Reading: II Samuel 10-12
Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon(II Sam. 12:9).
Up until this point, we have read of David, the extraordinary man of God. Today, instead of learning more about that David, we are introduced to David, the adulterer and murderer. No matter how we felt about him going into today’s reading, there is no way that we can minimize his actions. With arrogance reminiscent of Saul, King David sees what he wants (Bathsheba) and takes it. He is ruthless in his pursuit, and he doesn’t hesitate to take any steps necessary to cover up his sin, up to and including orchestrating the cold-blooded murder of her husband, Uriah. Afterward, with seemingly no guilt whatsoever, David marries Bathsheba and settles down happily with his new wife and son.
The David we meet today is far removed from the young shepherd boy who fearlessly placed his entire trust in the Lord (I Sam. 17:45-47). This David seems to have totally forgotten the Commandments of God; his actions are selfish and undertaken solely on the authority of the king. This David also bears little resemblance to the humble king of yesterday, the one that, above all else, desired to give back to God (II Sam. 7:1-3). Yet, however different they seem, the fact remains that all of these descriptions are of the same person. The David who loved and served God is the same David who murdered Uriah.
By including the grievous sins of David in His holy Word, God is allowing us to see the imperfect nature of mankind. Even the best and brightest among us can be laid low by a momentary slip. Loving God does not free us from temptation (James 1:14), nor does it guarantee that we will always make the right choices. However, truly loving God with all of our heart and soul (like David did) means that when we DO fall into sin, we have someone who will help us climb back out again. My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous (I John 2:1).
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin (Ps. 51:1- 2). Of all of the lessons that we could learn from the life of King David, the lesson of learning to admit our faults before the Lord without explanations or excuses is perhaps the most valuable. When confronted with the magnitude of his sins, David genuinely repented. He acknowledged that God was his judge and that God’s judgment was justified (51:4). Without reservation, he placed himself at the mercy of the Lord, realizing that only God could restore his broken spirit. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me (51:10).
What David had done could not be undone. The earthly consequences of his actions would be numerous and far-reaching, and the course of his life and the lives of his descendants had been forever altered. Nevertheless, David was able to live out the rest of his life knowing that through the grace of God, his sin had been removed from him and his spirit had been restored.
Truly my soul waiteth upon God: from Him cometh my salvation(Ps. 62:1).
Thought for Today: None of us are devoid of sin or immune to temptation, but by humbling ourselves and repenting before God, we can ensure that they do not bind us.
Christ Revealed:In the prophet Nathan giving Solomon the name Jedidiah, which means beloved of the Lord (II Sam. 12:24-25).
Word Studies:10:12 play the men = show our courage and strength; 11:1 after the year was expired = in the spring of the following year; 11:8 mess of meat = gift of food; 12:4 spared = refused; 12:11 in the sight of this sun = publicly for all Israel to know.
In Memory of Rita Guerra and Dorothy Stone • Pray for Government Official: Rep. David Valadao (CA) • Country: Korea, South (48,955,203) Eastern Asia • Major Languages: Korean, English • 24% Protestant; 7.6% Roman Catholic; 24.2 % Buddhist; 0.9% Other/Unknown; 43.3% None • Prayer Suggestion: Pray for grace to overcome temptation, and God will reward you (James 1:12).
Optional Reading:Acts 15