Against You, You Only, I Have Sinned

The Watchtower study "YOUR FATHER IS MERCIFUL" disparages the entire point.

Paragraph 11 In the case of David and Bath-sheba, before the judgment of the death penalty could be softened, there had to be a pardoning of their sin. The Israelite judges were not authorized to do this. If they had been allowed to handle the case, they would have had no alternative but to pronounce the sentence of death. This is what the Law required. Out of regard for his covenant with David, however, Jehovah wanted to see if there was a basis for forgiving David's sin. (2 Samuel 7:12-16) Hence, Jehovah God, "the Judge of all the earth," who is "an examiner of the heart," chose to handle the matter himself. (Genesis 18:25; 1 Chronicles 29:17) God could accurately read David's heart, evaluate the genuineness of his repentance, and grant forgiveness.

Did God have to see if there was a basis to forgive David's sin?

2 Samuel 7:12 When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. 13 He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. 14 I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. 15 But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. 16 Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' "

Nowhere is it written God was taken by surprise and now had to review the facts and determine if there was validity to absolve David. The Covenant was not given as a means to be influenced by such a factor.

The Society's viewpoint if played out is that God did in fact violate his own Law. They just admitted "the Israelite judges were not authorized to do this. If they had been allowed to handle the case, they would have had no alternative but to pronounce the sentence of death. This is what the Law required." Who's Law? Jehovah's spoken and written Law.

Psalm 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, reviving the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple.

The Watchtower continues,

Paragraph 12 The mercy that Jehovah shows us by making possible our release from the penalty of inherited sin is in accord with his justice. To make possible the forgiveness of sin without the violation of justice, Jehovah has provided the ransom sacrifice of his Son, Jesus Christ–the greatest expression of mercy ever shown. (Matthew 20:28; Romans 6:22, 23) To avail ourselves of God's mercy, which can save us from receiving punishment for inherited sin, we must `exercise faith in the Son.'-John 3:16, 36.

If you were to ask a Jehovah's Witness who has done the greatest act of love and mercy he or she would say Jehovah--in their minds only the Father is Jehovah.

Yet, Jesus plainly reveals:

John 15:13 Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.

According to the Watchtower's doctrine, a creature has outperformed God in love and mercy! For a christian, God is the one who loves supremely.

Paragraph 19 The disciple James tells us why we should make mercy an essential quality in our lives. He wrote: "Mercy exults triumphantly over judgment." (James 2:13b) James was speaking of the mercy that a worshipper of Jehovah shows toward others. It exults triumphantly over judgment in that when the time comes for a person to "render an account for himself to God," Jehovah takes into consideration his merciful dealings and forgives him on the basis of the ransom sacrifice of His Son. (Romans 14:12) No doubt, one of the reasons why David was shown mercy for his sin with Bath-sheba was that he himself was a merciful man. (1 Samuel 24:4-7) On the other hand, "the one that does not practice mercy will have his judgment without mercy." (James 2: 13a) No wonder the "merciless" are listed among those whom God views as "deserving of death"! -Romans 1:31, 32.

No doubt?

1 Samuel 24:6 So he said to his men, "Far be it from me because of the LORD that I should do this thing to my lord, the LORD'S anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is the LORD'S anointed."

Do they forget David too was the LORD's anointed (1 Samuel 16:13). Do they forget David wanted to kill Nabal and all his men for insulting him (1 Samuel 25)? Do they forget he not only committed adultery with Bath-sheba, but planned the murder of her husband Uriah and later was responsible for the death of 70,000 men (2 Samuel 11:14-16 and 1 Chronicles 21)?

They quote part of Psalm 51 on paragraph 8 but skim over the significance.

Psalm 51:1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

Why is David calling out to blot out his transgressions commited unto God alone? Why does there need to be a washing away of iniquity and cleansing of sin? What is the significance of the hyssop plant used for sprinkling the blood of sacrifices by the priest?

It is because King David looked forward to his Lord who would gloriously overcome the everpresent sin.

Jesus Christ, the Lord of Lords, saves us from everlasting punishment for OUR OWN sins if we repent, believe, and trust our lives to Him. We too can have our iniquities washed away and become cleaner and whiter than snow.

Matthew 25:46 "Then they will go away to eternal punishment, but the righteous to eternal life."