David’s Despair

Today’s Daily Bible Reading is from 2 Samuel 12:7-17. In the previous lesson Nathan told David a story about a rich man and a poor man. In this lesson Nathan told David the rich man in the story was him. Nathan goes on to tell David that the LORD was displeased with him and everything the LORD had to say about him.

The LORD told Nathan to tell David, I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives. I made you king over the house of Israel and Judah. If all of that wasn’t enough, I would have given  you many more things.

The LORD was upset with David. He asked, Why have you despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? You killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and took his wife to be your wife, and had him slain with the sword of the children of Ammon.

Because of this the sword will never depart from your house; because you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

The LORD said, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.

You did your deeds secretly: but I will do this thing before all of Israel, and before the sun.

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied to David, “The LORD also hath put away your sin; you will not die.”

Because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child that is born to you will die.

Nathan departed to his house. The LORD struck the child that Bathsheba, bare to David, and he became ill.

David sought God in prayer for the child. He fasted. David went in, and laid all night on the ground. David probably would have preferred that God take him than his son.

Even though David’s son and his wife were obtained in a sinful way, he loved them and wouldn’t want anything bad to happen to either  of them. David was grieved in his heart about this situation. He probably begged God to spare his child’s life.

The elders of David’s house went to console him. They tried to get David to get up: but he wouldn’t get up. He wouldn’t even eat with them.

Surely David was distraught. Imagine the despair David must have felt. David knew that God was upset with him and his son’s life hung in the balance because of his sin.

God loved David. In fact, in Act 13:22, God called David a man after his own heart. It must have grieved God for David to commit these sins, as it grieves God when we sin.

One of the hardest lessons I’ve had to learn in the last few years is that there are consequences for our sin. Not for myself, but for people I care about deeply.

God is our heavenly father and as we have to punish our children when they do wrong it is his duty to see that we suffer the consequences of our sin. Does that break God’s heart, I’m sure it does as much or more as it breaks our heart when we have to correct our children.

Even though Jesus died to cover our sins on the cross and keep those of us who accept him as Savior from going to hell, there are still consequences on this earth for our sins. Some of those consequences are hard to accept.

When we disobey man’s laws there are consequences that we have to face and when we disobey God there are consequences that we face as well.

Daily Bible Reading:

2 Samuel 12:7-17

7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8 And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.
9 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.
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.
11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.

Things to think about:

• Who did Nathan tell David he was like?
• What did Nathan tell David the LORD said?
• What was David’s response to the LORD’s words?
•  Is there anything in your life that you need to ask God’s forgiveness?

Prayer of the Day:

Dear Heavenly Father,

As we read this Scripture we see that David’s sin displeased You. We see David’s despair in the situation. Help us to learn from this story in David’s life. Help us to know that there are consequences for our sins. Help us to consider those consequences before we sin. Help us to look for a way to escape our sin. In Jesus’ name, we pray. Amen.

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