You have despised me.
Tracing the Shadow of the King • Sermon • Submitted
0 ratings
· 9 viewsWe despise God. He is merciful. There are still consequences.
Notes
Transcript
Sermon Tone Analysis
A
D
F
J
S
Emotion
A
C
T
Language
O
C
E
A
E
Social
The Sin Situation
The Sin Situation
I want to begin this morning by discussing what is, I think, a fundamental problem with the way that we think about sin. If you’re like most people - if you’re anything like me - then when you take time to think about your own sin, there’s a real chance you’re thinking about your sin wrongly. And if I’m right, then that’s a problem. Because Christians are called to fight their own sin every single day. And if you’re thinking wrongly about your sin, you’re probably losing.
Here’s what I mean.
Let’s say, for example, that you’re in a hurry, and it’s a particularly stressful day. At 5:14 you hop into your car and hit the freeway. And, because it’s rush hour and because we live in the city, there’s probably traffic. So maybe you’re a half mile from home when a cherry red BMW skyrockets six inches from the passenger side, flying by on the right shoulder. It’s scary and it’s infuriating, because here you are abiding by the rules like a good citizen, even though you’ve got places to be too, when all of the sudden here’s this guy — and he couldn’t care less. There he is, breaking the rules, actively telling Joe Everybody that he’s more important than they are, and that isn’t fair.
And in a moment of unrestrained anger, you roll down your window and you flip that guy off. Maybe you yell curses in his direction.
Now, on your best day, that fit of rage would itch at you. On your best day, you’d see it for what it was - you’d call it sin and you’d attempt to understand the nature of the situation that led to your sin.
And this is where things typically go sideways.
What’s relevant in this situation is not that you were stressed. What’s relevant in this situation is not the pattern of behavior that led to your aggressive instincts on the road. What’s relevant in this situation isn’t the frustration you’ve experienced because you didn’t get what you wanted, or the carelessness or shortsightedness that fostered your rage.
There is only, truly, one relevant factor to explore. And that is this:
Against whom have you sinned?
Against whom have you sinned?
Now, if you’re anything like me then 89% of the time your gut response is that guy in the cherry red BMW.
And if that were your response, you’d be wrong.
You and I have failed to understand the nature of the sin situation. It’s a lot simpler than we think. And it’s also broader and heavier. And the situation of sin, rightly understood, will not allow you to see your actions as anything less than audacious.
Today we’re going to explore the situation of sin from God’s perspective. That is, from the right perspective. Today God is going to teach us about the audacity of our own sin. But he won’t leave us there. This is a story full of hope in the midst of consequences.
So let’s get to it. Turn with me to 2 Samuel 12.
You have despised me.
You have despised me.
When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
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. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 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. 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.” 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, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
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. 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. 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. 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.’ 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. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ ” 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. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” Then Nathan went to his house.
And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 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. 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.” 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.” 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. 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.” 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?’ 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.”
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. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 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. 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.” 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, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
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. 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. 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. 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.’ 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. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ ” 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. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” Then Nathan went to his house.
And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 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. 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.” 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.” 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. 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.” 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?’ 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.”
Okay. Maybe best at this point to take a deep breath and exhale slowly. Because what we’ve just read is heavy, and if it isn’t weighing on you, it ought to.
Sometimes the Scriptures place us in dark valleys like this one to teach us important truths. A lot of people avoid passages like this, because they’re hard to read and even harder to think about. But if you’re willing to dwell in the valley, you’ll be better prepared for the Kingdom. And that’s what we’re going to do this morning.
And look, it’s okay that this story is heavy.
Now, I know that this may seem like a relatively simple story, but there’s actually a ton going on in this chapter. So I want to look back and take it in parts.
Now, I know that this may seem like a relatively simple story, but there’s actually a ton going on in this chapter. So I want to look back and take it in parts.
The Audacity of Sin
The Audacity of Sin
The chapter begins with David seated upon his throne, pretending as if all is well. But we know what the people of Israel don’t know. We know that not long ago David saw a woman bathing. And though he knew she was the bride of his dear friend, the daughter of an honored warrior, the granddaughter of his closest advisor, David sent for her, and he took her, and then he sent her away.
And that would’ve been the end of it. Except God in his mercy doesn’t let things like this stay quiet.
Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, is now pregnant with David’s child. And this is when David begins to panic.
He desperately attempts to engineer a situation that would conceal his sin. Every effort fails, and finally in his darkest hour David sends Uriah away to his death on the front lines of battle, carrying his own notice of execution.
