2 Sam. 12: “David Is Restored To The Lord But Still Suffers The Consequences Of His Sin”

By

Jim Bomkamp

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1. INTRO:

1.1. In our last study, we looked at chapters 10 and 11 of 2 Samuel.

1.1.1. In chapter 10, David sent a delegation to the sons of Ammon to grieve with them over the death of their king. However, the Ammonites interpreted this as a ploy to spy out their land in order to conquer them and they publicly humiliated those spies. David then gathered his army and went against the Ammonites and had a great conquest of them.

1.1.2. In chapter 11, we read about the sordid story of David committing adultery with Bathsheba.

1.1.2.1. We looked at the things that led to David’s temptation with Bathsheba.

1.1.2.2. We attempted to learn as much as we could from this story so that each of us can hopefully keep from committing such an act ourselves some day.

1.1.2.3. This story became very disturbing and ugly as we saw the man after God’s own heart stooping to the lowest level. David’s sin of adultery led to further sin, when Bathsheba told David that she had conceived a child as a result of their affair, and as sin led to sin David eventually plotted and carried out the murder of Bathsheba’s husband in order to cover up his sin.

1.1.2.4. Because of David’s sin, not only was Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, murdered by David, but also several of David’s other faithful fighting men were unnecessarily killed in battle.

1.1.2.5. David’s sin had grave consequences as we will see in our study today.

1.2. In our study today, we are going to look at chapter 12 of the book.

1.2.1. As we saw in the study of the last chapter, David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and then because he was not able to cover up his sin after she became pregnant with his child, David arranged for the murder of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah the Hittite. We will see in this study how that after a year of David’s thinking that he had successfully covered up his sin of committing adultery and murder, yet all the while being wracked with guilt, he eventually confesses his sin to the Lord and repents of it when Nathan the prophet is sent to rebuke him for his sin.

1.2.2. We will see here that David is forgiven by the Lord of his sins, however he still will have to experience grave consequences of his sin. The baby conceived by Bathsheba would die and the sword would never leave David’s house.

1.2.3. Nathan tells David that because of his sin,“he has given the enemies of the Lord great occasion to blaspheme.” This is always the tragic result of our sin as God’s people, and as a result of the sin of God’s people there are many people who will stumble and be lost for an eternity in hell.

1.2.4. We will see in our study that grace triumphs over judgment when a humbled repentant sinner comes to the Lord. The Lord forgives David of his sin.

1.2.5. There are several Psalms which were penned by David in which he wrote of this period in his life when he had carried around this huge weight of guilt but then had finally repented of his sin and the Lord forgave him, including the following :

1.2.5.1. Psalm 51 is David’s prayer he prayed when he was overcome by his guilt and finally came to the place of repentance and cried out to the Lord for mercy and forgiveness :

1.2.5.1.1. “¹ Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. ² Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity And cleanse me from my sin. ³ For I know my transgressions, And my sin is ever before me.”

1.2.5.1.1.1. Sin causes us to become “unclean” just as leprosy or touching a dead body caused the Israelites of the Old Testament to be made “unclean.” When we have sinned we need the Lord’s cleansing of that “uncleanness.”

1.2.5.1.2. “⁴ Against You, You only, I have sinned And done what is evil in Your sight, So that You are justified when You speak And blameless when You judge.”

1.2.5.1.2.1. All sin is really sin that is against the Lord, even if it involves something that we have done to someone else. Sin is committed in defiance and rebellion against the Lord.

1.2.5.1.3. “⁵ Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, And in sin my mother conceived me.”

1.2.5.1.3.1. We as men and women have a depravity of our very nature, for we were a sinner right from birth, and we have always had a propensity to sin.

1.2.5.1.4. “⁶ Behold, You desire truth in the innermost being, And in the hidden part You will make me know wisdom.”

1.2.5.1.4.1. Sin takes up residence in our hearts and thus we can never be pleasing to the Lord until our hearts and even our minds are purified by the blood of Christ.

1.2.5.1.5. “⁷ Purify me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”

1.2.5.1.5.1. David declares the ability of the Lord to purify us from the uncleanness of our sins we have committed.

1.2.5.1.6. “⁸ Make me to hear joy and gladness, Let the bones which You have broken rejoice.”

1.2.5.1.6.1. Sin causes us to lose the joy of our salvation, however when the Lord forgives us of our sins He also restores to us that joy.

1.2.5.1.7. “⁹ Hide Your face from my sins And blot out all my iniquities.”

