David wrote this psalm as an older man who had lived a long life and had a lot to hide. Which makes his final invitation — Search me — one of the bravest lines in the Bible.

In this letter

- David's life across the arc — shepherd, fugitive, king, husband, adulterer, murderer, repentant

- Why the Bathsheba episode matters for how we read this psalm

- The Psalms as permission for the full range of human speech to God

- Why Psalm 139 is a private meditation, not a corporate hymn

Scripture — 2 Samuel 11-12 (referenced); Psalm 51 (referenced)

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