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May 15th
Our Bible reading today is in 2 Samuel 13-15.
It had been a hard 6 or 7 years for King David since the prophet Nathan said, “You are that man.”
Let me explain...Those words in themselves don't seem like an ominous declaration to receive. Those could be words related to blessings, victories, and even promotions for David. But they weren't!
That declaration from the prophet uncovered a multitude of sins that David had been trying to hide. Those words turned out to be David’s worst nightmare.
Nathan was saying to the king, “You are the wealthy man who stole from the poor. You are the married man who committed adultery with another man’s wife. You are the man who had your loyal friend killed to cover up your other sins. Nathan was saying to the King of Israel, You are the man who deserves to come under the righteous judgment of God.
David was convicted of his sins by the Spirit...unto a repentance out of sincere brokenness...we read his confession in Ps 51.
God gave David His forgiveness...and he was thankful. But the gravity of his sins were brought before his mind and heart by the Spirit...often! Humbling him before a merciful God who withheld what David deserved and provided grace instead.
Wow...sounds a lot like the gospel doesnt...a merciful God withholding the judgment that our sinning deserved and provided grace in Christ for all who would believe Him Awesome...praise Your name!
David’s son would be born to him and Bathsheba with little prospect of living. David would spend days and nights lying on the ground crying out to God. Fasting...praying for God to save the life of his little boy. But his son died.
David and Bathsheba would have other sons. But songs by David late in life, let us know the pain of his loss...
One lesson...Upon hearing of his infant son’s death, David went to the Tent of meeting/Tabernacle and worshipped. When he was asked about this hard experience, he said, “I cannot have my boy back with me...but one day I will go where he is.”
What else could happen to David? His oldest son, Amnon, raped his half-sister, Tamar. And to add insult to injury, Amnon refused to marry Tamar...a further blemish upon the young woman.
Someone is asking, “What did David do about the situation?” Well, he got angry. But he did absolutely nothing to protect the future of Tamar or discipline his morally impure son, Amnon.
Wow...What next? Two years later, David’s other son, Absolom, had his brother Amnon murdered for raping Tamar. David’s heart was broken. Absolom, fearful of his Father’s banishment ran away to Syria.
Two sons lost to David in one day. What more could happen? While Absolom was in Geshur, he hatched a plan to take the throne of his father. Within a year, Absolom and his army of Israeli dissidents pushed David and his family, along with his mighty men and their families out of Jerusalem.
David wrote some songs about the experience of being “turned on” by his son, Absolom.
But God gave David heart as he left his City. Listen to the voices of those servants going with him. “And the king's servants said to the king, "Behold, your servants are ready to do whatever my lord the king decides."
And David answered...“You came only yesterday, and shall I today make you wander about with us, since I go I know not where? Go back and take your brothers with you, and may the Lord show steadfast love and faithfulness to you."
“But Ittai answered the king, "As the Lord lives, and as my lord, the king lives, wherever my lord the king shall be, whether for death or for life, there also will your servant be."