1.2.5.1.7.1. Sin must be covered up, or atoned for, in order for us to be pleasing to the Lord. The blood of Jesus Christ is the “propitiation” ( full payment ) for our sins just as it is written in 1 John 2:1-2, “¹ My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you may not sin. And if anyone sins, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous; ² and He Himself is the propitiation for our sins; and not for ours only, but also for those of the whole world.”

1.2.5.1.8. “¹⁰ Create in me a clean heart, O God, And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”

1.2.5.1.8.1. Over the years, I believe I might have heard as many as 7 different worship songs written from this verse and the verses following.

1.2.5.1.8.2. David desired to have the Lord give him a new heart and to renew the very spirit that was within him, both of which had been tainted by the stain of sin.

1.2.5.1.8.3. Old Testament saints were not regenerated by the Holy Spirit as occurs under the new covenant in New Testament times. Remember the context of David’s understanding of how God would work in him, a ‘right’ or ‘steadfast’ spirit does not mean regeneration as we can know it.

1.2.5.1.9. “¹¹ Do not cast me away from Your presence And do not take Your Holy Spirit from me.”

1.2.5.1.9.1. David had seen how that Saul had had the Spirit taken away from him, he did not want the same thing to occur with him.

1.2.5.1.10. “¹² Restore to me the joy of Your salvation And sustain me with a willing spirit.”

1.2.5.1.10.1. See comments on verse 8.

1.2.5.1.11. “¹³ Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, And sinners will be converted to You.”

1.2.5.1.11.1. David desired to somehow be able to make up for his sins by teaching others of God’s ways and converting sinners to the Lord. He didn’t want to do this in order to be forgiven but because he had already been forgiven.

1.2.5.1.12. “¹⁴ Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. ¹⁵ O Lord, open my lips, That my mouth may declare Your praise.”

1.2.5.1.12.1. David desired to have the Lord deliver him from death, for this was the penalty for both adultery ( Lev. 20:10 ) as well as murder ( Lev. 24:17 ). The Lord did pardon David from a capital sentence, however David would suffer greatly the rest of his life because of his sins.

1.2.5.1.12.2. David desired to sing God’s praise because the Lord had pardoned him from the death penalty.

1.2.5.1.13. “¹⁶ For You do not delight in sacrifice, otherwise I would give it; You are not pleased with burnt offering. ¹⁷ The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; A broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.”

1.2.5.1.13.1. David had learned from Saul’s sin when he wrongly took the office of the priest and offered sacrifices for the people before going to war.

1.2.5.1.13.2. David knew that God is not impressed by our external works, such as by making sacrifices, but rather by our having a pure heart before Him. In 1 Sam. 15:22, the prophet Samuel told Saul that the Lord does not desire our sacrifice but rather obedience, “²² Samuel said, “Has the Lord as much delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices As in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice, And to heed than the fat of rams.”

1.2.5.1.14. “¹⁸ By Your favor do good to Zion; Build the walls of Jerusalem. ¹⁹ Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, In burnt offering and whole burnt offering; Then young bulls will be offered on Your altar.”

1.2.5.1.15. David pleads for forgiveness for the sake of Zion itself.

1.2.5.2. Psalm 32 was written after David had already been restored to the Lord, however in the Psalm he thought back upon the things that the Lord had done even leading up to Nathan coming to him to rebuke him :

1.2.5.2.1. “¹ How blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered! ² How blessed is the man to whom the Lord does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit!”

1.2.5.2.1.1. There is always a great blessing when the Lord forgives our sin.

1.2.5.2.1.2. Forgiveness from the Lord involves His no longer imputing iniquity to us. When the Lord forgives our sin He also forgets it, never again to count it against us.

1.2.5.2.2. “³ When I kept silent about my sin, my body wasted away Through my groaning all day long. ⁴ For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was drained away as with the fever heat of summer. Selah.”

1.2.5.2.2.1. There is tremendous burning conviction of guilt when people, especially those who are God’s people and know better, try to hide their sin from the Lord.

1.2.5.2.3. “⁵ I acknowledged my sin to You, And my iniquity I did not hide; I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”; And You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah. ⁶ Therefore, let everyone who is godly pray to You in a time when You may be found; Surely in a flood of great waters they will not reach him.”

1.2.5.2.3.1. There is tremendous relief when we finally confess and repent of our sins. In 1 John 1:9 we have this promise, “⁹ If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”

1.2.5.2.3.2. Many times God’s people walk around with a load of guilt because they just haven’t come to the Lord and confessed and repented of their sins. They might not have turned away from the Lord, yet they have sinned and they haven’t confessed and repented of their sin and thus they are wracked with guilt just as was David. We Christians will sin and we need to appropriate the forgiveness and pardon that is available to us whenever we are conscious that we have sinned against the Lord.

