happened. David had several sons, and his firstborn was Amnon. His third son was named Absalom. These two sons were born to different wives. Since David was a king, he had many wives, and thus many half-siblings lived together. Absalom, born to the third wife, was exceptionally handsome. His mother must have been a great beauty. He was very handsome, and he had a sister named Tamar. Tamar was also very beautiful. Eventually, the eldest brother, Amnon, developed feelings for Absalom’s sister, Tamar. He adored her and wanted to possess her. So, he devised a plan and pretended to be ill. When King David worriedly asked, “What is wrong?” Amnon replied, “I have a fever. Please let my sister Tamar come and nurse me.” Using this trick, he brought Tamar into his room and then violated her. Afterward, he should have taken responsibility, but instead, he refused and drove her away. Tamar said, “What you are doing now is worse than what you did before!” but it was no use. Strangely, once Amnon had filled his desire, he grew to hate Tamar. So he threw her out. Distraught by what had happened, Tamar tore her robe and went home weeping.

What should King David have done after hearing this news? He should have punished his eldest son and cleared his daughter’s grievance, but he did not do so. Perhaps it was because Amnon was his firstborn. Thus, the matter was simply brushed aside. However, Tamar’s brother, Absalom, heard the news. He was furious. But because Amnon was his older brother and the King’s son, there was nothing he could do immediately. So he said, “Stay quiet. I will take care of it, so just stay quiet,” and he remained silent for a while.

Two years passed. After two years had gone by, the time came for Absalom to shear his sheep. In those days, the day of sheep-shearing was like a day of feasting. Absalom took this opportunity to invite King David. “Father! Please come with me to the place where I am shearing my sheep!” However, the King did not go. Fortunately, he did not go. He said, “Why should I go all that way? If I go, I fear I will be a burden to you,” and he declined. When the King did not go, Absalom used another trick and requested again, “Then please let my brother Amnon come.” At first, the King was puzzled, asking, “Why should Amnon need to go?” but as Absalom pleaded earnestly, he eventually sent Amnon and all the other brothers. He likely felt uneasy about it. While all the brothers were there at the sheep-shearing site, Absalom gave a command to his men whom he had hidden in advance. And right there, he struck down and killed Amnon, who had violated his sister.

How did David react upon hearing this news? Faced with the tragedy of one son killing another, the King wept bitterly. After this incident, Absalom fled to his mother’s family, and three years passed. Later, the King called him back, but when he returned, the King refused to see him. In this way, another two years went by. However, the remarkable thing was that during that time, the hearts of the people turned toward Absalom. Absalom began to reach out to the people who were beyond the King’s touch and won their hearts. As he listened to their grievances, the people began to support him. At that point, Absalom finally raised the flag of rebellion, and in an instant, David found himself in a position where he was about to lose his throne. Ultimately, he had to leave the palace in Jerusalem and flee. This is the psalm he wrote while on that journey. That is why, in this psalm, he is crying out to God for salvation.

In this situation, David likely remembered something before God. There were more than a few mistakes he had committed throughout his life. And his son, Absalom, would have known about them too. Absalom waited, thinking, “Why doesn’t my father resolve this injustice? Why doesn’t he punish my brother Amnon?” but it was in vain. Eventually, he probably thought, “Since my father is that kind of man as well, I have no choice but to carry out the punishment myself.”

So, what kind of man was his father? Although David was now old and in a miserable state, he had a history of what he had done in his youth. One day, while the nation was still at war, David was walking on the roof of his palace in Jerusalem. Looking down from the roof, he saw a woman bathing in a nearby building. She was so beautiful that he fell in love with her at first sight. He found out she was the wife of Uriah, one of his generals—the wife of his own subordinate. But he was so captivated that he brought her to the palace and slept with her. She even became pregnant. This created a huge problem, as things would become very difficult if the pregnancy were discovered.

