2 SAMUEL 6-13 DAVIDS DARKEST HOUR2012 Teaching by Jerry B Simmons

Teaching Transcript: 2 Samuel 6-13 Davids Darkest Hour

You are listening to FerventWord, an online Bible study ministry with teachings and tools to help you grow deeper in your relationship with God. The following message was taught by Jerry Simmons in 2012. We are in 2 Samuel. We'll be looking at chapters 6 through 13. At this time, the junior highs are dismissed for their class if you want to head across over the way.

But we're here in 2 Samuel chapter 6 and as we once again look at the book of 2 Samuel, we look at the book and remember that the author is not fully known. We know that Samuel wrote pieces of 1 Samuel but he's since died and there's been lots of suggestions but we don't exactly know who wrote all of 2 Samuel.

It covers a time period of 1010 BC to about 970 BC, really focusing on the reign of David. He takes the throne early in the book of 2 Samuel, which we saw last week, and then it will continue to the end of 2 Samuel. We'll be looking at the reign of David.

And so on our timeline, it looks like this. The blue square there is the time period that we're covering in 2 Samuel. It's the time of David leading right up to Solomon. And Solomon will be taking the throne early in 1 Kings as we continue on reading through the Bible together.

The geography of 2 Samuel, well, we looked at Saul and we saw his kingdom and it was much reduced compared to the land that had been given to the nation of Israel. But under King David, as we'll see in our portions this evening, the borders of the kingdom were expanded and pushed out as David was successful in fighting against enemies all around. And so the Philistines, the Moabites, the Ammonites,

All the different nations around them are conquered by David. And we'll see that this evening in our chapters. Well, as we look at chapter 6 of 2 Samuel, verse 17 is the key verse. And it says, So they brought the ark of the Lord and set it in its place in the midst of the tabernacle that David had erected for it. Then David offered burnt offerings and peace offerings before the Lord.

Here as we enter into 2 Samuel chapter 6, David has just recently taken the throne. He's conquered Jerusalem and set that up as his home that now becomes the capital really of the nation of Israel. And now David desires to bring the Ark of the Covenant home.

to Jerusalem. And so he's set up a tabernacle there, a tent there for the Ark of the Covenant. And now he seeks to bring the Ark for that tent. Now the Ark of the Covenant has been at the house of Abinadab for some time. You might remember the Ark of the Covenant was brought out to battle and it was lost to the Philistines. The

This was back earlier in 1 Samuel. And as it came back into Israel, as the Philistines were afflicted by the Lord with all kinds of plagues, they sent it back to Israel. And so it never went back to the tabernacle. It went to one place, then they opened it, and then a bunch of people died, and then they sent it to another place. And so...

It's been at the house of Abinadab for quite some time. And now David seeks to bring it from there now to Jerusalem to the tent that he's set up. But as they bring the ark from the house of Abinadab,

they are doing it incorrectly. Verse 3 tells us that they set the ark of God on a new cart and they brought it out of the house of Abinadab. And so what they did is they prepared a new cart. They figured, hey, a cart that hasn't been used, made for this special occasion, we'll put the ark of the covenant on there and we'll take it now to Jerusalem.

Yet we'll see in the next part, verses 6 through 10, that Uzzah is struck by the Lord for touching the ark. And so what happens is, as the cart is going along, it hits a bump and it looks like the ark of the covenant is going to fall over. And so Uzzah, wanting to keep it from, you know, touching the ground or falling over, he extends his hand to hold the ark steady so that it doesn't fall off the cart.

You would think that's a good thing. That's, you know, hey, good job, you know, not letting it fall over off of the cart. But Uzzah, as he holds the Ark of the Covenant, it says that God strikes him. In verse 7, it says, the anger of the Lord was aroused against Uzzah and God struck him there for his error and he died there by the Ark of God.

Going back to the book of Numbers chapter 4, God gave very clear instructions how the ark of God was to be transported. The ark of God, let me show you a quick picture of it or diagram of it. It had the poles that went through it. And so those poles were for the priests to

to carry the ark because God had declared if anyone touches the ark or any of the holy furnishings of the tabernacle that they would die. And so God had declared in Numbers chapter 4 verse 15 that the sons of Kohath, they were of the tribe of Levi, they were to carry the holy articles. They were to carry the ark of the covenant. And

No one was to touch it. But here Uzzah touches the ark, and so God is faithful to his word. As Uzzah touches the ark, he is struck by the Lord. And so it was a great celebration as they thought, hey, we're bringing the ark into Jerusalem. But it turned into great mourning as Uzzah is struck there for touching the ark.

