Then
Saul said, “I have sinned. Return, my son David, for I will not harm you again
because my life was precious in your sight this day. Behold, I have played the
fool and have committed a serious error.” (v.21)
There's an old saying, “Prisons are full of people who
are sorry………sorry they got caught! – not necessarily repentant of their deeds.
Here in chapter 26 we find king Saul is expressing the same sorrowful admission
of being caught. He regrets the folly and its consequences but, is not
repenting before God. He is simply admitting to being a fool and committing a
serious error.
Godly
repentance regards sin as a crime done against the most Holy God, and regrets
the pain given to Him. “Against Thee, Thee only, have I sinned, and done this
evil in Thy sight.” (Psalm 51:4) It is a faithful recognition of our position in the sight
of God, as weighed in the balances of eternal justice. Saul’s admission falls
far short of this. When sin is humbly confessed, the Savior assures us: “Thy
sins, which are many, are forgiven thee; go in peace.” (Luke 7:47)
May we all examine our hearts and humbly confess to Him, through Godly repentance, any sin that weights us down today.
The
Truth
“If
we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to
cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9)
