Fallen, Yet Forgiven

24 Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her, and she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved him 25 and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.

26 Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city. 27 And Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah; moreover, I have taken the city of waters. 28 Now then gather the rest of the people together and encamp against the city and take it, lest I take the city and it be called by my name.” 29 So David gathered all the people together and went to Rabbah and fought against it and took it. 30 And he took the crown of their king from his head. The weight of it was a talent of gold, and in it was a precious stone, and it was placed on David’s head. And he brought out the spoil of the city, a very great amount. 31 And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and iron axes and made them toil at the brick kilns. And thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. – 2 Samuel 12:24-31 ESV

Because of his sin, David lost a son. Because of his repentance, David was given a son, and he named him Solomon (Shĕlomoh). The name David gave this second son born to him and Bathsheba is a derivative of the Hebrew word for peace – shalowm. There is little doubt that, after having received his punishment from God, David was grateful to have been restored back to a right relationship with God.

Psalm 51, written by David as a result of his sin with Bathsheba and the forgiveness he received from God, reflects his heart at this most difficult period of his life. First of all, he knew his sin.

Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity,
    and in sin did my mother conceive me.
Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being,
    and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart. – Psalm 51:5-6 ESV

But he also desired to be made right with God. He wanted to enjoy God’s presence and pleasure again.

Create in me a clean heart, O God,
    and renew a right spirit within me.
Cast me not away from your presence,
    and take not your Holy Spirit from me.
Restore to me the joy of your salvation,
    and uphold me with a willing spirit. – Psalm 51:10-12 ESV

And David pledged that if God would restore him fully, he would praise Him.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God,
    O God of my salvation,
    and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.
O Lord, open my lips,
    and my mouth will declare your praise. – Psalm 51:14-15 ESV

So, with the birth of Solomon, David’s sense of restored peace with God most likely explains the name he gave to his newborn son. But he also gave his son another name, Jedidiah, which means “loved by the Lord.” Despite his earlier sins, David received a word from Nathan the prophet that assured him of God’s love for him. The name was meant to be a message from God intended to remind David that God’s love outweighed the guilt of his sin. While he had been punished for his sins, he had also been forgiven and fully restored.

David had been broken by God. He had been disciplined for his sins and brought to a point of repentance, which resulted in his restoration, and he had learned a valuable lesson that would live with him for the rest of his life.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. – Psalm 51:17 ESV

David had experienced the truth found in 1 John 1:9: “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

In another one of his psalms, David penned these encouraging words:

Finally, I confessed all my sins to you
    and stopped trying to hide my guilt.
I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.”
    And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. – Psalm 32:5 NLT

The apostle Paul reminds us: “Don’t you see how wonderfully kind, tolerant, and patient God is with you? Does this mean nothing to you? Can’t you see that his kindness is intended to turn you from your sin?” (Romans 2:4 NLT). He wrote something similar to the believers in Corinth: “For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death” (2 Corinthians 7:10 NLT).

God loved David so much that He was not willing to allow David to remain in his sin. He disciplined him because He loved him. He sent Nathan the prophet to confront him. He brought David to a point of brokenness because He loved him. When David confessed, God restored him. Despite all he had done, David once again enjoyed peace with God and knew that he was loved by God.

David was given a second chance. He was provided with a second son, whose name was Solomon. It should not escape our attention that the very same woman whom David wed through sinful and deceptive means was used by God to provide David with another son and the eventual heir to his throne. This son would grow up to enjoy the pleasure of God and know what it means to have the hand of God on his life.

But Bathsheba’s role in David’s life would extend well beyond the birth of Solomon. In his gospel account, Matthew records the lineage of Jesus and, in it, he includes a mention of Bathsheba.

…and Salmon the father of Boaz by Rahab, and Boaz the father of Obed by Ruth, and Obed the father of Jesse, and Jesse the father of David the king.

And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah, and Solomon the father of Rehoboam, and Rehoboam the father of Abijah… – Matthew 1:5-7 ESV

There are three women mentioned in this outline of Jesus’ family tree. Rahab, who had been a prostitute; Ruth, a pagan Moabitess; and Bathsheba, the adulterous wife of Uriah. Their inclusion in the list is intentional. God used these seemingly unfit and unqualified women to bring about the birth of His Son. Despite her immoral background, Rahab expressed belief in the God of Israel and assisted the spies who had come to examine the defenses of her hometown of Jericho. As a result, she and her family were spared when the city was destroyed. She later went on to marry an Israelite man named  Salmon to whom she bore a son named Boaz.

