20240520

great mercy, severe judgment

2 Samuel 12:1-25 (JDV)

2 Samuel 12:1 So Yahveh sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him: There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.
2 Samuel 12:2 The rich man had very large flocks and herds,
2 Samuel 12:3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised her, and she grew up with him and with his children. From his meager food she would eat, from his cup she would drink, and in his arms she would sleep. She was like a daughter to him.
2 Samuel 12:4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man did not want to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest.
2 Samuel 12:5 David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan: “As Yahveh lives, the man who did this deserves to die!
2 Samuel 12:6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.”
2 Samuel 12:7 Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what Yahveh God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from Saul.
2 Samuel 12:8 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more.
2 Samuel 12:9 Why then have you despised Yahveh’s command by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hethite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife — you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword.
2 Samuel 12:10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hethite to be your own wife.’
2 Samuel 12:11 “This is what Yahveh says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them in broad daylight.
2 Samuel 12:12 You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.'”
2 Samuel 12:13 David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahveh.” Then Nathan replied to David, “And Yahveh has taken away your sin; you will not die.
2 Samuel 12:14 However, because you treated Yahveh with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die.”
2 Samuel 12:15 Then Nathan went home. Yahveh struck the baby that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became deathly ill.
2 Samuel 12:16 David pleaded with God for the boy. He fasted, went home, and spent the night lying on the ground.
2 Samuel 12:17 The elders of his house stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he was unwilling and would not eat anything with them.
2 Samuel 12:18 On the seventh day the baby died. But David’s servants were afraid to tell him the baby was dead. They said, “Notice, while the baby was alive, we spoke to him, and he wouldn’t listen to us. So how can we tell him the baby is dead? He may do something desperate.”
2 Samuel 12:19 When David saw that his servants were whispering to each other, he guessed that the baby was dead. So, he asked his servants, “Is the baby dead?” “He is dead,” they replied.
2 Samuel 12:20 Then David got up from the ground. He washed, anointed himself, changed his clothes, went to Yahveh’s house, and worshiped. Then he went home and requested something to eat. So, they served him food, and he ate.
2 Samuel 12:21 His servants asked him, “Why have you done this? While the baby was alive, you fasted and wept, but when he died, you got up and ate food.”
2 Samuel 12:22 He answered, “While the baby was alive, I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Who knows? Yahveh may be gracious to me and let him live.’
2 Samuel 12:23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I’ll go to him, but he will never return to me.”
2 Samuel 12:24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba; he went to her and slept with her. She gave birth to a son and named him Solomon. Yahveh loved him,
2 Samuel 12:25 and he sent a message through the prophet Nathan, who named him Jedidiah, loved by the Lord.

great mercy, severe judgment

David’s confession before Nathan was a sign of true repentance, so the LORD chose to forgive his sins. But because his actions had brought dishonor to God, the consequences remained. Bathsheba’s child would die. God’s mercy is great, but his justice is also severe. No one should presume upon God’s mercy. Not even David was immune to his judgment.

We respect you LORD. Forgive us our sins, and may our lives hallow your name.