1.2.5.3. In Psalm 130:1-4, 10 David wrote about how he had cried to the Lord out of the depths of his despair, “¹ Out of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord. ² Lord, hear my voice! Let Your ears be attentive To the voice of my supplications. ³ If You, Lord, should mark iniquities, O Lord, who could stand? ⁴ But there is forgiveness with You, that You may be feared…¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, Nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.”

1.2.5.4. In Psalm 103:12, David wrote about how that when the Lord forgives our sins that He removes them completely from us, “¹² As far as the east is from the west, So far has He removed our transgressions from us.”

1.2.5.4.1. Have you noticed that if you travel in a northward direction you will continue to go so far and then finally you will pass the north pole and then suddenly you will begin heading southward. However, you can travel eastward as long as you want and you will always be going eastward, and the same is true of traveling in a westward direction. East and west never meet, you see, and it is likewise true that when the Lord removes our sin He does not bring it up or remember it again, removing it as far from us as the east is from the west.

2. VS 12:1-7a - “¹ Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. ² “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. ³ “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him. ⁴ “Now a traveler came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” ⁵ Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. ⁶ “He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion. ⁷ Nathan then said to David, “You are the man!”” - The prophet Nathan comes to David to rebuke him

2.1. The Lord has revealed to Nathan the horrible sin that David has committed, and he comes to David in order to rebuke him from the Lord.

2.2. We have to commend Nathan for his bravery in coming in before the king of Israel to rebuke him of his sin. History records that men who rebuke the powerful typically do not live long.

2.2.1. John the Baptist comes to mind in this regard. In Matthew chapter 14, we read about the story of how John the Baptist rebuked Herod Antipas for having divorced his wife and taken Herodias as his wife, the wife his brother Herod Philip, and as a result John the Baptist ended up having his head cut off.

2.2.2. J. Vernon McGee has written the following about how that David received this rebuke from Nathan the prophet as being from God and then confessed and repented of his sins, “Dr. Margoliouth has said this, “When has this been done- before or since? Mary, Queen of Scots, would declare that she was above the law; Charles I would have thrown over Bathsheba; James II would have hired witnesses to swear away her character; Mohammed would have produced a revelation authorizing both crimes; Charles II would have publicly abrogated the seventh commandment; Queen Elizabeth would have suspended Natah.”Years ago the Duke of Windsor would have given up his throne for her. We have had some presidents who would have repealed the Ten Commandments and appointed Natahn to the Supreme Court.”

2.2.3. Nathan was a brave and courageous saint however, and thus he did not let his fears keep him from obeying the Lord and going and rebuking the king of his sin.

2.3. Nathan determines to tell a story to David which would help David to see himself as he was before the Lord. This story would help David to judge himself before the Lord. J. Vernon McGee mentions that the word of God was a mirror to David to finally see himself before the Lord and thus see his real need to repent of his sins.

2.4. Nathan tells David about two different men. One was a rich man who had many flocks and herds. The other was a poor man who had just one little ewe lamb that had been brought up and grown up in his family, having been taken care of by him. It even lay in his bosom. However, when the rich man had a traveler come to him, instead of killing one of his own flock to prepare a meal instead he stole the little lamb belonging to the poor man and killed it and prepared it.

2.5. Upon hearing this story, David becomes incensed in anger. He pronounces judgment against this rich man on the spot telling Nathan that the man deserves to die and that he must also make restitution fourfold because of what he did and because he did not have any compassion.

2.6. It is interesting how that we as people are so prone to note and point out the faults and sins of others and yet so inclined to be blind to our own faults and sins. David over-reacts and is incensed against this rich man for what he has done and yet what this rich man has done is not nearly as bad as what David had done in committing adultery with Bathsheba and then arranging the murder of her husband.

2.7. David tells Nathan that this rich man deserves to die for his crimes and yet it is the case that David actually deserved to die because of his having committed adultery with Bathsheba and then arranging her husband’s murder.

2.8. Finally, Nathan ends his story by telling David that he ( David ) is the man in this story. He is the one who has done these horrible atrocities. This rebuke must have stunned David and broken his heart before the Lord. How could he, “a man after God’s own heart,” have so spurned the Lord and been so calloused to men as to commit these horrible acts.