Boaz would go on to marry a woman named Ruth who was a Moabitess. She was a non-Hebrew who married the son of an Israelite family. In a series of unfortunate events, Ruth lost her husband, father-in-law, and brother-in-law. Their deaths left Ruth and her mother-in-law, Naomi alone and hopeless, living in the land of Moab. When Naomi shared her plans to return to the land of Israel, she encouraged her two widowed daughters-in-law to remain behind and remarry. But Ruth expressed her intention to stay by Naomi’s side and remain a faithful follower of Yahweh.

“Wherever you go, I will go; wherever you live, I will live. Your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Wherever you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May the Lord punish me severely if I allow anything but death to separate us!” – Ruth 1:16-17 NLT

Ruth would eventually meet and marry an Israelite named Boaz, to whom she would bear a son named Obed. He would become the father of Jesse and Jesse would eventually become the father of David. It would be through David and “the wife of Uriah” that God would provide a son named Solomon. As Matthew continued to trace the line forward, he revealed that through Solomon’s descendants would come the future King of Israel, Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

…and Jacob the father of Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom Jesus was born, who is called Christ. – Matthew 1:16 ESV

What a timely reminder that our sins cannot derail God’s plans. His providence can overcome our proclivity to sin. Even our greatest periods of unfaithfulness are always met by His faithfulness.

The rest of the chapter reflects this fact. Despite all David had done, God continued to bless David by giving him victories over his enemies. But David had learned a valuable lesson from his most recent experience. The closing verses of chapter 12 reveal that Joab was once again leading the armies of Israel in battle against their enemies, but this time David took part. When Joab had successfully besieged the capital city of the Ammonites, he sent word to David encouraging him to lead the troops in their final assault of the city. This time, David left the comfort of Jerusalem and did what kings were supposed to do, lead his troops into battle.

Joab had effectively captured the Ammonite city of Rabbah but called for David to bring the rest of the troops so that he might receive the glory of taking the city. He jokingly chided David, saying, “I have fought against Rabbah and captured its water supply. Now bring the rest of the army and capture the city. Otherwise, I will capture it and get credit for the victory” (2 Samuel 12:27-28 NLT).

David took the city and captured the king, his crown, and all the people. The text tells us, “thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites” (2 Samuel 12:31 ESV). David had returned to his primary role as the warrior-king of Israel. He went back to doing what God had chosen him to do, and God gave him success.

David sinned and God brought discipline. As a result, David repented and God restored him. This amazing reality didn’t escape David. He would later write a psalm that reflects his understanding of and appreciation for God’s love and forgiveness:

The Lord is merciful and gracious,
    slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
He will not always chide,
    nor will he keep his anger forever.
He does not deal with us according to our sins,
    nor repay us according to our iniquities.
For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him;
as far as the east is from the west,
    so far does he remove our transgressions from us. – Psalm 103:8-12 ESV

Nothing can separate us from the love of God. Even our greatest sins, when confessed and repented of, bring God’s forgiveness and complete restoration. Rabbah fell. The Ammonites were defeated. The crown was captured. The kingdom expanded. The plan of God continued undeterred. And David learned the invaluable lesson of resting in the love and faithfulness of God.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

The Wages of Sin

15 Then Nathan went to his house. And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. 16 David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 17 And the elders of his house stood beside him, to raise him from the ground, but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. 18 On the seventh day 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 yet alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.” 19 But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. And David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” They said, “He is dead.” 20 Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. 21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, ‘Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ 23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me.” – 2 Samuel 12:15-23 ESV

This is a disturbing and difficult passage to comprehend. It involves the death of an innocent child, apparently as the result of God’s direct intervention and discipline. As a result of David’s role in Uriah’s death and his subsequent marriage to Bathsheba, he was given a dire warning from the prophet Nathan.

“The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” – 2 Samuel 12:13-14 NLT

Verse 15 seems to make quite clear God’s involvement in the situation.

And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. – 2 Samuel 12:15 ESV

The Hebrew word translated as “afflicted” is nagaph and it means “to inflict” (as in a disease). It’s the same word used in Exodus when God “struck” the firstborn of the Egyptians as part of the tenth plague.

At midnight the Lord struck down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sat on his throne to the firstborn of the captive who was in the dungeon, and all the firstborn of the livestock.– Exodus 12:29 ESV

What are we supposed to do with this information? It raises all kinds of ethical and moral questions in our minds. Why would God punish an innocent child for the sins of his parents? What had the child done to deserve death? Is God a vindictive god who lashes out in anger, inflicting pain on the innocent to get the attention of the guilty? Why didn’t God kill David since he was the one who sinned and commissioned the murder of Uriah?