So, to make the child appear to be her husband’s, David summoned the husband back from the battlefield. The general, who had been in the middle of a war, returned. Ordinarily, he should have spent time with his wife, but General Uriah was so upright and loyal that he refused to go home. Why? He said, “How can I go home and be at ease with my wife while my fellow soldiers and subordinates are still out there fighting on the battlefield?” and he did not go to his house. From the King’s perspective, this was incredibly frustrating. Instead of seeing this faithful subordinate as admirable, he thought, “Why is this man being so stubborn?” Even after being urged several times, Uriah never went home. Eventually, he headed back to the battlefield just as he was.

Having no other choice, the King sent Uriah back and handed him a letter. This letter was not for Uriah himself, but for his commanding officer. The King’s instructions were: “When Uriah arrives, send him to the very front line of the battle! Then, have everyone else pull back!” Unaware of this, Uriah delivered the letter to his officer as soon as he returned to his unit, and he was indeed killed just as planned.

So, what exactly did David do? He committed adultery and then ordered a murder. What should be done with such a person? Moreover, this was a kingdom governed by the laws of God’s kingdom. Yet, he committed such acts right there. He deserved to die, didn’t he? It seems he thought no one would ever know after it happened. Later, as if he had been waiting, he took that woman as his own wife. The person born from that union was Solomon, who eventually became the king. He is King Solomon.

All of these events are recorded in the Bible. Even such filthy acts are documented in detail. This is all history in which God intervened. Later, God rebuked David through a prophet. When God asked, “How could you do such a thing?” David showed one thing that set him apart from other kings: he repented. He repented before God and admitted that he was a sinner. He never claimed to be righteous. And although God rebuked him, He continued to trust and support David. God kept His promise to the end, saying, “His throne shall be established forever.”

Why is that? Human unrighteousness is the same for everyone; there is only a difference in degree. Perhaps as you looked at David just now, you thought to yourself, “What a terrible man!” But we are the same. In the eyes of God, every person is a “terrible person” who falls short. There is no one who is qualified. If someone says, “I am not like that! I have lived my whole life with a clear conscience,” then that person has no need for God. Furthermore, if one goes before God with such an attitude and says, “I am honorable, so I am worthy of fellowship with God and entitled to receive His blessings,” they are, in fact, even less qualified. That is making God out to be a liar. This is because God has already judged that “there is none righteous, no, not one; all are sinners. Their throat is an open tomb, and their mouth is full of cursing and bitterness.” Therefore, claiming “I am not a sinner, but righteous” is the same as calling God a liar.

How can one have fellowship with God while disregarding Him as a liar? On the contrary, God accepts those who admit, “I am a sinner. I am a sinner who truly deserves to die and am unworthy to come before God.” He gives such people a new opportunity. It is for this very reason that Jesus came to this earth, shed His blood on the cross, and died to pay the full price for our sins. Therefore, to have a meeting with God, you must accept the merit of Jesus, who paid the price for your sins; it is not about trying to become righteous through your own strength.

In this world, such a thing can happen: “How dare a filthy person like you come here!” However, when coming before God, it is the “filthy” people who come because of Jesus Christ. That is why Jesus said, “Who is it that needs a physician? Is it not the sick?” A person who says, “I have no illness; I am healthy,” has no need for a doctor. But a person who says, “I am dying of cancer; please save me!” truly needs a doctor. Jesus came to this earth in this way—to forgive us humans who are enslaved by sin and to allow us to enjoy the blessings that belong to God.

In the eyes of man, Absalom was a truly remarkable person. In fact, if someone like Absalom were to appear today, he would be incredibly popular. Why? First, he was exceptionally handsome. The Bible even describes him as flawless from the sole of his foot to the crown of his head, mentioning that he had a very thick head of hair. He was stunningly handsome. Second, he was a “good” person with a gentle nature. He endured even after his sister suffered such a terrible ordeal, waiting for two years thinking, “My father will resolve this.” Only when that failed did he take action himself. After killing his brother, he fled far away and returned three years later. Although he returned to Jerusalem with King David’s permission, the King refused to see him. As another two years passed, Absalom finally began to take action to challenge the King. During this time, while planning to usurp the throne, he listened to the stories of the people who had been wronged, sharing their hearts and resolving their problems. Because he spent day after day in the city doing this, the people grew to love him. They cheered, “Absalom is the best! An apostle of justice! He is amazing! Absalom is the only one who can help us!” He was, quite literally, the incarnation of justice. He personally hadn’t done anything that seemed so wrong. In fact, killing the brother who harmed his sister was something that could be justified even under the law. Therefore, from a legal standpoint, this man was blameless.