3. VS 12:7b-15 - “Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ ‘I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! ⁹ ‘Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 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 from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. ¹² ‘Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’ ¹³ Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. ¹⁴ “However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.” ¹⁵ So Nathan went to his house.”” - Nathan continues to rebuke David recounting to him exactly what sins he has committed and how that David will now have to suffer the consequences of his sin

3.1. The Lord speaks through Nathan and tells David how that David had not been grateful for all of the great things that the Lord had done for him, including :

3.1.1. He had anointed David king over Israel.

3.1.2. He had delivered David from the hand of Saul.

3.1.3. He gave to David the house of Israel and Judah ( to reign over ).

3.1.4. He even gave to David the wives in his care.

3.1.5. He even tells David that if what the Lord had given to him was too little that He would have given David more.

3.2. Nathan tells David that instead of being grateful for all that the Lord had done for him that instead he ‘despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight.’

3.2.1. As was mentioned earlier, all sin is against God. Plus, all sin is done in defiance and rebellion against the Lord.

3.3. Nathan next recounts the sins David had committed :

3.3.1. Murdering Uriah was worse than having committed adultery against Bathsheba, therefore Nathan recounts this sin of David’s first.

3.3.1.1. Though David had not been the one to commit the actual murder of Uriah, David was none-the-less responsible for this murder for it came about as a result of his plan and orders as king.

3.3.1.2. Murder was a sin deserving death as a punishment.

3.3.2. David had used his power as king and taken away the wife of Uriah to be his own wife.

3.3.2.1. This was a heinous sin in God’s sight, one which was also deserving of death according to the Law of Moses.

3.4. Even though the Lord forgave David of his sin for these crimes, and even pardoned him from a capital punishment for them, none-the-less David would suffer greatly because of them. The consequences Nathan tells David that he would suffer because of his sin would include :

3.4.1. ‘The sword shall never depart from your house.’

3.4.1.1. The rest of David’s days would be filled with the worst of domestic strife. He would never again have peace and his life would forever be filled with great heartache.

3.4.2. ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. ¹² ‘Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’

3.4.2.1. This will be fulfilled when David’s son Absalom rebels and tries to take the kingdom away from David, and then lays with David’s concubines in public sight so that all would not about it.

3.4.3. ‘The child also that is born to you shall surely die.’

3.4.3.1. Nathan tells David that because he had caused the Lord’s enemies to blasphemy in committing these sins that the child would have to die. As we mentioned in our last study, there are still people today who stumble over becoming a Christian because of the sins that this supposed man of God, David, committed.

3.4.3.2. David did not have to die for his sin, however the innocent baby conceived by Bathsheba from the adultery, his very own son, would have to die because of his sin.

3.4.3.3. Some have thought that this might be a vague picture painted for us of the fact that Jesus, God’s Son, would have to die for our sins.

3.5. David’s response to this bold rebuke given to him by Nathan is telling of his character, he admits that he has sinned against the Lord in doing these things.

3.6. Nathan tells David that he has been forgiven and that he will not die for having committing these sins ( the penalty under the Law of Moses for adultery as well as murder was death ). David was humbled and repentant and therefore the Lord could now extend mercy and grace to him and tell him that his sin had been covered by the Lord.

4. VS 12:16-23 - “¹⁶ David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground. ¹⁷ The elders of his household stood beside him in order to raise him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat food with them. ¹⁸ Then it happened on the seventh day that 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 still alive, we spoke to him and he did not listen to our voice. How then can we tell him that the child is dead, since he might do himself harm!” ¹⁹ But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” ²⁰ So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate. ²¹ Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; 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, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ ²³ “But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”” - David fasted and prayed to the Lord for Him to heal his child, however on the 7^th day the child died

4.1. David knew that the Lord is gracious and compassionate and thus he thought that perhaps if he earnestly continued to fast and pray that the Lord might change His mind and heal his child from his sickness. However, because of the heinous nature of David’s sins the Lord would not change His mind concerning the child, and finally on the 7^th day the child died.

4.2. When the child died, David’s servants were afraid to tell David of the news for fear that he might kill himself. David finally perceives that the child has died and asks his servants if this is so, and they tell him that the child is dead.

4.3. David’s servants were surprised and confused when after the child died that David got up and washed and anointed himself and ate. They then asked him why it was that when the child was alive that David fasted and wept but when the child died that he arose and ate. David then told them that he fasted and prayed because he thought that perhaps the Lord might be gracious to him and heal his child. However, now that the child had died, why should he fast?

4.4. David next tells his servants in verse 23 that one day he would go to his child, but the child would not return to him. This verse has been used to demonstrate that children who die before they reach an “age of accountability” will automatically go to heaven because Jesus’ atonement must surely cover them. There is no definitive scriptural basis to accept this truth based upon this text however for David may have merely been saying that the baby had died and that one day he would die also. However, regardless of whether this text declares it or not, most sound Bible commentators believe that it is most likely the case that Christ’s atonement does cover those who die when under an age of accountability to the Lord.

