5/13
2 Samuel 12:13
13David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."窶、nd Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.
I shared the story of David and Uriah in Through the Bible Daily Devotional (June 10). God had his prophet Nathan confront David about his sin of murder and adultery. These few choice words describe how God felt about David's actions: "despised the Word of the LORD (verse 9)", and "scorned the LORD (verse 14)". After all God had done and promised to David, David hardened his heart and gave in to temptation. Those in power often try to get away with something they would never forgive others of, simply because they can. Sometimes they try to justify it by reasoning that they deserve that liberty because of the pressures of their position.
But it isn't just those who have power that give in to sin, as we all know. Sin promises more than it can deliver and costs more than we will ever want to pay. It would cost David the life of his baby, the peace of his kingdom, and the violation of his wives. Up to this point in David's career, you could only say good things about David's integrity and behavior. Now his testimony is tarnished with these sins, but even more, with the fact that after acknowledging the enormity of God's goodness and blessing on his house, he scorned the LORD. That is the beginning of all of our sins.
Our verse today tells us why God chose David and a great deal about the forgiveness of God. David confessed his sin against the LORD and repented. God forgave his sins. He would still face negative consequences, but he was forgiven. The cost of that forgiveness and that of all sin is the cross of Jesus. When we look at the cross we see all mankind's scorning of the LORD. To all who have accepted that forgiveness, our hearts grieve at the price God paid that we might be forgiven.
Consider: Despising the LORD's word and scorning Him by sinning against Him brings consequences that are costly; but even worse, they brought about the suffering of Christ on the cross. God was good to David in exalting him, but the goodness that would pay for his sin and ours is so great that we cannot fathom it.