You know, it's interesting as you consider that, you know, they had good motives. David had great motives here. He wanted to bring the ark to Jerusalem. He wanted to reinstate, really, the worship of God in the nation.

Under King Saul, it had really fallen into disrepair. There was not a full commitment to the Lord during Saul's reign because Saul himself was not committed to worshiping God. And David is. And so he wants to bring the people together and call them to the worship of God. He wants to make God the center once again and bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. Great motivation.

But the wrong method. And we see here, it's an important lesson for us to learn, that it really does matter how you do things. It's not just, you know, as long as your motivation is okay, as long as your motivation is good, you know, it doesn't really matter how you get something accomplished or how you do something.

But how you do something is also important. That we need to make sure that, well, we are doing things the way that God desires for us to do them. Even if it's a good thing or end result is good. Well, David learns his lesson in verses 11 through 23. He is able then to bring the ark into Jerusalem. He reads up. He does his homework.

In 1 Chronicles chapter 15 verse 13, David explains to the people what happened. He says, because you did not do it the first time, the Lord our God broke out against us because we did not consult him about the proper order. He's giving them the instructions. All right, guys, what we need to do is we need to carry it. And that's why the disaster struck last time. Because, well, we did not consult God about the proper order.

And I think that's so important for us. As we make plans, as we make preparations, as we head out to do things for God, make sure that you consult Him about the proper order. It's not just about what you're going to do for God, but how to do it. How He wants it done is very important.

Well, David successfully this time, because he's consulted God about the proper order, he brings the ark of God into Jerusalem, to the tabernacle that he has set up for it.

Now Jerusalem becomes the fulfillment of all those scriptures we saw in Deuteronomy. Over and over we saw God promising certain things about the place where he would put his name. The place that he has chosen to put his name. And he told Israel, when you enter into the land...

seek that place that I've chosen to put my name. In Deuteronomy chapter 12 verse 5, you can check that out. He says, you shall seek the place where the Lord your God chooses out of all your tribes to put his name for his dwelling place and there you shall go.

And so we don't have the description of, you know, what was going on behind the scenes. But what we can understand here and from the rest of the scriptures is that David sought the Lord. And Jerusalem is the place where God has chosen to put his name. And so David now brings the ark of God into Jerusalem to fulfill all of those promises and

and those commands that were given in Deuteronomy, and to prepare the people to really put God at the center of their lives once again. And so as they bring the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem, there's great celebration, there's song, there's dance. Michelle, his wife, you know, looked out the window, and she wasn't real excited about David dancing that way, but the real problem was that he had taken off his robe,

And so he was wearing like a linen, like the priests were wearing, linen undergarments. And so the issue was not that he was in his underwear, but the issue was that he wasn't in his royal attire. And he was just like everybody else, just rejoicing and singing and dancing as they brought the Ark of the Covenant into Jerusalem. And his wife didn't like that very much. So you read that there in 2 Samuel chapter 6.

So he brings the Ark of the Covenant in. There's great rejoicing. And now we head on into chapter 7. Verse 16 is the key verse. It says, Here in chapter 7, it tells us that David desires to build God a house. There in verses 1 through 3.

David's sitting there thinking. He's all looking around at his house that he's built. It's all nice and brand new and well furnished, you know. And he looks over at the tabernacle, the tent that's been set up for the ark of God where the presence of God dwells. And he realizes, man, my house is a lot nicer than where God's presence is. I should build God a house. And again, it's something that, it's good motivation. He wants to do something for God and build him a house.

And so he talks to Nathan the prophet. He says, I think it'd be good to build a house. I want to do something great for God. And Nathan says, yeah, go for it. Do all that's in your heart. But then God appears to Nathan and sends him back to David with a message. And that's there in verses 4 through 17, where God tells David that his kingdom will be established forever.

David says, God, I want to build you a house. And God responds saying, David, you're not going to build me a house. I'm going to build you a house. Saying that his line will be established forever. That his throne will be established forever. This is a great and incredible promise. You might remember that Saul was the king before him. And David was not a descendant of Saul.

The descendants of Saul were killed by the Philistines. But God had transferred the line from Saul to David because of Saul's rebellion against God. But here God is promising David, your lineage will be the ones who sit on the throne of Israel.

That I'm entrusting, you know, the kingship over Israel to your family. I'm not going to take it away from you and give it to someone else like I did with Saul. I'm entrusting it to your family. Now there's a greater promise in here as well in that God is indicating that the Messiah, the Savior that he's been promising, will come through David as well. That was a promise that he had given to Abraham and then to Isaac and then to Jacob.