That’s where our passage picks up. David makes a widow and then marries her, so that no one will know his guilt. He should have known better. Reflect for a moment on the irony of David’s secrets. Here he is, smugly seated on his throne, the same poet whose imagination crafted the lyrics of the ancient songs of Scripture:
He should have known better. This is David, the poet, whose spirit crafted the words of the ancient songs of Scripture:
Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where shall I flee from your presence?
If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there your hand shall lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
If I say, “Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
Psalm 139:7-
How does this man believe he can hide anything?
He can’t. The LORD has seen all, and he is angry.
So God sends Nathan, the prophet of the LORD, to tell David a story. Now close your eyes and listen again to his words.
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. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 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. 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.”
Okay, now first of all I want to make a note here that should govern your interpretation of this scene. I want to note that nothing in the text, nothing in Nathan’s words or in David’s words or in God’s words — nothing suggests that Nathan is exaggerating David’s actions. Nothing suggests that this analogy is hyperbolic. Nothing here suggests that Nathan’s parable isn’t a perfect representation of the audacity, of the sheer wicked audacity of David’s sin. This is not a caricature. This is a story designed to teach David precisely how hateful he has become. This is a story to teach David precisely how despicable his actions really were.
And that’s important to remember, because the story that Nathan tells is awful. The poor man — could you imagine a sweeter portrait? He’s so grateful for this lamb. The lamb is all he has. He sleeps alongside this lamb and he treats her like a daughter. And this rich guy had everything he could ever want. He wouldn’t have even felt the loss of a lamb from one of his many flocks. Did you catch that? Not very many sheep and cattle — very many flocks and herds. This guy had enough wealth that a good portion of it could go missing and he wouldn’t have flinched even for a moment.
And yet. When need arises, he takes the one precious lamb of his poor neighbor.
You should hate this guy, because he’s wicked. This is a bad guy, the worst sort of guy. And you should feel that. And David certainly feels that. Listen to his response,
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, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
2 Samuel
You’ve got to admire the irony. From the start, this story has been deeply ironic. As David attempts to cover his tracks, Uriah refuses to go home, refuses to sit down, refuses to sleep with his wife because Israel is at war. All these things David has literally been doing for weeks.
And here, as Nathan reports of a rich man who steals — not a poor man’s wife. Nathan doesn’t tell the story of a rich man who takes a bride and murders her husband. No, he tells a story merely of a rich guy who takes a lamb from a poor man. And yet David in his wicked audacity has the gumption to swear by the name of the LORD that this guy deserves to die!
But you know what? He’s right.
That guy does deserve to die. Because he had everything and it wasn’t enough. That guy does deserve to die, because he’s ruled by his appetite and his greed knows no bounds. David was right about that guy. He does deserve to die.
Note that David not only swears judgment by God’s name, but also that he cites the Law of the LORD. “He shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing!”
David is quoting the law. The law demands that anyone who steals a sheep must repay it fourfold. David is brandishing his knowledge of the law. And all of the sudden he can’t claim ignorance as a defence for his actions. David in his pride cites, word for word, the law of the LORD to condemn the rich man who showed no pity, and in a moment any excuse for murdering his brother and stealing his wife falls to the wayside.
From the moment Nathan speaks, the wicked audacity of David’s sin is on display. Though he had everything he could have wanted, he took the precious bride of a dear friend merely because he wanted her. And all of this treachery is set against the backdrop of David’s knowledge of the law. He knew, from the moment he jealously craved the wife of another, to the moment he sent Uriah to die, he knew that God’s law forbids jealousy, forbids adultery, forbids murder. He knew, and yet he did it anyway.
And that, friends, means something.
Keep reading.
The Implications of Sin
The Implications of Sin
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. 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. 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. 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.’
Against whom did David sin?
Think about that for a moment. Because up until this moment I would have replied, “Uriah.” But God’s words reveal the very nature of David’s sin. God’s response to David’s sin is personal. And that should give you pause. And you should think about it.
God says, “I ANOINTED YOU KING!”
God says, “I GAVE YOU YOUR MASTER’S HOUSE AND WIVES”
God says, “IF THIS WERE TOO LITTLE, I WOULD ADD MUCH MORE!”
In a word, God says, “David, I gave you everything you could have possibly needed. I took you from the shepherd’s field and I placed you on the throne. And I gave you the house of Israel. And I gave you brides from among the daughters of Israel. You were rich beyond imagining. You came from the least of the houses of Israel and I gave you everything. I did that for you, David!
