In a song that David composed as his last words – not yet his last breath, but intended as his final composition – he would recognize that God had raised him to eminence, that he was not only “the anointed of the God of Jacob” but also “the favorite of the Strong One of Israel” (II Samuel 23:1). He was clear on how this is supposed to work: “The Spirit of the Lord speaks through me; his word is upon my tongue” (23:2).

David’s song declares that God blesses a leader “who rules over people justly, ruling in the fear of God” (23:3). He could rejoice that his house stood firm with God, who “has made with me an everlasting covenant” (23:5) – in contrast to the godless, whom God rejects (23:6). It’s nice poetry, but the message seems to be a version of the conventional wisdom: there are good people and bad people, and God loves the good people – including especially me.

Yet if David’s house was standing firm as he came toward the end of his reign, we have seen that it was a very rocky road to get there. God had indeed raised David to eminence, yet David was far from flawless; we recall how Nathan had rebuked David for having “despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight” (12:7-9). David’s own testimony might well have been that God somehow loves and redeems even those who displease him. It was God’s faithfulness to the covenant, rather than David’s, that resulted in him still standing as God’s anointed.

The inscription over Psalm 51 attributes it to David, following Nathan’s rebuke. That may be mostly correct, though it is clear that the last two verses must come from about four centuries later, after the Exile, expressing a prayer that God would “rebuild the walls of Jerusalem” so that offerings could be offered there (Psalm 51:18-19). In any case, the penitence of the first twelve verses of the psalm form a good refrain for the story of David: beloved of God, yet deeply in need of grace. “Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin” (51:2).

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Spirit of God: let your words be on our tongues, that we may sing your praises. We all are lost sinners, apart from your grace. We all can only be rejected, unless you raise us up from our failures, large and small, and from death itself. King of kings and Lord of lords, we will praise your name forever and ever.

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