Godly fathers-ungodly sons-20

David is a study of contrasts. He wrote many of the Psalms He loved studying God’s Word. He stated it was his guide to life, yet he murdered another man and took his wife. His sons rebelled against him. What lessons can we learn from him?

2 Samuel 12:13  Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.  12:14  "However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die." 

Sin has many terrible consequences, but the most grievous to us should be how does the world view God because of us? How and when have given the enemies of God the opportunity to blaspheme God?

12:15  So Nathan went to his house. Then the LORD struck the child that Uriah's widow bore to David, so that he was very sick. 12:16  David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. 12:17  The elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. 

David had only one hope, would God have mercy on his new born son? Even though God declared that the child would die, David humbly sought to repent and seek mercy and forgiveness from God. This should also be our response when convicted of our sin.

12:18  Then it happened on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they said, "Behold, while the child was still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm!" 12:19  But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" And they said, "He is dead." 

12:20  So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate. 

There was no more chances for God to relent from His pronouncement. It was time to return to a life of service to God. Most would think that the physical death would then trigger even greater grief in David.

12:21  Then his servants said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food." 

12:22  He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who knows, the LORD may be gracious to me, that the child may live.' 12:23  "But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me." 

David knew that there was another life after his earthly life ended. He also knew that God would welcome his son into Heaven. This comforted him.

12:24  Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the LORD loved him 12:25  and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the LORD'S sake. 

God comforted David even as David tried to comfort Bathsheba. She should have known that it was also her sin that displeased God. She was not an innocent victim but a sinner as well.

What can we learn? We will see this one event continue to plague David for the rest of his life. His lack of godly moral leadership in front of the nation and his sons showed the continuing consequences of his sin. We rarely are able to see our sin’s effects on future generations, just as we cannot see the influence our obedience has on future generations. What we can know is that how we live affects many.

More next Saturday.