And then listen to God’s judgment against David’s sin:
“Therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me.”
Because you have despised me.
Against whom did David sin?
There’s a song written about this story. records David’s response to God after hearing these words of rebuke. And one aspect of this response has always confused me.
David cries out,
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
David says, “AGAINST YOU, YOU ONLY, HAVE I SINNED!”
And I’m like, “That’s not true. Bro, you killed a guy and took his wife. You sinned against him, at least, against his wife, at least. And you also sinned against the people of Israel, right? Because the sword of their enemies will always be a threat to their peace and safety — all because you sinned. You can’t say that — you can’t say, ‘I’ve sinned against you, God, and you only.”
So what’s going on here? Is David confused?
I don’t think so.
In fact, I think we lack a distinction that David is making here. I think when we try to wrap our minds around sin we lack a distinction that God is making here. And I think if we can grasp this distinction it will change our lives. I think this distinction is a mighty weapon against sin.
So here’s the distinction that I think God is making, and that I think David is making:
There are many victims of our sin. Our sin has many victims, and the ripple effects of our sin will harm many, many people. But in every case, when we sin, we sin against God directly. Every time we sin, we sin against God. And the gravity of our sin, the weight of our sin, the black treachery of our sin is only fully understood against the backdrop of God’s grace and mercy and kindness toward us.
Let me repeat that, because I think it’s important.
Your sin has victims, and there are many. But every time you sin, you sin against God. And you can only understand the gravity of your sin against the backdrop of his faithful mercy and kindness and love.
Think back to God’s response. God could have said anything here. He could have said, “THINK ABOUT HOW MUCH HURT YOU’VE CAUSED MY DAUGHTER BATHSHEBA!” He could have said, “THE BLOOD OF MY NOBLE SON URIAH CRIES OUT TO ME FROM THE BATTLEFIELD!” He could have said anything but what does he say?
“I’ve given you everything, and you despised me.”
Against whom did David sin? He sinned against God.
And that sin is dark and wretched and treacherous when placed against the backdrop of God’s love and kindness and mercy and grace toward David.
God first addresses the core of David’s sin. David has sinned against God. David’s sin was an active, tangible demonstration that he has despised God’s word, and that he has despised God himself.
But God doesn’t stop there. God doesn’t stop there. He let’s David know that his sin has victims, and that David’s sin causes ripple effects of suffering that will last for generations.
Keep reading.
The Victims of Sin
The Victims of Sin
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. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ ”
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.’ 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. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ ”
The first, the most immediate victims of David’s sin are clear. Uriah the Hittite, whose blood was spilt by the sword of the Ammonites, is in the grave because David despised God. And Bathsheba, the widow, her life will never be the same. Notice that, even though David’s already married Bathsheba at this point, notice that God doesn’t refer to her as David’s wife.
When God explains that David’s sin
“YOU HAVE TAKEN THE WIFE OF URIAH THE HITTITE.”
There’s a dialogue unfolding in evangelical America right now about the nature of David’s relationship with Bathsheba. For years, and this is very unfortunate, for years Christian preachers taught that David’s actions were a response to Bathsheba’s seduction of David. Look, guys, there is absolutely nothing in the text to support this. Bathsheba was doing what every sister of Israel had to do in order to keep the law of the LORD, she was bathing in the privacy of her home. That David’s palace happened to overlook all of the homes of Israel, upon the top of which women must have been bathing regularly, and that David happened to be wandering on his roof looking out upon the roofs of his people while their husbands were out on the battlefield fighting for freedom — this is an indictment against David’s character, not Bathsheba’s. Bathsheba wasn’t doing anything wrong. She wasn’t flirting, she wasn’t exotically enticing her king. She was fulfilling the law’s requirements.
Anyway, for a long time men preached this passage as if Bathsheba were actively tempting David. And that isn’t biblical.
But recently someone has made the claim that the text of Samuel explicitly calls what happens between David and Bathsheba rape. And a lot of people are upset about this claim, because the text of Scripture doesn’t explicitly call what happens between David and Bathsheba rape.
Look, wherever you land here, one thing is clear. David demanded her presence in the King’s chambers. And the text says, “he took her.” Now, whether or not this is rape, everyone must admit that there is a level of pressure that Bathsheba must have felt palpably. Because what happens if she says, “no.”
