Year 4, Day 329: 2 Samuel 12

Theological Commentary: Click Here

Discipleship Focus: Forgiveness

• Forgiveness: Forgiveness is when our sins are absolved by God.  We do not deserve this forgiveness, but God grants it to us anyway.  We cannot earn forgiveness, but God gives it to us anyway.  As we are forgiven by God, He also asks us to forgive others.  In fact, Jesus Himself teaches us to pray for our forgiveness in the Lord’s Prayer when He says, “Forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us.”

It makes sense to talk about forgiveness in the chapter after we spoke about David’s sexual appetite.  Nathan comes to David and confronts David in his sin.  David’s sin with Bathsheba is now public.  Someone I know and respect has a habit of saying, “No sin is ever done alone.”  David may have thought this sexual sin had been covered up with the death of Uriah.  But God knew the truth.  Nathan knows the truth.  David’s sin affects his community.

But here’s the thing.  As much as David is a sinner – no more so than me, by the way – David is also a man of repentance.  Look at what David says here.  David does not get angry with Nathan.  He doesn’t deny it.  He doesn’t try to rationalize his behavior.  David acknowledges his sin and repents.  When the life of his baby is in danger, David also fasts and mourns just in case God desires to not kill the baby.  David may sin with his whole heart, but David repents with his whole heart, too.  David doesn’t just confess with his lips; David lives out his repentance.

But perhaps the most admirable thing that I think we see David do is what he does after the baby dies.  Some accuse David of being cruel and heartless here towards his baby.  I consider him to be strong and courageous.  David knows that if the baby is dead then there is nothing else that can be done there.  Instead, David goes and comforts his wife.  When his new wife is comforted, David went out into the military battlefield where he should have been in the first place.  David’s repentance actually leads to changed behavior. 

David doesn’t repent and then put himself into the same place of sin.  David repents and changes his behavior as a demonstration of his repentance.  David’s sinfulness is certainly not something we should desire to imitate.  But there can be little wonder as to why God loves David when we see how David responds to his sinfulness in repentance.

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