II Samuel 12:15-25
“God’s Discipline Begins” • 3.11.08 • Autonomy, Authority And The Man Of God, Session #24
Intro.
- David has been exposed. The Lord has promised to chasten David for his disobedience.
- Many of the consequences would come down the road, but one was promised immediately. David’s child with Bath-Sheba would die.
• II Samuel 12:15 : “Then Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became ill.”
- God’s decree has been spoken and now, God is allowing this to come to pass.
- You will notice though, that David’s response is not typical.
• II Samuel 12:16,17 : “David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them.”
- The Bible indicates that this went on for 7 days, and then the child died.
- The servants were trying to figure out how to tell David the bad news, when David perceived that the child had died. Immediately after the child died, David’s response again, surprises us.
• II Samuel 12:20 : “So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.”
- Thankfully, we are not the only ones with a question about this. David’s servants, present a confused front about David’s actions.
• II Samuel 12:22,23 : “And he said, ‘While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.’”
- This story begins with God’s judgment, but it ends with God’s goodness to David and Bath-Sheba.
• II Samuel 12:24,25 : “Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him, and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.”
- I wanted to take a week and focus on our response, as men under the authority of Christ, to the discipline of the Lord. I want us to notice these responses that David exemplifies for us.
Text
- The word is not that difficult to understand. He begged the Lord on behalf of the child.
- Let’s mark a few things here that are prone to trouble our hearts. The elephant in the room is that the Lord struck this child because of the sin of David.
- Is it right for the Lord to require such a price? Right conclusion, wrong question! The price of sin is always death. Our sin has terrible consequences and many times, it is the innocent that suffer.
- Now, why is this a special case? Many children have died young. Are they being punished for sin, either theirs or their parents? Jesus answers this question, which people have been asking for centuries. Of the man born blind, the disciples asked whose sin was the cause.
• John 9:3 : “Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”
- Here, you will remember that this episode occurs because God’s name has been blasphemed or cursed, by His enemies.
- What are the implications of that verse? David sinned in secret, but somehow, the enemies have put the math together and have understood David’s sin. The enemies of the Lord have said, “well, it seems that David’s God is not very holy after all!”
- To allow David to get away with this sin, would allow the enemies of God to conclude the wrong thing about the Lord. In the midst of this scenario, David, a man under authority, takes his discipline, but in a very different way than we might have.
- His theology was not such as to consider all things fated. He heard the decree and he still went in before the Lord. He fasted, he prostrated himself before the Lord and did so all that night.
˚ “David's prayers are not only the expression of his repentance, but the exercise of his faith. Believing in God's sovereignty did not keep David from taking action (fasting and praying); his faith prompted him to act.”
- There is something very admirable about this. First, David went straight to the Lord.
- He had established a deep relationship with the Lord and He boldly used His access to petition the Lord.
- The writer of Hebrews is attempting to explain to his readers that the Old Testament sacrifices never gave the people an assurance of a clean conscience before God.
- But now Jesus, who is superior to the Old Testament sacrifices, has made a radical difference.
• Hebrews 10:19-23 : “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
- The seond thing that I love here is that David is determined to seek the Lord. Notice that the elders came to him and attempted to remove David from that place.
- The saw him, and to them, he appeared distraught. Of course, he was. This was his child and what was happening, in this case specifically, was a direct result of his sin.
- You’ll note that the elders mentioned after the child died, that they feared that he would harm himself. But David is having an intense, personal encounter with the Lord and David will not be deterred from that time.
- How easy is it for you to be distracted or pulled away from God’s presence when you are pleading on another’s behalf?
- Finally, I want us to note that David came before the Lord with both guns blazing.
- He is not holding anything back from Him. His eyes are wet, his hair disheveled and his countenance is down. Everyone can see it, and as is usually the case, people around don’t know how to handle it, but David goes all out none the same. I wonder why we are hesistant to do the same?
- We pray so politely even when we are mad, depressed or confused. Are we so conscious of our identity and image, that we are not emotionally honest enough to allow ourselves to go there?
- God can handle our rage and anger and confusion. It would greatly benefit us to open ourselves to the Lord as David did.
- It went on all day and all night. It continued the same way for seven, intense days.
- David was persistent with the Lord. How different that is from our thinking.
- I have actually heard people tell me that they did not want to “bother the Lord!”
- It astounds me to consider that someone might think this way. God’s resources are available to us as believers and He invites us to tap in to who He is.
- In Luke chapter 11, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray.
- It’s always worth mentioning that the disciples rarely asked to learn anything, but prayer was something they felt they needed Jesus to teach them.
- After Jesus lays out the disciples prayer, He shares an interesting parable with the disciples.
- He paints a picture of a man, who comes late at night to ask for bread. It’s late and an unexpected guest has come.