And now that promise is continued to be passed on to David. And it's going to be from the line of David that the Savior will come. And that's why in the Gospels you see the recording of the lineage of Jesus all the way back to David and beyond because it was through David's line that the Messiah would come. And so God says in verse 16, "...your house and your kingdom shall be established forever."

Well, David responds to this in verses 18 through 29 by giving thanks to God for his promise. David really wanted to build God's house. But as God says, no, David, you can't build me a house. I'm going to build you a house. He responds by giving thanks to God. It's interesting to consider. Of course, we can't really know for sure, but

How would you and I respond if there was something that we really wanted to do for God? Not just something, you know, casual. This was something that was really a burden on David's heart. He wanted to build God a house. And God said no. I wonder if I would maybe try to do it anyways. No, God, really, it's going to be great. Just watch. I'll show you. But David, as he responds in giving thanks to God, we see that he's submitted to God.

I really like what Warren Wiersbe says about this. He says that David knew that he would not build the temple, but he risked his life to gather the wealth that Solomon would need to do the job. And we'll see that in the coming chapters. But he goes on to say, if God gives your dream to somebody else, help him or her fulfill it.

And that's beautiful. That's really what we see David doing. He lays up all the materials that Solomon will need. He even prepares all the plans. He does everything except for the actual building of the house for God. And I think that's a beautiful point. If God gives your dream to somebody else, then help them fulfill it. It's the right thing to do. It's a right response. Submitting to God's plan. Well, David is rejoicing. He's thanking God for this promise.

But he also recognizes how unworthy he is. In verse 18, David says, who am I, oh Lord God, and what is my house that you have brought me this far? He says, I'm not even worthy to be where I'm at today. And then what you're promising is even so much more. And so he's recognizing I'm not worthy. This isn't really, you know, deserving on my part.

But then, I love what he does in verse 25. He says, David is great, great, great model for us here. He realizes, I'm not worthy. I don't deserve this. I don't deserve how far you've brought me. I don't deserve these promises that you've given to me. I really wanted to do this. But God, I'm going to submit to your plan. I'm going to do what you say.

And Lord, my prayer is just that you would be faithful to do as you have said. When God promises you more than you deserve, receive it. Praise Him for it. And ask Him to do it. You know, there's great promises for you and I as believers. Promises that we don't deserve. We're not worthy of it. We can't earn it. And so sometimes, because, you know, we're trying to be humble perhaps, or...

We're confused. We're just beating ourselves up. We don't hold on to God's promises. We don't ask God to fulfill his promises. Even as we talked about on Sunday. Sometimes we do not have because we do not ask. But here God gives a promise and you see David ask. God fulfill your word. Fulfill your word. It's never been about whether or not you and I deserve it. It's always been about the goodness and the grace of God.

And so when God gives you promises, when you see His promises to you in His Word, and they're promises that you don't deserve, I would encourage you, I would exhort you, praise Him for it, and ask Him for it. Give thanks for it, and say, yes Lord, do it according to your Word. It's a great response to the promises of God. Well, as we move on to chapter 8.

Verse 13 is the key verse. It says, Here we see the conquest of David. And he's defeating some of the nations that are all around the nation of Israel.

So the Philistines, the Moabites, the area of Zobah in Syria, as well as Edom. We see all that recorded in verses 1 through 14. And then you see David's leaders listed in verses 15 through 18. So his administration, those who were in positions of leadership. Joab was the commander of the army. Jehoshaphat was the recorder. He was in charge of keeping all the records.

You had Zadok and Ahimelech the priests. You had Benaiah who was in charge of the Cherethites and the Pelethites. It's believed that they were soldiers or archers and the sling people. Anyways. And then you have David's sons. I forget what they were called. But...

So his leaders and his administration there as he's ruling over Israel. Here you have on the map the picture of what it looked like as he was, you know, attacking and conquering all of these different areas. And so to the far north, that's where Syria was. And so he deals with them, although they actually came down south and he fought with them there. But the region of Zobah was there to the north as well. He fought against the Ammonites, and we'll read more about that in the coming chapter.

He fought against the Moabites and conquered them. He fought the Edomites, which were down south below the Dead Sea there. He fought against the Amalekites and then also the Philistines. And so he's expanding the borders. He's defeating the enemies around Israel. And

And it's interesting to me, I didn't pull up the picture, but Saul had a similar type of, you know, statement or passage in his account, in his kingship, where, you know, he was fighting all of these enemies. But the difference between Saul and David is that Saul was fighting them, David conquered them. And so this is a list in the recording of all of these different areas and regions that he conquered, that he was victorious in battle.

