Read: 2 Samuel 12:1-31; John 16:1-33; Psalm 119:65-80; Proverbs 16:4-5
Be sure your sins will find you out (Numbers 32:23). David learned that. He had gotten so puffed up and deceived that he didn’t even feel convicted when he heard the story that Nathan gave him. That is easy to do when you have put yourself before God. Nathan had to explain the parable for him to see that he had sinned. He must have justified it all in his mind. But, once David saw his sin, he was quick to repent.
His sin brought a curse upon himself, Bathsheba and his whole household. Absalom would be the son who would rebel against him and sleep with his concubines in full view of his nation. His sin cost him and Bathsheba the life of their son.
David fasted and prayed for mercy for the child until it died, then he ate. When he servants asked him why he was now eating instead of mourning for the child, David’s answer was so good. He told them that he fasted to save the child’s life, but since it died, he didn’t need to fast anymore. He couldn’t bring him back from the dead and he would one day be with him. David had the right attitude towards death. Death is our reward for our lives we live here, yet we fear death and mourn people’s passing. We should celebrate people’s passing if they know Jesus. (Many people do that very thing and their funerals are celebrations.) From the death of that child, God blessed Bathsheba with another child - Solomon which means “peaceful” but when Nathan heard it he called him Jedidiah which means “beloved of the Lord” to show that God had forgiven David and returned his blessings on him.
In the meantime, Joab was fighting David’s battles for him. To bring honor back to David’s name, he called David to join him at the end of the battle so he could have the glory of the victory. Together they defeated Rabbah, the royal city of the Ammonites. David put the crown of the king on his head.
In John, Jesus explained to his disciples that he now spoke to them in parables and figures of speech but the time was coning when he would speak plainly to them. They got the part about Jesus being from God but Jesus had so much more to tell them which the Holy Spirit would do when he came. He would convict the world of sin, and of God’s righteousness and of the coming judgment.
On May 31st it will be Pentecost. We can expect the Holy Spirit, our lawyer and Advocate to start teaching us and fighting our cause in the world. I am expecting an outpouring of God’s Spirit to fall on the world like we have never seen before which will begin on this Pentecost. We are headed for some great days ahead but be sure the devil will be there to fight us all the way. Jesus said that then we will use his name and will will receive and have abundant joy. We will have peace because he has overcome the world.
Lord, thank you for giving us your Holy Spirit to be our lawyer and bring truth to all that is going on in the world. Help us to choose to have your peace and assurance that you have overcome the world.
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