• Luke 11:7-13 : “and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!’”
- We miss quite a bit in the English language here. The verbs “ask, seek and knock” are all wriitten in the present tense.
- If we were to translate the verse literally it would be “always asking and it will be given to you; always seeking and you will find; always knocking and it will be opened to you.”
- David was persistent. After 7 days of persistent prayer, the child still died and you might ask, “well what is the point?” We miss the point here if we think that the Lord did not answer. He did answer and the answer was “no.”
- If you look at prayer as a means to accomplish your will, you will always be disappointed.
- However, if your prayer before the Lord is persistently for the purpose of drawing close to Him, petitioning Him to bring about His will, believing that it is the best thing for your life!
˚ “This shows that extraordinary prayer and fasting does not change God's mind. It put David in the right place to receive what he must from God but it did not "force" God to change His plan. Extraordinary prayer and fasting are not tools to get whatever we want from God. They are demonstrations of radical submission and surrender to God's power and will.”
- It’s significant to discuss what David does not say at this time. “Lord you are unfair! I have prayed and prayed and yet you allowed this to take place!”
- If we were honest, most of us would admit that we believe in a works based relationship with God, whereby we believe that we will receive what we want when we do what we believe He wants us to do. The cry of foul when the Lord allows something negative often tests our real beliefs.
- David again here provides an excellent example to you and I.
- He went straight into the temple. That is significant. Throughout that 7 days, and we are not sure of the process or the exact prayers, but the end of it reveals what the process produced!
- The process produced a believer at peace with His Lord and sovereign.
- That does not happen with somebody who simply prays for a specific result. But when a brother or sister prays, “Your will be done” will ever be satisfied.
- A verse that every believer should have memorized or tattooed, is Philippians 4:6 and 7.
- Paul is writing to the believers at Philippi to “stand fast in the Lord.”
- To stand fast is to stand sure footed, against every force that would intend to move you.
- How does one do that?
• Philippians 4:6,7 : “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
- So often the result part of the verse is skipped over. The result of bringing everything to God in prayer is to have the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.
- My understanding in life is based on what I can see. His peace goes beyond what I can see or comprehend. I have seen so many believers and heard so many testimonies, who had peace when they should have been troubled.
- Here David has just heard that his son has died. Yes, he will mourn and yes, he will have pain, but his posture is filled with hope and security.
- His statement is filled with hope and assurance that the Lord will bring him to his son.
- Most people believe that this verse speaks about the assurance of heaven for those who die in childbirth or at a very young age, and I am inclined to be in that group.
- After this, God’s grace will shine on this couple with the birth of Solomon.
- God’s grace and mercy is so abundant, in that He gave a wonderful gift to David and Bath-Sheba, when both deserved death.
Conclusion
- This section has been very instructive to you and I. We have a relationship with the Lord that allows us to plead persistently with Him.
- In the middle of that persistent pleading, we realize that what we most want is the will of the Lord, knowing that His will is the best plan for our lives.
- If we are men under His authority, we will accept everything from the hand of God, and peace will be ours in abundance.
“God’s Discipline Begins” • 3.11.08 • Autonomy, Authority And The Man Of God, Session #24
Intro.
- David has been exposed. The Lord has promised to chasten David for his disobedience.
- Many of the consequences would come down the road, but one was promised immediately. David’s child with Bath-Sheba would die.
• II Samuel 12:15 : “Then Nathan departed to his house. And the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife bore to David, and it became ill.”
- God’s decree has been spoken and now, God is allowing this to come to pass.
- You will notice though, that David’s response is not typical.
• II Samuel 12:16,17 : “David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them.”
- The Bible indicates that this went on for 7 days, and then the child died.
- The servants were trying to figure out how to tell David the bad news, when David perceived that the child had died. Immediately after the child died, David’s response again, surprises us.
• II Samuel 12:20 : “So David arose from the ground, washed and anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house; and when he requested, they set food before him, and he ate.”
- Thankfully, we are not the only ones with a question about this. David’s servants, present a confused front about David’s actions.
• II Samuel 12:22,23 : “And he said, ‘While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, 'Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?' But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.’”
- This story begins with God’s judgment, but it ends with God’s goodness to David and Bath-Sheba.
• II Samuel 12:24,25 : “Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him, and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.”
- I wanted to take a week and focus on our response, as men under the authority of Christ, to the discipline of the Lord. I want us to notice these responses that David exemplifies for us.
I. He Plead His Case With The Lord (v.16,17)
II. He Was Persistent With The Lord (v.18a)
III. He Was At Peace With The Will Of The Lord (v.22,23)
II. He Was Persistent With The Lord (v.18a)
III. He Was At Peace With The Will Of The Lord (v.22,23)
Text
I. He Plead His Case With The Lord (v.16,17)
• II Samuel 12:16,17 : “David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. So the elders of his house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground. But he would not, nor did he eat food with them.” : David’s response to the decree of God was to plead.- The word is not that difficult to understand. He begged the Lord on behalf of the child.