He was a mighty warrior and God blessed him abundantly with wisdom and strategy so that he was successful in all of these military campaigns. And so he expands the borders of Israel as he deals with these enemies around them. Well, that brings us to chapter 9. Verse 13 is the key verse. It says, So Mephibosheth dwelt in Jerusalem, for he ate continually at the king's table, and he was lame in both his feet.

Here in chapter 9, we see a beautiful story of David dealing with Mephibosheth. Verses 1 through 8, he shows kindness to Mephibosheth. Now, Mephibosheth was the son of Jonathan. And

David had promised Jonathan that he would not harm his descendants. He had also made the same promise to Saul. You can check that out in 1 Samuel chapter 20 as well as chapter 24. You see the promises to Saul and Jonathan that he would not harm their descendants.

Now this was very unique because the tradition of the day when you became king, if you were from a different line, then you would wipe out the descendants of the previous line so that they would not be able to claim the throne or have any opportunity to try to rise up and lead a rebellion against you and try to take the throne back.

That was the custom of the day. In fact, even sometimes within the family, you know, if the son rose to the throne, he'd still wipe out all of his brothers and those who would be next in line so that there would be no, you know, contesting that he was the king. That was what they expected. But David had promised both Saul and Jonathan as they recognized David God is God.

And so here he's being faithful to that. Well, most of Saul's descendants had been killed already by the Philistines because of Saul's foolishness and his disobedience to God.

But David here seeks out, he says, I want to show kindness to somebody in Jonathan's family. Remember, Jonathan was David's really close friend and he really loved Jonathan. And so he wanted to show kindness to someone in his family. And there was a survivor. His name is Mephibosheth.

Now Mephibosheth was lame in both feet. And the description of how that happened is there in 2 Samuel chapter 9. As he was, you know, they were trying to escape and the accident happened and stuff. So he's lame in both of his feet.

Which would mean that normally kings would not want them laying people in their presence. But David brings him in. He says, look, you're going to sit at my table every day. You're going to just have a meal with me. You're going to be part of my family. And he shows him this incredible kindness. It's really a neat picture for us and a reminder of what Christ has done for us.

I like what Mephibosheth says. He says, why are you considering a dead dog like myself? You know, and in a lot of ways, that's how we are. Because of our sinfulness, we're just, we're like dead dogs. We're just, we're unworthy, so unworthy.

But Christ shows us so much favor and so much kindness. And he brings us in as part of his own family, even though we're not perfect, even though we're pretty lame many times. He brings us in. He sits us at his table and he lavishes us with his love and with his blessings. And so David here paints a good picture for us of how Christ deals with us.

Well, as we go on in verses 9 through 13, David takes Ziba, who was one of Saul's servants, and he makes Ziba's family servants of Mephibosheth. So he continues to have them serve the family of Saul by serving Mephibosheth and take care of all of his property and all of those things. And so this great picture here in 2 Samuel chapter 9 with David and Mephibosheth. 2 Samuel chapter 10, the key verse is 6.

It says, So here in chapter 10, we're going back to battle. David, in the beginning, in verses 1 through 5, sends servants to Ammon.

He sends servants to bring comfort, to say, hey, I'm really sorry for your loss. You know, your dad died and I just want to let you know, you know, we feel bad for you. We're thinking about you. We're praying for you. That kind of thing. But the king's counselor said, hey, he doesn't really care about you. He's not trying to bring any comfort or consolation. He's trying to spy out the land so he can come and conquer it. And so they convinced the king David's motives are false.

To spy out the land. To come and attack. And so they treat the servants shamefully. It's almost like a junior high or high school prank when you read about it. They shave their beards. Which for us it might not be such a big thing. So what? They shave their beards. But for them and their culture that was a serious thing. Because the shaving of the beard would be like an indication that you were a slave.

That free men would wear their beards. They would let them grow. It was a statement, a declaration of their freedom. But being clean shaven was the mark of a slave. And so the free men would wear beards to show they were free men, that they were not slaves.

And so to shave their beards would be shameful and humiliating for them. But then, you know, they cut out the backs of their robes and, you know, just almost like silly pranks. But, you know, treating them shamefully and then sending them off.

When Ammon realizes...

oh man, we kind of made the king mad. He's going to come and get us. Then they start trying to make some deals with the Syrians. Hey, come on. And they get all these soldiers to come, but still Israel comes and is victorious against the combined armies of Syria and Ammon. Well, then in verses 15 through 19, the Syrians...

