Verse of the day: 2 Samuel 12:24 Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her
and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name
Solomon. Now the Lord loved him,
How
great is God’s grace toward us? It is greater than we often think, or give Him
credit for. We sing about His amazing grace, and we tell others about how much
He loves us, but then something happens to our thinking when we deal with
someone who has stumbled and fallen to sin. We get stuck in our own guilt when
we are the ones who need that grace and forgiveness. Why? Is it that we only
believe it with our lips, but it has not truly penetrated our hearts? The life
of King David is an amazing picture of God’s grace. It is one that I turn to
time and time again when the devils try to remind me of my own personal past
failures in my relationship with my Lord. The fact of the matter is that the
Apostle John, in writing to his fellow Christians in 1 John 1 & 2, reminds
them (and us) that God is a forgiving and gracious God when we sin against Him.
He reminds us that He is faithful and just to not only forgive us, but also
cleanse us from all unrighteousness (in Christ). This forgiveness and cleansing
is available to us when we truly repent and confess our sin(s), just like King
David was forgiven for his sin against God. Here in this chapter of 2 Samuel,
we see God’s amazing grace and forgiveness shown toward both King David and
Bathsheba. Let us not be mistaken, there are definitely consequences for
sinning against God. Bathsheba had become pregnant as a result of their
adulterous affair, and the attempted cover-up resulted in the death of her
husband Uriah, at the hands of King David and his wicked plan to put him on the
frontline by having the troops withdraw in the heat of battle (2 Sam 11:14-24).
The consequences for such unrighteous behavior were that the sword never left
King David’s family, and the child that was conceived in sin died from an illness
brought on by the Lord (v. 15). However, with all this tragedy that came out of
their sinful actions, something greater came out of all of this. God’s grace
overcame, and was greater than what King David and Bathsheba had done. It is
God who opens and closes the womb (Gen 20:18; 29:31). God could have very well
chosen to close Bathsheba’s womb as a consequence for what she and King David
had done; but here is God’s grace. Instead, He allowed her to conceive and bare
another child, whom the Scriptures tell us God loved. In verse 25, we see
something amazing. Solomon, later King Solomon, is called Jedidiah, which means
“beloved of the Lord”. The name Solomon means “peaceful”. Both names were a
symbol of God’s relationship with both King David and Bathsheba, even after
what they had done. God had removed one son, the result of their sin, and gave
them another, one who came from God’s peace and love; a picture of Christ.
There are two things we need to remember about this and how we deal with sin
today. First, too many Christians are quick to condemn and abandon those who
stumble in sin. Yet, the Word of God is very clear that our role in the life of
a fellow Christian who stumbles is to humbly, and lovingly, seek to reconcile them
to God and fellowship with us once again (Gal 6:1-5). This does not mean that
we do not hold them accountable for what they have done, but we are not God,
and it is not up to us to decide their consequence(s). No one but God chose
King David and Bathsheba’s consequence. Just as God comforted them in their
consequences, even so, God will comfort us when we stumble and return to Him. God
has outlined for us what we need to do if a person refuses to repent and get
right with Him or correct a wrong (Mt 18:15-20; 1 Cor 5:9-11); but even this is
done in love, and not in a mean-spirited fashion (Jm 1:20). Secondly, we must
be careful that we not refuse to forgive those whom God has forgiven. Sadly, there
are too many Christians who today wander from church to church, and have even
refused to go back to church because of the way they were treated when they
stumbled; often by those who harbored secret sin in their own hearts and lives
or were previously forgiven for things they too had done to sin against God. As
long as we have breath, God can still use us, and will restore us if our
repentance and confession is true. God did not discard King David or Bathsheba.
Instead, He gave them a son who was a symbol of His forgiveness, His peace
toward them and the peace they now had with Him, and the love that He had
toward them, which was not hindered by what they did, even though they paid a
painful price for it; for God even called King David a man after His own heart
(Acts 13:22). The bottom line is that nothing will separate us from God’s love…nothing
(Rom 8:35-39). Whatever it is that we have done, we need to know that
regardless of how we are treated or who forsakes us, God will remain faithful
and wants us to be reconciled to Him. Do not judge God for the hypocrisy of
man. God is always ready to forgive us and bring us back to Himself in intimate
fellowship, if we will get out of our own way and let Him. God’s grace is truly
greater than all our sin.
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