These kinds of questions are legitimate and perfectly normal for us to consider as we deal with this passage. But the conclusions we draw or the answers we walk away with must be based on a biblically accurate understanding of God.

Let’s take a closer look at what is going on in this story. David, the king of Israel, was the God-appointed and Spirit-anointed leader of the nation. He represented God on behalf of the people and was to rule and reign over them, modeling his leadership style on that of a shepherd.

“I took you from tending sheep in the pasture and selected you to be the leader of my people Israel.” – 2 Samuel 7:8 NLT

“You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.” – 2 Samuel 5:2 NLT

He chose his servant David,
    calling him from the sheep pens.
He took David from tending the ewes and lambs
    and made him the shepherd of Jacob’s descendants—
    God’s own people, Israel. – Psalm 78:70-71 NLT

He was to serve and care for the people of Israel, putting their needs ahead of his own. He was to be the shepherd-king, lovingly and sacrificially protecting and providing for the people of Israel on behalf of God.

But when David sinned with Bathsheba, he was not acting as a shepherd. He didn’t have the best interests of the flock at heart. In fact, the passage in 2 Samuel that chronicles David’s sin reveals that when he was informed that Bathsheba was a married wife of Uriah, he “sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her” (2 Samuel 11:4 ESV).

The phrase “took her” is the Hebrew word laqach, which means “to seize, snatch, or take away.” David stole another man’s wife. This is made perfectly clear when we look at the story the prophet Nathan used to convict David. He devised a sad tale about a poor man who had a lamb that was like a household pet. One day, a rich man, who received a surprise visit from a friend, decided to confiscate the poor man’s lamb to feed his guest. The text states, “he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him” (2 Samuel 12:4 ESV). Nathan used that same Hebrew word, laqach in his story. The rich man took advantage of the poor man by stealing his prized lamb. This wasn’t a case of need because the rich man had plenty of sheep to spare. It was a case of greed.

It’s interesting to note David’s righteous indignation upon hearing this heart-wrenching story.

“As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.” – 2 Samuel 12:5-6 NLT

David had stolen Uriah’s “lamb,” even though he already had more wives than he needed and far more than God had commanded. But he used his divinely-ordained power to satisfy his own desires. He “snatched” the love of Uriah’s life away from him – callously and needlessly. He knew Bathsheba was a married woman but he didn’t care. He saw what he wanted and he took it.

When his moral indiscretion resulted in Bathsheba’s unexpected pregnancy, he attempted to cover it up. But when those efforts failed, he arranged Uriah’s death. With Uriah out of the way, David was free to marry Bathsheba and, despite his disobedience, he fully expected to enjoy the blessing of a son and future heir. Despite his sin, David saw nothing wrong with having an heir who would be the fruit of his own immoral act. But as king, David was going to be held to a higher, more stringent standard.

It’s obvious from the text that David loved this child. He prayed desperately and intensely, begging God to change His mind and spare the child.

David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground. The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused. – 2 Samuel 12:16-17 NLT

For seven days, David fasted, wept, and prayed, imploring God to show grace and allow his son to live. But God did not answer David’s prayer; at least not in the way David desired. His son eventually died and it proved to be a devastating blow to David. Yet, even he seemed to understand that this judgment from the hand of God was deserved and anything but unfair. He didn’t rail at God. He didn’t shake his fist in indignation at God. In fact, the text states, “David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped” (2 Samuel 12:20 ESV).

But again, we are left with the question, “Why?” Why did God choose to take the life of the child? Why did the innocent suffer on behalf of the guilty? As the king of Israel, David had broken his covenant with God and with his people. He had stolen what was not his. He had taken what had belonged to another and tried to garner blessings through his sin. The literal “fruit” of David’s sin with Bathsheba was their son. That son did not belong to David any more than Bathsheba did; he was a stolen blessing.

This story is reminiscent of that of Esau and Jacob, the twin sons of Isaac. Esau was the older of the two, having come out of the womb first, with Jacob literally holding on to his heel as he made his entry into the world. Isaac’s wife, Rebekah, had been barren and unable to have children, but in answer to Isaac’s prayer, God caused her to conceive. He told her, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples from within you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the older shall serve the younger” (Genesis 25:23 ESV). But when the two boys became adults, Jacob, with the help of his mother, concocted a plan to steal the birthright that rightfully belonged to Esau as the firstborn son.

