Riding Out the Storm

Introduction

A. We do not always suffer what can be called significant consequences for our sin. But there are times in which we sin and we must suffer immediate and significant consequences of that sin. You tell a lie. You are caught in the lie. What happens? At the least, you must apologize. But there are long term consequences which come with that sin. Trust is broken. Relationships can be broken or completely severed. It may take a long time for someone to trust you again. This long term consequence is a direct result of your sin. How we respond to those long term consequences says something about our faith.

B. David, God’s man and king of Israel, has sinned. He thought he had gotten away with his sin, but God confronts David with his sin. David confesses his sin. But one of the immediate and significant consequences is that the child born to Bathsheba will die. David is struck with grief. Today as we look at David’s reaction to the consequence of sin, we can learn several lessons but none more important than seeing his faith in action. When faced with our own sin, we have a choice to make—to be bitter or to be strengthened in our faith.

Dealing with the Consequences

A. Nathan leaves David. Without much delay, the child of David’s sin is struck with illness. Notice the text names Bathsheba by calling her Uriah’s wife. Even at this point, the author does not want us to forget the sin or the reason for the baby’s illness. The author wants the reader to recognize the seriousness of the sin and the serious consequences. Our attention is now turned to David and his reaction and response to the child’s illness. How will this man of God who has repented and been forgiven respond to the judgment of God? How will this one who loves God react to the loss of one who is close to him? Will he grow bitter or will he respond in faith?

B. So we go to verse 16. David pleads with God to relent. He goes without food. He refuses the simple pleasure of lying on a bed to sleep. You can see David curled up in the fetal position. His knees are pulled to his chest. The pain in his heart far exceeds the pain in his empty stomach. He cries. He prays. He begs. And he knows that it is his sin which has brought this tragedy. Later in verse 22 David tells us his motive and rationale for this display. He hopes that God will change his mind. He is hoping that God will see his heart and by grace bring a different outcome.

C. For seven days, David pleads for God to change his mind. On the seventh day the child dies. David sees his servants whispering around him. He knows something has changed. “Is the child dead?” David asks timidly. “Yes, he is dead.” Without hesitation, David’s demeanor changes. He gets up off the floor. He washes his face and his hands. He changes his clothes. He puts lotions on. And he heads over to the tabernacle. He makes sacrifices. He praises God. He returns home and has a good meal. “Where is your sadness? Where is your grief?” David’s response demonstrates his faith. “While the child lived, I went without food and I cried because I hoped God would change his mind. But now that he is dead, I must eat and continue with life. I cannot bring him back from the dead, but I will join him in the realm of the dead someday.”

D. Eventually David and Bathsheba have another child. This child is named Solomon. God tells Nathan to name him Jedidiah which means loved by the Lord. In time, Solomon will become David’s replacement.

Lessons

A. First, suffering for the consequences of sin is a lonely experience. There is nothing in the text to suggest that David and Bathsheba were together during the illness of their child. They both suffered through the illness in isolation of each other. Sin and its consequences often isolate us. In our isolation we can become bitter. We can begin to think that in some way God is being unfair in allowing us to suffer such terrible consequences. It is a lonely experience.

B. Second, the consequences of sin need to be a humbling experience. The scene of David on the floor of his room with no food and no comfort is a vivid image. The king with all of his finery is undone. He is a broken man. There is no attempt on his part to look as if everything is okay. His life is undone. In his pride he had taken another man’s wife and another man’s life. The consequences of sin allows us time to put things back into perspective. David must learn that it is God who supplies what he needs. When we suffer the consequences of our sin, it is a time to humble ourselves and to be thankful again. Humility means realizing that the world doesn’t revolve around us. Humility means learning to be appropriately small.

C. Third, God is good. This may be the hardest lesson of all. David sins. A child dies. How can we say God is good? What if God had killed David rather than the child? God’s promise to make David’s house a dynasty would have effectively ended. So God keeps his promise and in the process he wins back the heart of David. But maybe that is too simplistic. Look at David. He understands what is happening. The child is ill. Who does David pray to? Why would he pray to the one who allowed his child the illness anyway? Verse 22—perhaps the Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live. Words spoken by a man who has been touched by the grace of God once before. What does David do when the child dies? He praises God. How do you explain that? Because God is good. Perhaps we have a hard time with this story because our view of God is too limited.

1. Maybe we believe that God is good only when things are going well. Maybe we believe in the deep recesses of our hearts that God is supposed to overlook our sin and still make everything turn out okay. Maybe we even believe that our failure isn’t supposed to result in anything bad happening.

2. We must think correctly about our sin and we must think differently about God. God is good. When I sin, God is good. When I suffer the consequences of my sin, God is good. I may not understand, but God is good. There are some who grow bitter and resentful when things do not go well. They operate with the view that their sin is no big deal and they do not understand why such bad things are happening in their lives. They refuse to take responsibility for their actions.

3. And in their bitterness they deny the faith. God is good. He is good when we sin. He is good when he disciplines. He is good when he judges. We mustn’t blame God for our sin. Instead like David we praise him for his goodness. In our limited view we cannot see what God sees, but we can know and hold on to the goodness of God. He wants what is best for us. Invitation.

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