Taste and see that the Lord is good. How stunning is it? I’m so glad you asked. Consider this scenario. There was a king named David who loved God and God loved him. One day when most of the male soldiers in the city were out fighting a battle, King David beheld a beautiful woman on a rooftop taking a bath. He told his servants to bring the woman to him. He learned that the woman was married and her husband was away fighting in the battle. So, David decided to lay with her. Through this sexual relationship the woman became pregnant.
Well David came up with a plan. He decided to grant the husband a discharge to home so he would come and lay with his wife and the baby could be passed off as his. But how many of you know that the best laid plans often have a wandering spirit? So, the husband comes home but he does not lay with his wife. He feels bad that his fellow soldiers are still fighting and he is at home. The husband sleeps outside. Plan A has failed.
So, King David puts Plan B into motion. He contacts the general of the army and tells him to put the husband on the front line of the battle. He is hoping that the husband will be killed and he can marry the woman and no one will know the backstory. Right? Wrong! First of all, you guys know it because I am telling you it and of course God knows it too. So, plan B is put into motion and the husband is killed in the battle. King David marries the woman and they live happily ever after (at least in King David’s mind they do). Do you believe in having a plan A and Plan B?
However what David has done has deeply grieved God and He sent a prophet to give David a message. There is one part that God said to David that has forever left an impression on me. He said “I gave you everything and if it wasn’t enough, I would have given you more.” Wow. What a statement. At the end God told him that the child that his wife was carrying was going to die. Now David fasted and begged for the baby’s’ life, but the baby died.
Well wait a minute Louise. I thought you were going to tell us about how stunning God’s love is. This doesn't sound like much of a love story. Hold on. I am and here it is.
Let me do a little recap here first. We have a man who took another mans wife and committed adultery with her. She later became pregnant. Then her lover killed off her husband so they could be together with their love child. However, God came in the picture and killed the love child. (How's that for a recap huh?)
Now some Christians would have told David that he needed to divorce his new wife because it wasn’t a marriage sanctioned by God and any more children that they would attempt to have God was going to kill them too. But that is far from the truth. They did have another child and his name was Solomon. The bible says God loved Solomon. He loved him so much that Solomon became the wisest and the richest man in history.
You see God does not keep his anger against His people forever. He judges the sin and moves on. He is a merciful Father and does not resign us to a life of hell because we have sinned. His love for us does not work like that. Man may hold your sins against you forever and constantly remind you of your shortcomings but God never will. The bible says He throws our sins as far as the east is from the west.
Some of you have been carrying the burden and the stain of your sin for 20, 40 and 50 years. But the Holy Spirit wants you to know that you are forgiven, you are washed, cleaned and you have been restored. Be free in the name of Jesus. Today is your day of salvation and today is your day of Jubilee.
This is how you want to read your bible. Look for the relatable pieces that you can apply to your own life. We don't have to reinvent the wheel. What else did you learn from David's mistakes? What can you share that will help others? Your thoughts?
By the way, you can read about this story beginning in 2 Samuel Chapter 11.