5. VS 12:24-25 - “²⁴ Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and went in to her and lay with her; and she gave birth to a son, and he named him Solomon. Now the Lord loved him ²⁵ and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah for the Lord’s sake.” - David comforts Bathsheba his wife and then lays with her and she conceives a son whom they named Solomon

5.1. We have talked a lot about the guilt and restoration that David went through after committing adultery with Bathsheba and then arranging the murder of her husband, however we haven’t even considered what Bathsheba has gone through in this whole ordeal. She shouldn’t have been bathing out in public, and we wonder about her motive for doing this, however regardless of her guilt in bringing about the affair with David, she has now lost a husband and a child after having been wrecked with the guilt of her adultery ( just as was David ). David now shares with Bathsheba the comfort that the Lord had given him through the words of Nathan the prophet. God had forgiven her sin also as she had come to the place of humility and repentance before the Lord.

5.2. Bathsheba now conceives Solomon, another son by David. This son was special for he will be the next king over Israel and fulfill a critical role in the nation as he will build the temple for the Lord plus write the wisdom literature in the Old Testament. Joseph who married Mary, Jesus’ mother, was a direct descendant of Solomon.

5.3. Nathan the prophet, by the Lord’s leading, gives Solomon another name, Jedidiah. This Hebrew name means, “beloved of Jehovah” and hints at his choice by the Lord to be the next king over Israel. The Lord had a special love for this child.

6. VS 12:26-31 - “²⁶ Now Joab fought against Rabbah of the sons of Ammon and captured the royal city. ²⁷ Joab sent messengers to David and said, “I have fought against Rabbah, I have even captured the city of waters. ²⁸ “Now therefore, gather the rest of the people together and camp against the city and capture it, or I will capture the city myself and it will be named after me.” ²⁹ So David gathered all the people and went to Rabbah, fought against it and captured it. ³⁰ Then he took the crown of their king from his head; and its weight 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 in great amounts. ³¹ He also brought out the people who were in it, and set them under saws, sharp iron instruments, and iron axes, and made them pass through the brickkiln. And thus he did to all the cities of the sons of Ammon. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem.” - Joab fought against city of Rabbah ( of the sons of Ammon ) and sends word to David that if he captures the city that he will have to name it after himself, therefore he requests that David come and lead the battle so that at its conquest the city can be named after David

6.1. I think that this story might be indicating that Joab was trying to help David get back in the saddle again, so to speak, after the death of his son. David needed to go on with his life and what better way could this happen than to conquer a city, have it named after you, and wear the king’s crown upon your head. David agrees to comes to Joab and he leads the charge as the city is captured.

6.2. The crown of the king of Rabbah was placed on David’s head as the conqueror of the city.

6.3. We see here that the people of Ammon were dealt with very harshly, perhaps so that they could be used as examples to other peoples who might consider rebellion against Israel. The people of the city of Rabbah were tortured by David’s army using saws, sharp iron instruments and iron axes, and by putting them into a brickkiln and burning them up. This same form of torture was likewise done to all of the cities of Ammon as this enemy of Israel and the Lord was completely subdued.

7. CONCLUSIONS:

7.1. As we consider this chapter and how that David was restored to the Lord through the rebuke of Nathan the prophet, we are in awe of the mercy and grace of the Lord in providing for the atonement ( covering ) of our sins. Truly, mercy triumphs over judgment when a humbled repentant sinner turns to the Lord. The question for each of us then is whether or not we have had our sins covered by the blood of Jesus shed upon the cross for us?

7.1.1. Have you come to the Lord as a humbled sinner? God words says in Rom. 3:23 that we all have sinned ( broken God’s commandments and not fulfilled His will for our lives ), “²³ for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God.”

7.1.2. Have you realized that because of your sin that you too deserve to die ( just like David ) ?

7.1.2.1. We know this is true since God’s word tells us in Rom. 6:23, “²³ For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

7.1.3. Have you truly repented and turned your will and future over to the Lord to do His will and be the person He wants you to be?

7.1.3.1. Acts 17:30 tells us that we must repent if we are to be God’s people, “³⁰ “Therefore having overlooked the times of ignorance, God is now declaring to men that all people everywhere should repent.”

7.1.4. Have you asked Jesus to come into your heart and life and be your father, forgiving you of your sins. Jesus taught us in John 1:12 how that we can become children of God just by receiving Him into our heart and life, “¹² But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name.” If you have not done so, ask Him into your heart and life today!

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