They regroup, they regather, they get more Syrians to come and join them, and they try again, but David leads out the army there and defeats the Syrians in verses 15 through 19. This is what it looks like on the map. The messengers are sent out from Jerusalem to Ammon,

They're treated shamefully and sent away. And so David says, hey, don't come back to Jerusalem. He's protecting their dignity. Don't come home like that. Stay in Jericho, wait for your beards to regrow, and then come home. So he's preserving their dignity, protecting their dignity by having them stay in Jericho until their beards are fully grown. And then Israel goes back to Ammon and conquers Ammon and defeats the Syrians as well.

Well, then the Syrians regather as we saw there at the end of the chapter. And so they gathered together at Halem there. And David leads the armies back into battle once again. And they defeat the regathered Syrian army there at Halem. Well, that brings us now to chapter 11. David's famous sin, his darkest hour. 2 Samuel chapter 11 verse 3 is the key verse.

It says, so David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? In verses 1 through 5, we have recorded here that David lays with Bathsheba. He commits adultery. In verse 16, David tries to cover up his sin by bringing Uriah to Jerusalem.

Bathsheba sends David a message. Hey, we're busted because I'm pregnant. And so David says, well, if I bring Uriah home from battle, then he'll go be with his wife and then he won't be surprised when she's pregnant. And then everybody will think it's Uriah's baby and not my baby. And so he's trying to cover up and pretend like he did not do anything wrong. But Uriah is

an honorable man and he will not go home to his wife while the rest of his brethren are all out camping in the fields in the midst of battle. And so instead David comes up with another plan in verses 14 through 15. He sends Joab instruction to let Uriah be killed in the midst of battle. He sends Joab this instruction by Uriah's hand. He seals a message. He says, Uriah take this to Joab

But he's carrying his own death sentence. And the instruction there is for Joab to put him in the hottest place of the battle. The fiercest part of the battle. And then everybody pull back. And then Uriah will be killed. Well then verses 26 through 27. Now with Uriah dead, David marries Bathsheba.

And it seems like everything's okay. Seems like David was able to get away with this horrendous sin that he committed. I think it's appropriate for us to take a moment and consider the steps that David went through as he is committing this sin. First of all, in verse 1,

We see that he's remaining. It says in verse 1, in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, it says David sent out Joab and his servants, but David remained at Jerusalem.

And so the idea that we get from this verse is that, well, first of all, you know, it wouldn't be practical for them to battle during the winter. They didn't have lots of the conveniences that we have. And so it would be very difficult to battle during the rains, during the cold, and be out there and camping. And so there were certain seasons that they would fight.

And so in the spring was when they'd go to battle again. And it was normal for the kings to go out and to be part of that battle. But David instead remains. He's not being faithful really to his duty, to what God has called him to do. And so he's holding back. He's not doing all that he is required to do by the Lord. So remaining is the first thing. Then the second thing we find is that he's looking.

In verse 2, it says that David arose from his bed one evening. He walked on the roof and from the roof he saw a woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful to behold. And so David here now is looking. He's entertaining temptation. He's entertaining this sinful desire that he has.

Well then he takes it the next step by inquiring. So first of all he's remaining. He's not doing all that he needs to be doing. Then he's looking. He's entertaining these ideas, these temptations. But now he's taking it the next step and inquiring. In verse 3, David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? And so now he's

He's kind of testing the waters. Well, let's see. Is this going to work? Can I get away with this? This is something I can do. Can I fulfill this desire that I have? And so he's inquiring. He's seeking out opportunity to engage in these lustful thoughts that he has.

And then fourthly, he's arranging. It says in verse 4 that David sent messengers and took her and she came to him and he lay with her for she was cleansed from her impurity. So now he arranges for the sin to actually be fulfilled, for him to actually carry out the imaginations of his heart.

So he's remaining back. He's not doing what he really needs to be doing. He's looking and entertaining these sinful thoughts, looking for opportunity. He's taking it the next step and inquiring, all right, well, there it looks like maybe there's a possibility there. Now can I, you know, fulfill this? Who is this? Getting information to plan and to prepare for this thing that he wants to do. And then he makes the final arrangements and carries out

this sinful desire that he has. Important things for us to consider. That we need to be faithful, first of all, to do all that God has called us to do. You know, it is very easy for us to remain. You know, I could watch online today. I don't really have to get to church.

If you're watching online, I'm talking to you right now. You know, I'm tired. I've got a headache. All the kids did this and then there was this traffic and then all this other stuff happened. We always have great reasons for remaining, for holding back. But make sure that you're faithful to do what God has called you to do.

