2 Samuel 12

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2 Samuel 12:13-16, Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. 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. On the seventh day the child died…

It is the job of the prophet to speak truth to power.  In this situation, the prophet Nathan gets the fun job of telling David that he sinned against God.  Some men may have gotten angry or defensive but David accepts the truth.  He experiences conviction and is repentant.  God’s response is that while David won’t die, his child with Bathsheba will.

I have always struggled with this text. Why did the baby have to die?  After all, it was David who sinned against the Lord. Yet, he gets to live and the innocent one dies.  And then it hit me – our sin always has ugly consequences.  Look at the entire Biblical narrative – sin is destructive and it is harmful to the people around us and our communities.  It is harmful to the Kingdom.  We might not like to think about it but our sin always has consequences.  Our sin hurts others, often hurting those who are innocent and vulnerable.  I’ll just stop there for today. 

Let’s pray…Lord Jesus, Forgive us for the ways we harm others.  Forgive us for our sinful nature, for the things we do which have consequences far beyond ourselves.  In Your Name, Amen.