Insight from Psalm 51<\/p>\n
In Ps 51:8 the king describes \u201cthe bones that [Yahweh] [has] broken.\u201d This image refers to the discipline brought upon the king by Yahweh because of the king\u2019s sin. If, for the sake of argument, the interpreter applies these words to David, these words lack \u201cscientific accuracy,\u201d for the historical accounts in Samuel and Chronicles never speak of Yahweh having broken David\u2019s bones when he sinned against Bathsheba. And, if, for the sake of argument, the interpreter applies these words to the eschatological king, these words also lack \u201cscientific accuracy,\u201d for God the Father did not break Jesus\u2019s bones when he died upon the cross. In fact, the gospel accounts declare the opposite in fulfillment of OT predictions\u2013\u2013even predictions within the Psalter (John 19:31\u201337; cf. Ps 34:20). In terms of the present argument, whether these words should rightly be applied to David or to Jesus is inconsequential, for the same problem faces the interpreter in either case. Yahweh never broke the king\u2019s bones when he disciplined the king. Poetically, however, he did break his bones. These words about breaking the king\u2019s bones poetically picture Yahweh crushing this man because of his sin. Like the bending of the bronze bow, the image of the king with the broken bones was never intended to be taken literalistically. The reader, thanks to this image, feels Yahweh\u2019s discipline crashing down upon the king. The reader watches the king\u2019s body break under the weight of that discipline.<\/span><\/p>\n Significantly, at stake here is <\/span>not <\/span><\/i>hyperbole\u2013\u2013exaggerated claims designed to be recognized as overstatement. No, the psalmist is not overreaching in his claims regarding the subject\u2019s bones being broken. Instead, he is speaking truthful things in poetic ways.<\/span><\/p>\n –<\/p>\n Ps 51:13 contains a promise from the king that does not correspond with events taking place in David\u2019s reign after his disobedience with Bathsheba. The king declares, based upon the forgiveness granted to him by Yahweh, \u201cThen I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.\u201d The obedience of God\u2019s people, it appears, would increase in the days after the king\u2019s deliverance from his sin. However, no such return to Yahweh accompanied David\u2019s restoration after his sin with Bathsheba. Sin only increased in Israel after David\u2019s sin and repentance. Indeed, the prophet Nathan prophesied, \u201cNow therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife\u201d (2 Sam 12:10).<\/span><\/p>\n Nevertheless, the deliverance experienced by Jesus perfectly corresponds with Ps 51:13. His death and resurrection led to a multitude of transgressors returning to Yahweh. It also led to his ongoing role as a teacher of his people (by means of the apostles).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n <\/p>","protected":false},"featured_media":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"give_campaign_id":0,"_seopress_robots_primary_cat":"","_seopress_titles_title":"","_seopress_titles_desc":"","_seopress_robots_index":"","_crdt_document":""},"class_list":["post-4580","reading-plan","type-reading-plan","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-plan\/4580","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/reading-plan"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/reading-plan"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/handstotheplow.org\/am\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4580"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}