There's lots of reasons why we give where we don't get involved in things that God wants us to get involved in. Where we hold back and we don't share the gospel with people that he's called us to share the gospel with. We don't get involved in events or activities or opportunities to serve or minister to needs. There's reasons that we give and we think they're justified, but we're remaining back. We're not doing what God has called us to do. And that's many times the first step

I heard John Corson share many times that the best place for you to be is on the front lines. Remember when Israel was coming out of Egypt and Amalek, the picture, the type of the flesh, came up from behind and they attacked those who were weak, those who were straggling, those who were on their own. But the best place to be was on the front lines. And sometimes when we're dealing with

and things in our life, we think, well, I just kind of need to kick back, to rest back. But it's really the dangerous place to be to remain back. The safest place for David was the front lines where he needed to be, where God had called him to be in the midst of the battle. And so I want to encourage you to learn from David's mistakes and to get involved, to get engaged in those things that God has called you to. To be faithful, to be here when God calls you to be here.

To go when God calls you to go. Because when we remain back, well, we're in a vulnerable position. When there's that plenty of time, that idleness, well, then we're more susceptible to the next step, and that's looking. Start looking for opportunities. I have these kind of desires. I have this restlessness. The idea in the wording here is that David's kind of pacing back and forth on his rooftop. He's restless. Watch out when you're restless.

It's a good indication you're probably looking for trouble. You're looking for opportunity. You're looking for something to happen. Just as David was. And then you see, alright, there's that thing I've been wanting. There's that thing I've been thinking about. There's that opportunity that I've been considering. And then we come to the next step, inquiring. Can I do it? Is this going to work? All of these steps should be warning signs going off in our head. Watch out. You're headed the wrong way.

There's many opportunities all along the way to turn back, to not give in. James tells us in James chapter 1 that each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then when the desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin and sin when it is full grown brings forth death.

James describes this similar kind of process. That we're tempted, we're drawn away by our own desires and we're enticed. We're looking and say, oh, that's interesting. Oh, okay, that's interesting. But when that desire is conceived, it gives birth to sin and we begin to entertain those thoughts. We begin to entertain those things. We begin to practice those things that are not of God and it's sin. And what sin develops into sin

When it's full grown, it brings forth death. And we see that so clearly in David's life. The destruction that results from this sin is long lasting. Much more long lasting than I'm sure David expected. Because that's the product of sin. Sin results in consequences that go far beyond what you expect or think when you enter into it.

Wiersbe had some good points. He says, before you yield to temptation, look back and recall God's goodness to you. Look ahead and remember the wages of sin. Look around and think of all the people who may be affected by what you do and look up and ask God for strength to say no. There's major effects of sin, not just on you, but the people around you. So ask God for strength to say no. Well, Uriah now is dead.

It seems that David has covered his sin. He's married Bathsheba. It seems like he's getting away with it. But God's not finished. And we'll see that in the very next chapter. Well, here on the map is a quick diagram. This is where Joab leads the army against Rabbah. And there he lays siege to the city. Now this siege is going to last for some time. We'll see it come to a conclusion at the end of the next chapter.

So here in 2 Samuel chapter 12, verse 13 is the key verse. It says, So David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said to David, The Lord also has put away your sin. You shall not die. First we have Nathan coming to David with a parable. Talking about a man with a lot of sheep and his neighbor with one sheep. And how his neighbor loved that one sheep and it was part of his family.

But this guy with lots of sheep has a friend come and instead of taking from one of his many, he takes his neighbor's sheep and kills that and offers that as a meal to his traveler, your traveling companion. And David's upset. He's like, oh, he needs to be dealt with. He's got to repay fourfold, four times more than what God's word declares. Very stern, very harsh is David's response. But the classic line here in verse 7 says,

As David's all upset over this parable, over this story that Nathan is telling him, Nathan says, David, you are the man. You'll see in just a moment, David had many wives, which was part of the problem that led up to this problem with Bathsheba. But he had many wives. But instead of turning to one of his own wives, he takes another man's wife and he steals her. He says, David, you're the man.

And David now is called out. He's confronted with his sin. Verse 8 is a really powerful verse. As Nathan is speaking on behalf of God. God says, I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your keeping and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more. This is an amazing thing that God declares. I would have given you more, David, if that had been too little. But you didn't ask me.

You just went and fulfilled your own desires on your own in disobedience. Now the consequence, as Nathan is declaring them to David on behalf of the Lord, verse 10, is that the sword would never depart from his house. And verse 11, that there would be adversity from within his own family.

