2 Samuel 12:13-14 and 23-24 - …Then David confessed to Nathan, "I have
sinned against the LORD."Nathan replied, "Yes, but the LORD has
forgiven you, and you won't die for this sin. But you have given the enemies of the LORD
great opportunity to despise and blaspheme him, so your child will die."
… “But why should
I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day,
but he cannot return to me." Then
David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant
and gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved the child.”
David’s heart was so calloused that God had to send the prophet
Nathan to him to break through the layers that satan had built around it. He did not even realize Nathan’s story was an
analogy of his own sin until Nathan spoke the harsh words of rebuke to him. The
words immediately softened the callouses on his heart…so God could help him to
see his need for repentance…and begin to wash the remnants of his sin away from
his life.
The sad thing about David’s sin is the loss of life that ensued. David and Bathsheba should have both died for
the adultery they committed...but God in his providence….decided to take the
life of the child they bore in sin instead. He declared through Nathan… that
many of David’s household would die at the hand of many swords in the future…
to pay the heavy price of death for the king and his new mate. The callouses
were removed from his heart…but the scars of his sin would continue to impact
his life for the remainder of his years.
The bittersweet truth of the story is that David was
forgiven and allowed to continue to work on his relationship with God. He learned that God is in control and that he
must wash his face and move on from his mistakes. He did not continue to mourn the loss resulting
from his sin…he grabbed God’s hand and accepted his forgiveness. He held tightly to God’s hand the remainder
of his life…so he could traverse the difficulties of life that would be coming
in his future. God simply wasn’t
finished with him yet…he had plans to prosper his future and bring forth a Messiah
to be a sacrifice for all our sins.
Psalm 51 was written after David spoke with the prophet Nathan…
and his eyes were open to the great sin he had committed. You need to read the
whole Psalm….but the words from verses 7-8 spoke out to my heart as the prayer
I should have daily… “Purify me from my sins, and I will be
clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken
me -- now let me rejoice.” Maybe God
will send me a ‘Nathan’ when I need to be rebuked…but if I pray this prayer
daily...maybe I can prevent the callouses from sin building around my heart in
the first place.
Father…I thank you for this story of forgiveness…that shows
me that no matter what I have done…or how far I get off course from your will
for my life… you can cleanse me and help me to get back on track with the plan
you have for my life. Send me Nathan
after Nathan…to reveal to me the things I am doing that are not pleasing to you. Purify me as you did David…every morning
anew...till I am walking perfectly in the path you need me to take…to be in
your perfect will for my life. Give me the pure joy of your love to share with
all around me…and let us all rejoice together in the goodness and mercy of the
many blessings you have bestowed upon us despite our many sins. Thank you for sending Christ to die for all
my sins…and pay the penalty that I deserved for my many sins. Amen.
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