From that perspective, when he looked at his father, he saw too many flaws. So, he began to pass judgment: “That is why he cannot govern the nation properly! He cannot even say a word when his own son commits the same sin!” Eventually, he reached the conclusion, “My father is not fit to be king.” From a human point of view, his reasoning seems to quite make sense.

However, there was something Absalom missed. God had a specific purpose in guiding the history of Israel: to bring a blessing to all people in the world. The method for providing that blessing was through establishing a King. And where must that King come from? He had to come from the lineage of David. Therefore, God was in the process of leading and nurturing the house of David. But what would happen if David were to die? If David had died like that, how could his throne have continued through the generations? This is why, even though David had sinned, God forgave him because David relied on His promise. As long as God’s covenant remained alive in him, David had to be cherished and respected for the sake of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Through this, all nations of the world obtain a blessing. Absalom, however, was not focused on God’s covenant; his focus was entirely on implementing justice. To him, realizing justice was a higher priority than the fulfillment of God’s promise.

If that happens, it becomes impossible to understand the will of God. If we were to implement pure justice, what would have to happen to every sinner? They would all have to die. If justice were truly carried out, what should happen to every person here? We would all have to go to hell. We are people who have lived ungratefully without God. We have caused a great deal of harm to others and have brought them much heartache. You say you haven’t? Have you never broken your parents’ hearts? We have wounded the hearts of the parents who love us most, and though we may not remember it, we have lived our lives until now causing pain to countless people. We may not have committed heinous crimes only because the right circumstances didn’t arise; if the conditions were met, we are all capable of committing such sins.

Therefore, when the Lord sees someone commit a sin, He does not say, “How could they do such a thing?” Instead, He says, “When you see others sin, be careful and fear that you might fall into the same situation.” It is not because I am a remarkable person that I haven’t faced such trials; it is because, thankfully, I was not placed in those circumstances and because God protected me that I have not encountered such situations.

We live not by justice, but by God’s covenant. It is because of that covenant, not justice, that we are able to receive God’s blessings. It is also because of God’s covenant, not the law, that we can become children of God and enjoy eternal life.

Therefore, do not be those who choose the law, but choose the covenant of God. God said, “Even though you are a sinner, I will establish a new covenant with you! If I promised to be with you only when you were righteous, I could never be with you at all. So, I will make a new covenant. Now, I will no longer remember your sins, and after covering your flaws and forgiving your transgressions, I will be with you! Therefore, let each of you repent and be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit!” This is the promise He has given to you.

When you acknowledge that you are a sinner, repent, and become one with Jesus Christ, God will share with you the good things He has prepared for His beloved Son, Jesus. You will have eternal life, and you will find happiness through the very happiness of God. He wants you to enjoy this. This is why we need faith. It is not about being perfectly righteous or keeping the Ten Commandments on our own; it is about believing in and relying on the promise of God, who made such a covenant for a sinner like me. I pray in the name of Jesus that you all may encounter this God.

God our Father, if we were to be judged by the law, we would have no choice but to perish. Yet, because we rely on the unchanging promise You have made even with sinners, we have come before Jesus in this way. As You have said, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins,” we pray that everyone here may receive the forgiveness of their sins. Furthermore, help us to receive the Holy Spirit from God so that we may be filled with Your glory. May they find happiness through the living God, and just as Jesus was resurrected, please work in us so that we all may be resurrected in the future. With thanksgiving, we pray in the name of Jesus, Amen.