And so the devastation from this is going to be, well, we're going to be reading about it for the next several chapters as we continue on in 2 Samuel. But as David confronts him and declares to him the word of the Lord, I'm sorry, Nathan confronts him and declares to him the word of the Lord, David responds appropriately in verses 13 through 15. He confesses his sin.

And here you can see the clear contrast between David and Saul. Remember when Samuel confronted Saul in 1 Samuel chapter 15? Saul, you did not obey the word of God in wiping out the Amalekites the way that he declared. Saul said in 1 Samuel 15 15, they the people have brought from the Amalekites for the people spared the best of the sheep and the oxen to sacrifice to the Lord.

Saul doesn't confess his sin. He doesn't agree to it. He just says, well, you see what happened was the people. And so Samuel then challenges him on that and says, no, Saul, you didn't obey the Lord. And so Saul offers again in verse 21 of 1 Samuel 15, the people took of the plunder and sheep and ox and the best of the things. It was the people, they did it.

And after confronting Saul a couple times, then Saul finally says, I've sinned and I've transgressed the commandment of the Lord. But it's clear that, well, he really was not repentant. At this point, he's just telling Samuel what he wants to hear. He's blaming the people. He's not repentant. But David is repentant. David's response in verse 13 here in 2 Samuel 12 is, I have sinned against the Lord.

He doesn't offer a long excuse. Well, you see what happened was, well, it was Bathsheba. It was her fault. She just threw herself at me and I couldn't help myself. He doesn't offer any kind of excuses. He acknowledges. He owns it. He says, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan's response is beautiful. He says, the Lord has also put away your sin and you shall not die. The law called for death, for adultery.

But God said, I'm going to show you mercy, David. You are not going to die. David is forgiven of this sin. But that does not mean that he does not experience consequences from this sin. And that's very important to understand. Sometimes people think, hey, there's grace, you know. I can just sin and ask for forgiveness and there's grace and thank God for grace. But there's consequences to sin. And again, they're much more long-lasting. They affect much more than we think.

Well, Psalm chapter 32 and 51 are written by David as part of this repentance, as part of, you know, giving us some insight into what's happening in David's heart. In Psalm 32, 1, he said, Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, whose sin is covered. He says in verse 3 of Psalm 32, When I kept silent, my bones grew old.

Through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me. My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. He says, I acknowledge my sin to you. And you forgave the iniquity of my sin. And so behind the scenes, before Nathan comes, David is experiencing the strong conviction of God. And he knows this is the opportunity God is giving me. And so he confesses his sin.

He acknowledges it before the Lord and God forgives him. Well, going on in verses 16 through 23, we see that David's son dies as a result of this sin. He's forgiven, but there's still consequences. Forgiveness, remember this, okay? Forgiveness has to deal with access. When God says, I forgive you, you're forgiven, that means that he gives you access to himself. It doesn't mean that you won't have any consequences. It doesn't mean that there won't be repercussions anymore.

As a result of sin. Now he might be merciful and leave some of those or all of those. But forgiveness is not about the dealing with the consequences. Forgiveness is about access to God. Forgiveness between us as individuals is about the same thing. It's access to one another. It doesn't mean we trust each other the same way, you know, as before you hurt me. It doesn't mean I have to, you know, put myself in the same position again.

But it does mean that I have to give you access to myself in the same way that God gives me access to him in forgiveness. And so forgiveness is about access to God. So David is forgiven, but his son still dies. Well, then we see God's grace and his mercy in verse 24 and 25, and Solomon is born. David comforts Bathsheba. He consoles her in the death of her son as well.

And God is merciful to them and blesses them with another son named Solomon. And God sends a message. He says, I love Solomon. They call him Jedidiah, the beloved of the Lord. Indicating God saying, look, that's the next in line. That's the one I'm going to carry on the line of the Messiah through. I love that son. And so you see God's grace here. I mean, David wasn't supposed to be married to Bathsheba. But God still is able to bring grace and mercy through it.

Well, then in verses 26 through 31, we see that David conquers Rabbah. Joab sends him and says, hey, the siege is just about done. I'm about to take the city. You better come and take it. Otherwise, it'll be taken in my name and you need to get the credit for this. So come on out. And so David brings the rest of the army and conquers the city of Rabbah there over in Ammon.

Well, here's a quick diagram of David's family. Here's David, and then the second column there is all of his wives. He had many wives. Ahinom, Abigail, Malachi, Haggith, and so on and so forth. Bathsheba's there, you know, kind of in the middle, and then there was other wives that aren't mentioned as well as concubines. So Bathsheba gives birth to several sons.