What the text of Samuel does clearly demonstrate is that Bathsheba is a victim of David’s sin. She lost her husband. She lost her family. Her life was radically shifted by the whims of an adulterous king.
David’s sin has victims, the most immediate of whom are Uriah who was slaughtered on the battlefield, and his wife the widow.
But these are merely the first of legions of victims. God says, “The sword will never depart from your house.”
Do you know what that means? Your house. It means the dynasty. It means that enemies will always haunt the dynasty of David. It means that there will never again be lasting peace among the sons of Israel under the dynasty of David. It means that, from this day until Israel finally falls, the sons and daughters of Israel will have sword and sling and their hip, always ready for the bloodlust of the nations.
Generation upon generation of lost lives, generation upon generation of fallen sons. These are the victims of David’s sin.
And more immediately, the house of David will be divided. What David has done to Uraih in secret will be done to David publicly. Public humiliation of David’s wives - humiliation of the highest order.
These are the victims of David’s sin. A split kingdom. Humiliated wives. The rebellious tyranny of a son. The never departing haunt of bloodthirsty enemies.
David sinned against God. But the victims of his sin are countless.
So it is with you and I.
Keep reading.
The Mercy of God in the Face of Sin
The Mercy of God in the Face of Sin
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. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” Then Nathan went to his house.
And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick.
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.
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. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.”
2 Samuel 12:13-
Stop! Don’t miss that! Don’t miss what just happened, because that dynamic is our only hope.
David says, “I have sinned against the LORD.”
There he is. There’s the David we remember. There’s the faithful David that we remember. “I have sinned against the LORD.” In a moment of rebuke, the faithful turn and confess their sin, and repent.
He’s broken here. He’s broken and he sees clearly who he is, what he’s done, and where he’s at. And in this moment or darkness, in this deep valley he hardly opens his mouth to speak. “I have sinned against the LORD.”
The LORD wastes no time.
And you might have expected here for Nathan to turn and leave.
“Nathan
You might have expected here that Nathan would say, “YOU BETTER BELIEVE IT! YOU DID SIN, DAVID! YOU DID SIN AGAINST THE LORD AND IT WAS AWFUL AND THERE WILL BE TERRIBLE CONSEQUENCES.” At the very least you might expect that Nathan, having been given the confession that he was looking for, would turn away and storm out. This is a *mic drop* moment.
But notice that David is barely able to finish his sentence. He can hardly finish the words, “I have sinned against the LORD” when Nathan interrupts, “The LORD also has put away your sin!”
What sort of mercy is this? What sort of grace is on display here! In the face of months of orchestrated sin, in the face of adultery and lies and execution orders and the death of innocent men, in the face of a ruinous cover up that must have taken months, David merely whispers the words, “I have sinned against the LORD” and God is ready to forgive.
That’s what God is like! That’s what our LORD is like!
You may have wrecked your life and ruined the countless lives of others. But you need only repent and in less that a moment you stand forgiven!
The LORD has put away your sin. Breathtaking mercy. Breathtaking mercy.
But how? Think about that. How?!
How can a just God simply put away David’s sin?
for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, and are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God put forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by faith. This was to show God’s righteousness, because in his divine forbearance he had passed over former sins.
David stood guilty before a just God. But he set aside David’s guilt in the face of repentance, because the Son of David was coming, and this too he would carry to the cross.
Breathtaking mercy! Breathtaking mercy!
The LORD has set aside your sin. I can think of no better reason to confess it and be done with it!
Confess your sin and be done with it! The LORD stands ready to set it aside by the blood of the cross!
Just like David, you sit there guilty in your sin. And the word of the LORD convicts you of your guilt! You are that man! Yet you need only whisper the words, “I have sinned against the LORD” and he stands ready to set that sin aside by the spent blood of the Son of David.
In a moment, David’s guilt is resolved. In a moment, David’s condemnation is dismissed.
Nevertheless, sin has consequences.
The Consequences of Sin
The Consequences of Sin
Pick it up in verse 14.
Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” Then Nathan went to his house.
And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. And David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. 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. 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.” 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.” 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. 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.” 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?’ 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.”
I don’t think it’s an accident that we’re left to slowly reflect on the death of an innocent child, immediately after David confesses his sin, and the LORD sets it aside.
Because sin has consequences, and they don’t just go away.
From the moment of his repentance, David does everything right. He humbles himself before the LORD, and he fasts before the LORD in sorrow, and he pleads with the LORD for the life of his newborn son. Nevertheless, the child dies. An innocent child dies because of the sin of David.
