Repentance?

Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man! The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. Why, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife. From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own. “This is what the LORD says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” Then David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “Yes, but the LORD has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the LORD by doing this, your child will die.” [2 Samuel 12.7-14]

Even though David wrote a beautiful song of repentance (Psalm 51) regarding his adultery with Bathsheba and then murder to cover it up, he still suffered greatly.Let's review what David lost in the deal:

1. He lost a child.
2. He lost peace and stability in his family
3. He lost wives to his own son
4. He lost other family members

All this occurred after Nathan told David that God forgave him!

Why? Because David evidently knew he was sinning and went ahead with it anyway. He showed utter contempt for God's Word.

I just wonder how severe God's punishment would have been had David only committed adultery and not murder on top of it? Is it even right to consider such a question?

We may think this all started because of lust. But it didn't. It started because David was not where he was supposed to be. He should have been with his troops at war. But he wasn't.

Why? Had David become too important to go to war with his troops? Apparently so. And, if he became too important, it sounds like pride got involved. Ah, pride, the number one thing God hates!

This makes me remember that Sodom's sin was not noted to be sexual in nature. No, Sodom's sin was ...wait for it ...PRIDE!

Pride causes people to think their decisions and actions are above God. But David's and Sodom's outcomes would say differently.

Here is something to consider... we should be very careful about "repenting" because we proudly think God will then owe us forgiveness. There is proud repentance (going through the motions in an attempt to avoid punishment) and genuine repentance - I will not venture to explain further which is right!

Did David genuinely repent? I don't know. He wrote a beautiful Psalm of repentance (Psalm 51). But was he genuine? He fasted and mourned for his sick child... But one the child was dead, David's mourning stopped! His mourning was not mourning of repentance, but mourning to manipulate God! He even said as much... David replied, “I fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, ‘Perhaps the LORD will be gracious to me and let the child live.’ [2 Samuel 12.22]

This is a deep subject and worthy of our consideration. I know it is important to me. I fear that all too many times, my repentance has been simply an attempt to avoid pending punishment without regard for having shown contempt for God and His Word.

Father, I have seen way too much of myself in today's OYCB reading. I have, like David, shown contempt for You and Your Word too many times. I have proudly "repented" far too often with the only purpose of avoiding the penalty of my sin (in other words, I didn't really repent). I have failed to see the death of Your Son Jesus for what it means - like David failed to see the death of his child for what it meant (regardless how eloquently I have prayed). God, I need You. I need Your Holy Spirit.