Solomon is the one that we're dealing with here and Solomon is going to carry on the line of the Messiah. Now what's interesting is Bathsheba also gives birth to another son named Nathan and both Nathan and Solomon are in the lineage of Jesus.

Nathan goes down the line to Mary and then Solomon goes down the line to Joseph. And that's the difference in the genealogies in Matthew 1 as well as Luke, I think it's chapter 2. So those genealogies go back to David through the line of Solomon and through the line of Nathan. So again, you see God's mercy and grace here. That even though this was wickedness,

Yet God is able to use this to accomplish his purposes and to bring forth the Messiah to the people of Israel.

Well, here now David goes back to Rabbah. Joab has been laying siege there. Now, all of this has happened while Joab is laying siege. So, you know, the time it took for Bathsheba to give birth, then for him to be confronted by Nathan, then for the child to die, then for Solomon to be born. Now, you know, the siege has had its work. You know, finally they're exhausted. They're weakened inside the city. And so they're ready to be defeated. And so David leads the army against Rabbah.

Well, we finish it up now in chapter 13. Verse 6 is the key verse. It says, So here...

We have the beginnings of the consequences of David's sin. Well, I guess the continuings really because his son died. But here is some more destruction within his family. One of his sons, in fact his firstborn son, Amnon, has this strong lustful desire just like David did. But this time this is for his half-sister, Tamar. And so he comes up with this plan.

pretends to be sick so that Tamar will be sent to take care of him and then he forces her to lie with him. Then he hates her and so he sends her away in verses 15 through 22. She leaves crying bitterly and she goes to the house of her brother Absalom and she stays there, not a widow, but single the rest of her life.

Well, then verses 23 through 33, Absalom, this is his sister now. I mean, it's his full sister. It's Amnon's half sister. It's three different moms. But this is his full sister. He's really upset by this, as you can imagine. And so he murders Amnon. He comes up with his own plan. And he puts Amnon to death. And then in verses 34 through 39, he flees to Gesher. And we'll continue to see further trouble develop through Absalom.

Wiersbe pointed out here that David paid fourfold for his sin. First of all, the baby died. Then his daughter Tamar is raped. Then Amnon is put to death. And then Absalom is going to cause all kinds of trouble and then ultimately be killed in battle as well. So there's, again, grave and great consequences for sin. Again, looking at David's line,

Amnon is the firstborn there. Absalom is the thirdborn and his sister Tamar by the same mom. And so Amnon

Amnon and Tamar, they were half related, but Absalom was her full brother. And so he pays back Amnon by putting him to death. And then he flees to Gesher. And as we go continue on in the chapters this week, we'll see him brought back, but it's never the same between him and his dad. And it ends up in his death in just a couple chapters. Well, as we finish up the service this evening, I want to invite the worship team to come back up.

And I want to give you an opportunity. Allow me to be a Nathan to you. That God wants to give you an opportunity to come clean. To acknowledge your sin as David did. And you might be well into the process or early into the process. But God wants to give you an opportunity to get right with him.

And they're going to lead us in a song in just a moment. But before they do, I want to read to you. I'm just going to read it and then they're going to lead us in worship. And as they lead us in worship, I just want you, just you, between you and God, you do business with God. And acknowledge your sin before God. As he's prompting you and he's speaking to your heart, you know what's going on. It's time to repent. Don't let it go all the way through. You don't want to experience the consequences, the repercussions. They're long-lasting consequences.

So it's time this evening. God's giving you an opportunity. He's sending a Nathan to you in this service, saying you need to deal with this that's happening in your life. Well, Psalm chapter 51 is the psalm that David wrote after Nathan confronted him with sin. Have mercy upon me, O God, according to your loving kindness, according to the multitude of your tender mercies. Blot out my transgressions.

Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done this evil in your sight that you may be found just when you speak and blameless when you judge. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity and in sin my mother conceived me.

Behold, you desire truth in the inward parts. And in the hidden part, you will make me to know wisdom. Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean. Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow. Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones you have broken may rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God.

And renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me away from your presence. And do not take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation. And uphold me by your generous spirit. Then I will teach transgressors your ways. And sinners shall be converted to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God. The God of my salvation. And my tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth shall show forth your praise. For you do not desire sacrifice, or else I would give it. You do not delight in burnt offering. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and a contrite heart. These, O God, you will not despise.

We pray you have been blessed by this Bible teaching. The power of God to change a life is found in the daily reading of His Word. Visit ferventword.com to find more teachings and Bible study resources.