Topic: Spiritual War
"And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.
"And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.
"And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David, therefore, besought God for the child, and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth. And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them. And it came to pass on the seventh day that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
"But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead?
"And they said, He is dead.
"Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
"And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
"And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD." (II Samuel 12:13-25 KJV)
Did God accept His servant's confession? Then why did David face such brutal punishment that cost him to lose his child? What did David learn from this?
First, we need to understand that David went after God's heart. In the previous administrator, Saul blamed people for his actions. Instead of correcting himself, he pointed out that his people tell him what to do. That's a mistake to cause him to lose his kingdom. David could follow the steps of his successor. But he knew that was not right. He had to face the consequences of his wrongdoing, even though he was about to lose his child. Please don't misunderstand that God favored abortion. But God wanted David to know that gambling on somebody's life for his selfish reason would cost him a life.
Second, David's action was immediate. He didn't take the time to confess his sin. After Nathan pointed at him, David said, "I have sinned." He didn't go around fingering whom he could blame. Instead, he spilled his confession out.
Lastly, David was sincere. He stayed up all night to try to save his baby. We don't know how long he was fasted because of his child. When his servant announced to him that his child was dead, he went back to his routine and took care of his wife.
David faced severe punishment despite God's acceptance of his confession, and he lost his child as a consequence. Unlike Saul, who blamed others for his actions, David took responsibility and understood the gravity of his wrongdoing. He confessed immediately after Nathan confronted him without shifting blame. David's sincerity was evident as he fasted and prayed for his child's life, and after the child's death, he resumed his routine and cared for his wife. II Samuel 12 emphasizes taking responsibility, immediate confession, and sincere repentance.
Do you have a relationship with God's Son, Jesus? God didn't send His Son to earth just to cleanse our sins. No, Jesus did this on Calvary to build a relationship with us. He didn't deserve to die for our sins, but He did. Now, it's up to us to respond to Him. I won't spell out the sinner's prayer because it must be sincere to Him. We must spend time with Him daily. Don't just watch or listen to preachers on TV or radio; spend your time with God by reading His words and praying. For an extra effect, put on worship music. Whatever you do, do it for God. Your quality time with God can also create a shield, preventing Satan and all negative things from entering your mind.