- Let’s mark a few things here that are prone to trouble our hearts. The elephant in the room is that the Lord struck this child because of the sin of David.
- Is it right for the Lord to require such a price? Right conclusion, wrong question! The price of sin is always death. Our sin has terrible consequences and many times, it is the innocent that suffer.
- Now, why is this a special case? Many children have died young. Are they being punished for sin, either theirs or their parents? Jesus answers this question, which people have been asking for centuries. Of the man born blind, the disciples asked whose sin was the cause.
• John 9:3 : “Jesus answered, ‘Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but that the works of God should be revealed in him.”
- Here, you will remember that this episode occurs because God’s name has been blasphemed or cursed, by His enemies.
- What are the implications of that verse? David sinned in secret, but somehow, the enemies have put the math together and have understood David’s sin. The enemies of the Lord have said, “well, it seems that David’s God is not very holy after all!”
- To allow David to get away with this sin, would allow the enemies of God to conclude the wrong thing about the Lord. In the midst of this scenario, David, a man under authority, takes his discipline, but in a very different way than we might have.
- His theology was not such as to consider all things fated. He heard the decree and he still went in before the Lord. He fasted, he prostrated himself before the Lord and did so all that night.
˚ “David's prayers are not only the expression of his repentance, but the exercise of his faith. Believing in God's sovereignty did not keep David from taking action (fasting and praying); his faith prompted him to act.”
Bob Deffinbaugh
- David was desperately seeking the Lord, asking Him to refrain.- There is something very admirable about this. First, David went straight to the Lord.
- He had established a deep relationship with the Lord and He boldly used His access to petition the Lord.
- The writer of Hebrews is attempting to explain to his readers that the Old Testament sacrifices never gave the people an assurance of a clean conscience before God.
- But now Jesus, who is superior to the Old Testament sacrifices, has made a radical difference.
• Hebrews 10:19-23 : “Therefore, brethren, having boldness to enter the Holiest by the blood of Jesus, by a new and living way which He consecrated for us, through the veil, that is, His flesh, and having a High Priest over the house of God, let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, having our hearts sprinkled from an evil conscience and our bodies washed with pure water.”
- The seond thing that I love here is that David is determined to seek the Lord. Notice that the elders came to him and attempted to remove David from that place.
- The saw him, and to them, he appeared distraught. Of course, he was. This was his child and what was happening, in this case specifically, was a direct result of his sin.
- You’ll note that the elders mentioned after the child died, that they feared that he would harm himself. But David is having an intense, personal encounter with the Lord and David will not be deterred from that time.
- How easy is it for you to be distracted or pulled away from God’s presence when you are pleading on another’s behalf?
- Finally, I want us to note that David came before the Lord with both guns blazing.
- He is not holding anything back from Him. His eyes are wet, his hair disheveled and his countenance is down. Everyone can see it, and as is usually the case, people around don’t know how to handle it, but David goes all out none the same. I wonder why we are hesistant to do the same?
- We pray so politely even when we are mad, depressed or confused. Are we so conscious of our identity and image, that we are not emotionally honest enough to allow ourselves to go there?
- God can handle our rage and anger and confusion. It would greatly benefit us to open ourselves to the Lord as David did.
II. He Was Persistent With The Lord (v.18a)
• II Samuel 12:18a : “Then on the seventh day it came to pass that the child died.” : What is important about this verse is that the last verse was not just a 20 minute meeting.- It went on all day and all night. It continued the same way for seven, intense days.
- David was persistent with the Lord. How different that is from our thinking.
- I have actually heard people tell me that they did not want to “bother the Lord!”
- It astounds me to consider that someone might think this way. God’s resources are available to us as believers and He invites us to tap in to who He is.
- In Luke chapter 11, the disciples ask Jesus to teach them how to pray.
- It’s always worth mentioning that the disciples rarely asked to learn anything, but prayer was something they felt they needed Jesus to teach them.
- After Jesus lays out the disciples prayer, He shares an interesting parable with the disciples.
- He paints a picture of a man, who comes late at night to ask for bread. It’s late and an unexpected guest has come.
• Luke 11:7-13 : “and he will answer from within and say, ‘Do not trouble me; the door is now shut, and my children are with me in bed; I cannot rise and give to you’? I say to you, though he will not rise and give to him because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will rise and give him as many as he needs. So I say to you, ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you. For everyone who asks receives, and he who seeks finds, and to him who knocks it will be opened. If a son asks for bread from any father among you, will he give him a stone? Or if he asks for a fish, will he give him a serpent instead of a fish? Or if he asks for an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? If you then, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him!’”
