This is a story from God’s Word retold in my own words.

While David was king of Judah, the prophet Nathan came in the Name of the Lord to confront King David about his sin.  God was angry that David had not been satisfied with the riches and the wives that God had provided for him.  You see, David had murdered the Hittite, Uriah, by sending him to the frontlines of battle against the Ammonites, and David had taken Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, as his own.  Because of this shameful deed, God promised that David would always have family strife.

David confessed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And this confession was pleasing to God.  Through Nathan, God told David that his sin would be taken from him and he would not die, but instead, the child that David conceived with Bathsheba would die.  Just as promised, the child became ill.

Upon hearing this news, David immediately was overcome with grief.  He collapsed on the floor in mourning, cried out to God, and refused to get up or eat.  The elders of his household tried to comfort him but were unsuccessful.  After seven days the child died.  The elders didn’t know how to tell David.  Because of his behavior over the recent days, they were afraid he might hurt himself upon learning of the loss of the child.  However, David heard the murmurings and finally asked them.  They confessed that the child had died, but rather than groan with sadness, David picked himself up, washed and anointed himself, and headed to the house of the Lord to worship.  Afterwards he went home and ate.

The elders were astonished and asked him how he could be so calm about his child dying when before the child had passed he was deep in mourning and fasting.  David replied, “While the child was still alive I fasted and wept because I thought that perhaps God would show mercy and allow the child to live. Now that he has died, why should I fast?  That will not bring him back.  Someday I will go to him, but he cannot return to me.”

David went to his wife, Bathsheba and comforted her and they conceived another child named Solomon and the Lord loved him.

This is a story from the God’s Word retold in my own words.  Read it for yourself in 2 Samuel 12. 

Photo Credit: SDannaS
Photo Credit: SDannaS
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"How sweet are your words to my taste, sweeter than honey to my mouth!"  Psalm 119:103

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