People, consequences don’t just go away. That’s not what forgiveness means. The consequences of sin are deadly and devastating, and they don’t just go away.
Remember David’s words, when he heard the story of the rich man?
He says, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold!”
Fourfold. David’s demands for justice are the same as the law’s. And he sits on his high throne and pretends to issue justice, harboring the sin in his heart.
Fourfold. Did you know that David loses four sons before the end of the story? Four sons die prematurely before we turn the last page of the book of Samuel.
This child, Amnon, Absolom, and Adonijah. “THIS MAN DESERVES TO DIE, AND HE SHALL RESTORE THE LAMB FOURFOLD!”
Even in the wake of mercy, even in the wake of forgiveness, sin has consequences. And they are devastating.
If this story had ended otherwise, would you understand the gravity of sin? Would you feel the cold darkness of sin? Would you be afraid to sin?
Paul looks back on stories like this one and he says to the sons and daughters of God —
If this story had ended with Nathan responding to David’s confession — “You know what, David, don’t worry about it. You’re forgiven, all is good.” If David’s kingdom enjoyed peace and David was able to rejoice in the life of his newborn child. Would that be
Now these things took place as examples for us, that we might not desire evil as they did. Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, “The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.” We must not indulge in sexual immorality as some of them did, and twenty-three thousand fell in a single day. We must not put Christ to the test, as some of them did and were destroyed by serpents, nor grumble, as some of them did and were destroyed by the Destroyer. Now these things happened to them as an example, but they were written down for our instruction, on whom the end of the ages has come.
So that we might not desire evil as they did.
What came of David’s desire for evil? How did that pan out?
The consequences of sin don’t go away. They stand as a warning for those on whom the end of the ages has come.
Don’t despise the God who saves.
Don’t despise the God who saves.
So here’s how you apply this passage to your daily life. Here’s how you use this passage as a tool to better understand your heart, your sin, and it’s consequences.
Reflect on your sin against the backdrop of God’s kindness.
When you sin, you sin against God. Sure, there are victims, sometimes immediate victims of your sin, and you owe them an apology, and you owe them restitution. But you’ve sinned against God. And you’ll never understand the wicked audacity of that sin until you place it against the backdrop of God’s kind provision. God has given you everything that you have. Every meal enjoyed, every bill paid, every night of shelter, every friend, every relationship. These are the gifts of a God whose love and mercy and kindness and grace are poured out on you. You won’t understand your sin, you won’t take your sin seriously, you won’t fight and wrestle and kill your sin until you wrap your mind around the wicked audacity of the thing against the backdrop of God’s kindness.
Admit that your sin has victims.
We never, ever sin in a vacuum. Our sin hurts people. Our sin changes people’s lives. Our sin will become dark memories in the minds of our adult children. Our sin will scar marriages and stifle joy and quench the Spirit and harm churches. Your sin has victims, man, and you must acknowledge those victims or else you’ll keep sinning and making more of them.
Confess your sin and repent.
You have sinned against the LORD. He stands ready to forgive. He’s there, ready. You can’t barely finish your sentence without hearing the word of pardon on your behalf. The blood of the Son of David is working for you! The LORD is ready to set aside your sin! Do it! Confess your sin and repent. You could kill sin, right now. You can kill that sin right now if you’d only see it for what it is and confess it!
If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
That’s it. The LORD stands ready to set aside your sin by the blood of Jesus, and to cleanse you from all unrighteousness. Confess, brother! Confess, sister! And be done with your sin forever.
Accept sin’s consequences.
Have you confessed your sin? Do you stand forgiven? Are you eagerly awaiting your promised inheritance? Good.
Nevertheless, your sin has consequences.
Look, you don’t have to like it. But you can’t shake your fist at the heavens. Your sin has consequences, and they don’t just go away as soon as you stand forgiven. Let them stand as a reminder that the wages of sin is death. Abandon all hope, ye who enter here! Let your consequences stand as a warning, lest you be tempted to set aside the cross of Christ. Remind your brothers and sisters in Christ that you have earned these consequences, that you had earned much worse. Except for the grace of God, you’d have these consequences and hell on the other side. Warn them not to flee the shelter of Christ by pointing out your consequences! Embrace your consequences as God’s merciful warning to those upon whom the end of the ages has come. And then, like David, wash your face, worship your God, and keep on pacing toward the coming Kingdom.