- We miss quite a bit in the English language here. The verbs “ask, seek and knock” are all wriitten in the present tense.
- If we were to translate the verse literally it would be “always asking and it will be given to you; always seeking and you will find; always knocking and it will be opened to you.”
- David was persistent. After 7 days of persistent prayer, the child still died and you might ask, “well what is the point?” We miss the point here if we think that the Lord did not answer. He did answer and the answer was “no.”
- If you look at prayer as a means to accomplish your will, you will always be disappointed.
- However, if your prayer before the Lord is persistently for the purpose of drawing close to Him, petitioning Him to bring about His will, believing that it is the best thing for your life!
˚ “This shows that extraordinary prayer and fasting does not change God's mind. It put David in the right place to receive what he must from God but it did not "force" God to change His plan. Extraordinary prayer and fasting are not tools to get whatever we want from God. They are demonstrations of radical submission and surrender to God's power and will.”
Pastor David Guzik
- How do I know that this was David’s prayer and petition? Notice what the result was.III. He Was At Peace With The Will Of The Lord (v.22,23)
• II Samuel 12:19-23 : “And he said, ‘While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ But now he is dead; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me." : After 7 days, the Bible tells us that David got up, got clean, got into the temple and worshipped.- It’s significant to discuss what David does not say at this time. “Lord you are unfair! I have prayed and prayed and yet you allowed this to take place!”
- If we were honest, most of us would admit that we believe in a works based relationship with God, whereby we believe that we will receive what we want when we do what we believe He wants us to do. The cry of foul when the Lord allows something negative often tests our real beliefs.
- David again here provides an excellent example to you and I.
- He went straight into the temple. That is significant. Throughout that 7 days, and we are not sure of the process or the exact prayers, but the end of it reveals what the process produced!
- The process produced a believer at peace with His Lord and sovereign.
- That does not happen with somebody who simply prays for a specific result. But when a brother or sister prays, “Your will be done” will ever be satisfied.
- A verse that every believer should have memorized or tattooed, is Philippians 4:6 and 7.
- Paul is writing to the believers at Philippi to “stand fast in the Lord.”
- To stand fast is to stand sure footed, against every force that would intend to move you.
- How does one do that?
• Philippians 4:6,7 : “Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”
- So often the result part of the verse is skipped over. The result of bringing everything to God in prayer is to have the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding.
- My understanding in life is based on what I can see. His peace goes beyond what I can see or comprehend. I have seen so many believers and heard so many testimonies, who had peace when they should have been troubled.
- Here David has just heard that his son has died. Yes, he will mourn and yes, he will have pain, but his posture is filled with hope and security.
- His statement is filled with hope and assurance that the Lord will bring him to his son.
- Most people believe that this verse speaks about the assurance of heaven for those who die in childbirth or at a very young age, and I am inclined to be in that group.
- After this, God’s grace will shine on this couple with the birth of Solomon.
- God’s grace and mercy is so abundant, in that He gave a wonderful gift to David and Bath-Sheba, when both deserved death.
Conclusion
- This section has been very instructive to you and I. We have a relationship with the Lord that allows us to plead persistently with Him.
- In the middle of that persistent pleading, we realize that what we most want is the will of the Lord, knowing that His will is the best plan for our lives.
- If we are men under His authority, we will accept everything from the hand of God, and peace will be ours in abundance.
2 comments:
1 David plead his case before the Lord, even after the decree was given that his child would die. What does this action speak of in terms of David’s relationship to God? Share personal experiences when you have plead before the Lord on another’s behalf.
2 David was persistent in his prayers, having kept that position of prayer before the Lord for 7 days. Does it seem true that most people are hesitant to persist in prayer? What attitudes contribute to a lack of persistence in prayer?
3 David came to a place of peace with God’s will, after the child had died. He resumed normal activities, including worship. How can we train our heart toward this response? What are some foundational beliefs that allow us to sustain our relationship with God through the most difficult circumstances?
Frank,
This session blessed me beyond my normal understanding……which measures just above a Forficula Auricularia’s kneecap.
But seriously, I have come to realize that my prayers, although pleading, are not persistent. My prayers are sometimes short and to the point, and at times long and repetitive. I know to take all things to the Lord in prayer, and that He hears my prayers, but I don’t know that I can honestly say my prayers are persistent.
Today’s lesson brings me to the point that I must now ask myself if I am truly committed to the level of “persistent prayer” David has demonstrated here for us. Do I keep asking, seeking, knocking until there IS an answer? Or, do I ask once and stop, seek but a little and give up, tap lightly and walk away? This really has me thinking.
We know David wasn’t perfect, but maybe this demonstrates to us why he is referred to as “the man after God’s own heart”?
Thank you for being a blessing!
Ricky P
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