The Trials of a King

As we begin 2012 we pick up The Story in Chapter 12. It was the season for kings to go to war, but for some inexplicable reason, David stayed home. On night he got up, restless he began to walk around his palace. He went up to his roof and from that vantage point he saw a beautiful woman bathing. He summoned her to come to him and she did, after all what choice do you have when the king summons you. They slept together and she returned to her home. In the course of time she found herself to be pregnant and notified the king.
Now let me interject a few thoughts here.
Restlessness is a dangerous place.
Restless often comes when a person is not where they are supposed to be. David became restless when he was not off to war. He was a warrior king. It was the season for war and he was at home.
When you are not on offense, you must be on defense. The critical mistake was that David did not realize that he was in a dangerous place. At that time the palace was more dangerous than the battlefield.
When a person is restless they often take what is not their’s for the taking. In a time of restlessness people often more sensual than spiritual.
David’s sin caught up with him. Sin always will catch up to you.
The coverup always makes it worse.
When Uriah refused to go home to be with Bathsheba it exposed the problem with David’s heart at the time.
2 Samuel 11:11 (NIV84) 11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
The Holy Spirit was working on David’s heart even at this time. David was not sensitive to the Spirit and compounded the sin by having Uriah killed in battle.
The Holy Spirit is always there urging us to flee from sin. If we ignore Him we will always make the matter worse.
A year passes and Nathan the prophet comes to David and through the telling of a parable reveals David’s sin.
A year passes and nothing is said. There is not a psalm written or a battle won. Another year passes and nothing is said.
Today we begin 2012. Another year. As I was preparing and praying for this day, I found it interesting that we would be starting the year with this chapter in The Story. When you begin the year you want to be motivated. “It’s a New Year let’s start things off right.” A clean slate, and all that kind of stuff. The truth of the matter is that we don’t start of the year with a brand new slate. We have to deal with the stuff from the past before we can enjoy the favor of the Lord in the present.
Consider this, most of the resolutions that you will make are to correct behavior from the past. You decide to diet because you are too much in 2011. You are going to work to get out of debt because you bought too much in 2011. Before we can get on with the blessings we have to deal with the problems, and if we have had a silent year we might need to go back and deal with the sin that we thought we had covered up.
Psalm 32 (NIV84)
Of David. A maskil. 1 Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. 2 Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. 3 When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. 4 For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah 5 Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the Lord”—
and you forgave the guilt of my sin.
Selah
The truth is only God can cover our sin.
Let’s deal with the stuff that we need to deal with so we can get on with The Story as God intended!
When David heard the story he was able to see the sin of another and was ready to pronounce judgment. “The man should die and the one who was wronged should get four sheep in return.” David would later realize that he would pay with the death of four of his own sons.
“You are that man.” 2 Samuel 12:7 (NIV84)
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man!
God brings us all to a “You are that man/woman moment.” It is the moment when we cannot deny that we are the one who sinned. The response at this time is the key to life.
True Repentance. This is how David responded. It would be said that David was a man after God’s heart. His heart was honest and when he sinned he admitted it and asked that the relationship with God be restored.
“I have sinned.” David said. No excuses were made. He just honestly said, I have sinned.
Psalm 51 (NIV84) For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba.
1 Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. 5 Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. 6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place. 7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;
wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. 9 Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. 10 Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not cast me from your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. 14 Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. 15 O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. 16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. 17 The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.
“Against God” David recognized that the sin effected many people but the heart of the sin was an affront to God.
“Take not thy Holy Spirit from me.” “Restore to me the joy of salvation.” Sin affects my relationship with God. In no way was David’s salvation lost, but the joy of living in what God was providing was in jeopardy. So many times people ask the wrong question. They wonder how much can they sin before they lose their salvation. If you are asking that question I fear you may have already lost the joy of salvation, the joy of walking in the holiness of God!
God forgives
“Cleanse me and I will be whiter than snow.” God cleanses
There are consequences. David and Bathsheba’s son became ill and ultimately died. The sword entered David’s household and other sons were lost. In fact one son would turn against David himself. Did God forgive completely, yes, but there still were consequences.
2 Samuel 12:15–25 (NIV84) 15 After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. 18 On the seventh day the child died. David’s servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.” 19 David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked. “Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.” 20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. 21 His servants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!” 22 He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” 24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him; 25 and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.
Life must go on. Don’t allow this to be the last chapter. David got up and washed himself and ate when the boy died. There is a time, when you must go on with life. God has so much more for you. This is not the final chapter.
Listen today, I believe that the Lord wants you to hear Him say: “I Love You.” His blessing is back. The plan is not thwarted. His grace is greater than your sin.