for_his_glory
Coming back to Psalms 51 as a whole, we agree that David was greatly distressed. Anyone who has lost a child understands the darkness and we get a glimmer of how David mourns when he lost his son Absolom and again, when he looses his first child with Bathsheba.
As a the anointed King, David failed miserably as called out by Nathan. Egypt, in part is about an Empire which Israel would become under King David and inherited by his son Solomon. Empires rise and fall and systemic sin starts with leadership and trickles down into the community. David has sex with a married woman, gets her pregnant and then has her righteous and innocent husband murdered. Sin always hurts the innocent and like Able, Uriah (Bathsheba's husband) was put to death unjustly. As a leader, what example does this set for the people? This, in part is why David says
Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
To understand
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
6 Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.
we need to understand more about Davids family life and how it relates to Davids sexual act with Bathsheba.
First, Davids intent with Bathsheba was purely sexual. He wasn't concerned that she was married and his worst fear was realized when she became pregnant. Davids sexual desires we're not used to glorify God and produce children. It was selfish and self serving with no regard to the fallout that occurred.
Let's look at this verse again.
Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.
David is connecting his act of sexual desire with no desire for a child with his own birth. A close look at David reveals that David was rejected by his Father and his brothers.
Joseph was Jacobs favorite son, and prior to Benjamin, was the youngest. Who do we see attending the flocks? Yes, we see Jacobs older sons, Joseph's brothers. Brothers is plural and that's significant for the safety of his children. And why does Jacob mourn for Joseph? Because he is told a wild animal has killed him. Shepherding is a dangerous task, and we see that Jacob entrusted this task to his older sons.
When Samual enters Jesse home and asks for all of his sons, David is left out and Samuel has to press Jesse until Jesse admits he has another son, but not only another son, but his youngest and he is attending the flocks. What in the world is the youngest son doing attending the flocks where bear and lion is a deadly concern?
There is much more, and I encourage you and others study this on your own. Davids great grandmother was Ruth and she was a Moabite. This caused great concern per
Deuteronomy 23:3 and is expressed in Davids Psalm 69:8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children.
There is more here about David and his despised upbringing from his Father and Brothers.
He was Israel’s mightiest warrior, revered by friend and foe; yet for the first 28 years of his life he was a lowly outcast . . . The secret story behind the mysterious circumstances of King David’s birth.
www.chabad.org
It is from this, that I hear David write: Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.