Keep in mind that God had already promised that Jacob would rule over Esau. The older was going to serve the younger. But in an act of distrust and self-reliance, Rebekah and Jacob came up with a plan to trick the dim-sighted Isaac and cause him to give the blessing that belonged to Esau to Jacob. When Esau found out what had happened, he was justifiably angry. He called out his mother and brother, rightfully labeling their act as nothing less than theft.

“No wonder his name is Jacob, for now he has cheated me twice. First he took my rights as the firstborn, and now he has stolen my blessing.” – Genesis 27:36 NLT

Esau used the very same Hebrew word, laqach. Jacob had snatched what did not belong to him. Even though God had promised that the birthright would eventually be his, Jacob decided to take matters into his own hands, and his actions would result in God’s punishment. The blessing of the birthright would turn into a curse. To escape his brother’s wrath, Jacob would end up running for his life and spend years in self-imposed exile. He had the birthright and the blessing, but no joy. He had the legal claim to inherit all that belonged to his father but lost the right to live with his own family. 

God would eventually allow Jacob to be restored to a right relationship with his estranged brother. The years of exile would come to an end and Jacob would enjoy the benefits of the birthright and the blessing of a reunion with his family. 

In the same way, David’s loss would be followed by a future blessing from God. Despite all he had done, David would eventually enjoy the God-ordained birth of another son by Bathsheba. He lost the first son as punishment for his sin but God blessed him with another son who grew up to be the heir to the throne and the man picked by God to build the Temple in Jerusalem. David sinned and the child died, and while the child’s death was clearly God’s doing, it was not God’s fault. He was justly meting out the punishment David deserved. David had killed Bathsheba’s husband, so God took the life of David’s son. The first action was undeserved and unmerited. The second was earned, not by the child, but by the king whose immoral actions had brought about the child’s very existence.

This story is not intended to be a model or illustration of how God deals with ALL sin. It simply reveals how God chose to deal with the man He had anointed king over His people. David was being held to a higher standard. He should have known better. He should have lived differently. And when his immoral actions brought down the righteous wrath of God, he had no one to blame but himself.

Yet, God forgave David and blessed him with the gift of another son.

The Lord loved the child and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means “beloved of the Lord”), as the Lord had commanded. – 2 Samuel 12:24-25 NLT

David named his new son, Solomon, which is derived from the Hebrew word shalom. It carries the idea of “completeness, soundness, welfare, and peace.” In choosing this name, David was expressing his understanding that God had turned his brokenness into wholeness. The merciful God had replaced David’s sorrow with peace and contentment. But God had another name for the child; he was to be called Jedidiah, which means “beloved of the Lord.” This second son of David and Bathsheba was God’s gift to them. He was the gracious replacement of the son they had lost, and every time they looked at Jedidiah, he would be a reminder of God’s holiness and undeserved grace and mercy. The Great Shepherd was showing the shepherd-king what godly leadership should look like.

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Sin Always Comes at a Cost

1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, 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 shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” 13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” – 2 Samuel 12:1-14 ESV

When David received the news from Joab that Uriah had been killed in battle (just as David had commanded), he responded flippantly, “Do not let this matter displease you…” (2 Samuel 11:25 ESV). Joab, under David’s direct orders, had purposefully sent Uriah into a dangerous situation where he was exposed to enemy fire. In other words, Joab had been complicit in David’s plan to have Uriah murdered. Yet, David told his general not to be bothered by this violation of God’s law.

The language David used is interesting. The Hebrew word translated as “displeasure” is actually rāʿaʿ, which most often gets translated as “evil.”  The literal translation would be, “Do not let this thing be evil in your eyes.” In other words, David was telling Joab not to see what he had done as evil or sinful. He wasn’t to grieve over it or be upset about it. Yes, he had just overseen the execution of an innocent man and caused the needless deaths of many of his own men but, from David’s perspective, it was no big deal – “for the sword devours one as well as another” (2 Samuel 11:25 ESV). 

But David’s words stand in stark contrast to those of the prophet Isaiah.

“What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.” - Isaiah 5:20 NLT

David was attempting to negate the gravity of his sin and was even unwilling to admit that what he had done to Uriah and with Bathsheba was actually a sin at all. David was totally unrepentant and non-remorseful and he didn’t want Joab to be displeased about his role in the affair either. But David conveniently forgot about God’s displeasure. What he had done was sin and God hates sin. He is the holy and righteous God who must deal justly with sin. He can’t ignore it, excuse it, or turn his back on it. And because David was the king of Israel, he was held to an even higher standard by God. He was God’s chosen representative and the leader of God’s people, and as the old proverb states: “As is the king, so are the subjects.”

