II Samuel 12:15b-31 – Grief and Glory
The Living Word With Chuck Davis
II Samuel 12:15b-31 – Grief and Glory
>> Welcome to the Living Word with Chuck Davis. >> And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah's wife bore to David and he became sick. David therefore sought God on behalf of the child. David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. The elders of his house stood beside him to raise him from the ground, but he would not nor did he eat food with them. On the seventh day, the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead. For they said, "Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spoke to him." And he did not listen to us. How then can we say to him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm. But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David understood that the child was dead. David said to his servants, "Is the child dead?" They said, "He is dead." Then David arose from the earth and washed and anointed himself and changed his clothes. And he went into the house of the Lord and worshipped. He then went to his own house. And when he asked, they set food before him, and he ate. Then his servant said to him, "What is this thing that you have done? You fasted and wept for the child while he was alive, but when the child died, you arose and ate food." He said, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept, for I said, "Who knows whether the Lord will be gracious to me that the child may live. But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he will not return to me." Then David comforted his wife, Bathsheba, and went into her and lay with her. And she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. And the Lord loved him and sent a message by Nathan the prophet. So he called his name Jedidiah because of the Lord. Now Joab fought against the Rabbah of the Ammonites and took the royal city. And Joab sent messengers to David and said, "I have fought against Rabbah. Moreover I have taken the city of waters. Now then gather the rest of the people together and camp against the city and take it. Last I take the city and be called by my name." So David gathered all the people together and went to rob and fought against it and took it. And he took the crown of their king from his head. And the weight of it was a talent of gold and it was a precious stone and it was placed on David's head. And he brought out the spoil of the city of a very great amount. And he brought out the people who were in it and set them to labor with saws and iron picks and iron axes and made them toil at the brick kilns. And thus he did to all the cities of the Ammonites. Then David and all the people returned to Jerusalem. There's an interesting scenario set up here of David fasting for healing but not fasting after death. It creates a bit of a surprise in the servants. The pattern was to fast after death to show the deep grief. And David points that he is a person who is looking to the Lord of the living. Not necessarily the Lord of the dead. The Ethan had already prophesied that the child would die but David is still fighting. We see the nobility of him. There's a time for grief and there's a time to fight. David in these moments pleads before the Lord. We're told in the text that David went in and comforted Bathsheba, his wife. Remember in ancient times the comforting of another woman was a woman's job. Again, David's nobility and his tenderness, he's failed. He could have turned in anger against Bathsheba, almost in the sense of blaming her because of his folly. Now she gives him a legitimate son. His name is Solomon. The place in the narrative is so close to David's failure it's somewhat stunning. But I think it's the shadow to show that God's love is even greater than our greatest rebellion. Jedidiah, the name given by Nathan, means beloved of the Lord. See, Nathan brought the hard and difficult news, but now he brings the good news. Krugman and speaking about this passage says God has an amazing capacity to work more life out of the border of death. Joab's back at war among the Ammonites. He gives David the option to get the glory for it and to take up the plunder that's there. Joab could have set himself up against David, almost a superior attitude. I know what you did. Remember, I was the one who received the message, but Joab is a loyal warrior for David and he continues to operate in that way. The soul of this passage is a reminder that our God is a God of redemption and purpose. He will fulfill his purposes and David was to be a king out of which the Messianic line would come. And so he preserves it. The now what of this passage is a reminder that we're not defined by our greatest success or our greatest failure. David would live the consequences of his failure, but it's really not a definition of who he is. The definition of who he is is he's one who's embraced by the God of steadfast love and total faithfulness. So Lord today, we come under that banner as well. Your loving kindness, your steadfast love, your Has said it is a covering over us that gives us a greater sense of identity beyond our great successes and well beyond our great failures. In Jesus name.