Thankful for mercy and grace

 

READ 2 Samuel 11–14

My own life gives me enough examples to realize that parents seldom are able to teach their children how to overcome any sin in their lives that they themselves have not been able to overcome. It is a sad reality that alcoholics often raise alcoholics and the children of child abusers often abuse their children also. Other flaws may not seem as serious yet some show up multiplied in the next generation.

In the case of King David of Israel, most know of his problem with lust for Bathsheba, another man’s wife and how that led to her pregnancy and David having her husband killed. Of course “the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.” (2 Samuel 11:1–27)

David tried to carry on as if all were okay, but Nathan the prophet confronted him and David confessed, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” Even though David fasted, weeping and praying for his life, the child died. After that, he comforted Bathsheba and Solomon was born.

David had more wives and more children. One son Absalom had a beautiful sister named Tamar, but another son, Amnon, “loved” her but from what he did, ‘lusted after her’ seemed a better description. Amnon raped her, then dumped her.

The Scriptures say that, after Amnon violated Tamar, “he hated her with very great hatred, so that the hatred with which he hated her was greater than the love with which he had loved her.” David at least took care of Bathsheba but Amnon did not learn from that example, nor did anything good come from this sinful situation. “Tamar lived, a desolate woman, in her brother Absalom’s house. When King David heard of all these things, he was very angry . . . but Absalom hated Amnon, because he had violated his sister Tamar.” (13:15–22)

Absalom plotted against his brother and killed Amnon, then in anger he fled. David at first refused to bring him home, then did so but their relationship was ruined. Absalom determined to usurp his father’s throne. One commentary says he ‘mirrored David’ in that he was handsome, charmed the people, and was clever. However, in that conflict, he also died.

The story is long and sad. Two more lives were lost because of lust. Scripture says we are to teach our children the ways of God, yet too often a bad example becomes what they pick up. Even so, none of us can blame our sins on our parents or anyone else. My heavenly Father holds me responsible for my sin, just as He held Adam and Eve for theirs. Yet there is grace.

Once someone told me that a sinful past prevented David from serving the Lord and instead he lived a life filled with bloodshed. That is not completely true. David is praised in the NT as a “man after God’s own heart” even though he was an adulterer, a murderer, and a lousy father. As for serving the Lord, he was not allowed to build the temple, but by the grace of God, he was allowed to write most of the psalms. The temple is gone, but those praises live forever. This is God’s amazing grace.

God can do what He desires with any sinner. We are saved by grace. If salvation and usefulness depended on a perfect performance, no one could be saved and no one could serve God. Grace is God’s radical love and enablement for people who do not earn or deserve it. David and his sons suffered much for giving into their fleshy desires. So do many people, yet the gospel affirms: “The Lord also has put away our sin; we shall not die.”

I’m not perfect. My children sometimes imitate my mistakes instead of learning from them. But God is teaching us, working to transform us into the image of His Son. I’m thankful every day that His grace is indeed amazing.