What is amazing about this story is that it took a third party to bring David to a point of repentance. It was not until Nathan the prophet showed up at David’s doorstep that David had second thoughts about what he had done. Even Psalm 51, written by David as a result of this whole affair regarding Bathsheba and Uriah, was written after Nathan had been used by God to convict David. The description attached to the psalm explains this fact: “A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.”

David finally came to a realization of the gravity of his actions only after God sent Nathan to expose David’s sin. And, frankly, it took the rather deceptive tactics of Nathan to get David to recognize the weight of his actions and the depth of God’s displeasure. Blinded by his lust for Bathsheba and motivated by a desire to protect the integrity of his name, David had launched a staggering plan to cover up his immoral actions and, all along the way, he rationalized and justified what he had done. But once God stepped in, David stood convicted, condemned, and completely reliant upon the mercy of God.

Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
    blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
    and cleanse me from my sin!

For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
    and blameless in your judgment. – Psalm 51:1-4 ESV

While David may have been successful at persuading Joab to blow off his role in Uriah’s death, he would never convince God that what he had done was a good thing. God wasn’t just displeased; He was angry and His was a righteous indignation. He had taken David’s actions personally.

“Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.” – 2 Samuel 12:9 NLT

David had to be reminded that his reign had been God’s doing. The royal power he had used to satisfy his lust and order the death of an innocent man had been delegated to him by God.

“I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul.” – 2 Samuel 12:7 NLT

God even reminded David of what had happened to Saul, who had also multiplied wives for himself, in direct violation of God’s command.

“I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more.” – 2 Samuel 12:8 NLT

This was not God giving His approval of Saul’s collection of wives, and it cannot be used to infer that God was transferring the rights to Saul’s many wives to David. This would be in direct contradiction to God’s own commands (Deuteronomy 17:17). God was simply stating that the sins of Saul had led to his fall. David had taken ownership of all that had belonged to Saul, all because God had made it possible. Yet, had responded to God’s goodness and grace by committing two indefensible sins.

“Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.” – 2 Samuel 12:9 NLT

David was convicted and confessed his sins before God and, while he would receive forgiveness, there would still be consequences. 

“From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own.” - 2 Samuel 12:10 NLT

David’s sin would not go unpunished. He would receive God’s forgiveness but he would also pay dearly for what he he had done.

“Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” – 2 Samuel 12:11-12 NLT

This devastating news got David’s full attention and he responded: “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13 ESV). He recognized that his actions had been a form of rebellion against God Himself. What he had done to Bathsheba had been a violation of her marriage vows to Uriah but, ultimately, it was a violation of God’s law. David had taken the life of an innocent man and, in doing so, he had taken a divine right and made it his own. He had played god and had no right to do so. 

But David took responsibility for his sins and repented. He didn’t argue, excuse, rationalize, or justify himself. He confessed and took his punishment like a man, but God was not going to let David off easy.

“…the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.” – 2 Samuel 12:13-14 NLT

Years later, in one of his psalms, David said of God, “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12 ESV). David would come to love and appreciate the forgiveness of God but he would also undestand the discipline of God.

The most difficult thing about this passage is the death of the child born to David and Bathsheba. This innocent child had been the result of their adulterous affair but had played no part in it. He had been the unwitting byproduct of their sin and, yet, it was he who paid the highest price. As difficult as it is to understand the seeming unfairness of this punishment, it makes more sense when considered in the light of the words of James.

But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. – James 1:14-15 ESV

To blame God for the death of the child would be wrong. It was the sin of David that caused the child’s death. The sad reality about sin is that the innocent always suffer the most. When we sin, we always try to justify or rationalize our actions by claiming that we are not hurting anyone else. But sin always has a victim other than us. If we look at the list of sins in Galatians chapter 5, we see that they are all other-oriented. Our sins are always damaging to others, and it was David’s sin with Bathsheba and his role in the death of Uriah that led to the loss of his own son. He could not point his finger at God and attempt to blame Him.

As we will see in the rest of the chapter, David will pray to God for his son’s healing, but he will not blame God for his son’s illness. He knew where the blame belonged. David had taken another man’s wife and shown no pity. He had arranged for the murder of that same man and had shown no remorse.

But David was going to learn a powerful and life-changing lesson from this dark moment of the soul. He would later write the following words that reflected his new understanding regarding sin and repentance.

For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
    you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. – Psalm 51:16-17 ESV

English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.