King David's Consequences for not Being Accountable

This is the second of a 3 part article. The background for this article can be found in 2 Samuel in Chapter 12. Parts 1 and 3 can be found here: http://www.articlesbase.com/authors/jeffery-reed/43729.htm 

After David impregnated Uriah’s wife, had Uriah killed and then married his wife and they had a son together as husband and wife, he probably thought that he was in the clear, but he wasn’t. God knew what David had done and He was very displeased with David's actions.

God sent Nathan to deliver the bad news, but at first Nathan did not come straight out and tell David what was going on.  He did it in such a manner that David did not know who he was talking about.  Like a lot of us, we will look at other people and see where they are going wrong when we are just as guilty as they are. That is what David did.

 Nathan presented a scenario where there was one man who was rich and had lots of cattle and sheep. There was also a poor man who only had one small sheep that he raised like a child.  A traveler came to the rich man asking for a meal and instead of using one of his many sheep, he took the poor man’s sheep that was like a child to him. This made David very angry and he said that the man who did this, deserved to die. He said that the man must pay four times over for what he had done because he had no pity on the poor man.

Probably after David had kicked up a little dirt and maybe thrown a few things, Nathan delivered the message from God that David was the man who had done these things. He reminded David of all the things that had occurred with Bathsheba and Uriah. He also told him that the Lord said that he would have to pay for his sins. David had done his deeds in the dark, but his punishment would be in the light for everyone to see.

At least this time, David did not attempt to keep covering his sins by sinning more. He admitted that he had sinned and he repented. Sometimes, even though we come to our senses and repent, the consequences still remain. God may be pleased that we are no longer sinning and we may go on to do great things, but the consequences of our actions are still there. God told David that the son that Bathsheba had conceived would die.

David truly was sorry for what he had done and he went to God earnestly to save the child’s life.  He fasted day and night and would not be comforted in hopes that God might change his mind. The child died on the seventh day and David came out of his fast because there was no longer any hope of saving the child’s life.

Bathsheba had lost a husband and a child in a very short period of time. David tried to comfort her and God did bless them with a child named Solomon.  This child did do great things, but David was not finished paying for his sins.  God had promised him more punishment and it came later.