The Census, the Repentance, and the Altar
2 Samuel 24
The Census, the repentance, and the altar
2 samuel 24
Other sacred texts do not lambast the office of kingship, nor do they dwell so unremittingly on the failings and limitations of their monarchs. They exalt the king, praise him, smooth over his weaknesses, flatter him, and magnify his achievements. Not so the Bible. So much for the idea that the biblical God is an invention to bolster the power of earthly kings!
- Christopher Watkin, Biblical Critical Theory
Main Idea: When we sin, conviction is the gift that leads us to faith and repentance in the finished work of Christ.
I. The Census (24:1-9)
What’s the big deal with taking a census?
Uriah the Hittite and the Mighty Men of Valor (23:8–39, 24:1-9): The end of chapter 23 provides the military context for our section. David has a battle on his mind. David’s census here is mustering of military personnel (v9). We are reminded of the sin against Uriah and introducing another sin, taking something with wrong motivations and wrong purposes. In both cases, the sin of the shepherd causes the sheep to suffer.
The Exodus and Pharoah (24:13-16): The second connection is the textual connection to the Exodus story. Here Israel suffers from a plague, and the pestilence is spread by the Angel of the Lord, who struck down the people because of the heart of the ruler. Like Passover, the angel of the Lord is turned away by sacrifice—David’s sin, acting like a king of the nations.
Deuteronomy 17:18-20: And when he sits on the throne of his kingdom, he shall write for himself in a book a copy of this law, approved by the Levitical priests. And it shall be with him, and he shall read in it all the days of his life, that he may learn to fear the Lord his God by keeping all the words of this law and these statutes, and doing them, that his heart may not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he may not turn aside from the commandment, either to the right hand or to the left, so that he may continue long in his kingdom, he and his children, in Israel.
Right is right even if no one is doing it; wrong is wrong even if everyone is doing it. – Augustine of Hippo (354–430)
David didn’t always obey God, but he always dealt with God. – Eugene Peterson
II. The Repentance (24:10-17)
2 Samuel 24:10: But David’s heart struck him after he had numbered the people.
David experienced conviction, not always immediately but inevitably. God always sees through the outward appearance to the heart of the matter (Luke 6:45). To experience conviction is a gift from God to be received with humility (John 16:8).
It is not strange that people sin, but it is reprehensible if they do not acknowledge that they have erred and humble themselves before God.
Ambrose of Milan (333–397)
Conviction always leads to a crossroads, and both are toll roads.
Real repentance turns to God, and real repentance takes ownership of the fallout. David could have squirmed out from this. He could have spared himself. But in perhaps his greatest moment, he seeks atonement by offering himself in exchange for the sheep (John 15:13).
III. The Altar (24:18-25)
Israel is spared from the judgment derived because of the intercession of the mediator whom God provided in the person of King David.
God will accept anyone—even if, like David in his census, we have sinned greatly in offense to God—who comes to him through faith in the offering of the death of Christ.
The narrative concludes with words that fittingly summarize not only the meaning of David’s life but also the message of the whole Bible: “David built there an altar to the Lord and offered burnt offerings and peace offerings. So the Lord responded to the plea for the land, and the plague was averted from Israel” (2 Sam. 24:25).
Through Many Tribulations
2 Samuel 22:1-25
Through many tribulations
2 samuel 22:1-25
Main Idea: The only way we make it home is through many tribulations. There is no Plan B. Let your hearts be encouraged.
What Happened to David - the Facts
(David’s) scrapes have not been with the shadow of death but with its clammy clutches. What David says here in poetry he once said to Jonathan in prose: 'There is but a step between me and death' (1 Sam. 20:3). That statement actually summarizes David's life throughout the Saul years (1 Sam. 18-31). His distress went far beyond facing gall bladder surgery or replacing a defunct automatic transmission. Death daily dogged his tracks.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity
What Happened to David - the Results
If what happened to David in terms of the facts can be summarized in the word “tribulation,” then what happened to him in terms of results might be summarized in the word “growth.” He started out as a courageous young shepherd boy in 1 Samuel 16. He sits now as a noble king marked by at least three cardinal virtues displayed in this song.
Worship
Prayer
Endurance
Remember, God chose David to be king, not David nor anyone else. David became the king God chose him to be because God provided the “training” necessary to that end in the forms of disasters and oppositions. David didn’t quit - not because he wasn’t a quitter - but because quitting was death. In situations like that, you just keep going. AND, you also keep growing!
Why It Happened the Way It Did - the Bigger Story
The BIGGER story builds around two massive truths.
First, the LORD is the LIVING GOD and all creation is subject to Him.
David speaks of the LORD God riding the violence of the storm to his rescue as if it were a pony. The storm is still “the storm” but it is neither out of God’s control nor apart from God’s design.
The second aspect to this bigger story is that the Living God of Israel is a COVENANT-KEEPING GOD.
What David is saying is that his efforts at keeping the covenant to the best of his ability met with God’s overwhelmingly gracious keeping of the covenant in rescuing him. David is not wrong in claiming that his loyalty to the covenant played a part, but he is definitely most right in saying that his rescue - however meager his obedience - was dramatic proof of God’s gracious and super-abundant goodness as a covenant-keeping God.
Why It Happened the Way It Did - the Better Story
It turns out that “violence” and “enemies” are not our biggest problems. They cause a lot of problems, but David, by his own testimony, “beat them fine as the dust of the earth;” and “crushed them and stamped them down like the mire of the streets.” (v. 43)
But that single sinful glance at the naked woman bathing on the rooftop whooped David in ways he never recovered from!!
Our biggest problem is not with something “out there” but with something “in here.” We cannot rescue ourselves from it, but, according to the gospel, Jesus did.
Why It Happened the Way It Did - the Better Story
You’ve put your faith in Jesus. What can you expect from here?
Tribulations
Deliverance
Glory
The only way we make it home is through many tribulations. There is no Plan B. Let your hearts be encouraged.
An Underwhelming Return
2 Samuel 19:9-43
AN underwhelming Return
2 samuel 19:9-43
Main Idea: The return of King David underwhelms, but the return of King Jesus far surpasses our greatest expectations.
King Jesus secures a place in His kingdom where His former enemies (19:9-23), the faithful (19:24-30), and the content (19:31-40) can have true unity with both Him and each other (19:41-43).
I. King Jesus Secures a Place in His Kingdom for His Enemies (19:9-23)
King David endured the shame and rejection from his own tribe and was willing to pardon their transgressions against him upon his return to unify the kingdom. However, his attempts to extend mercy seem to fall short of actually securing a place of unity in the kingdom for his former enemies.
King Jesus also endured shame and rejection from his own tribe, but he was pierced for their transgressions so that His mercy could sufficiently pardon them and secure a place for His former enemies in His Kingdom that will be fully realized in His return.
II. King Jesus Secures a Place in His Kingdom for the Faithful (19:24-30)
King David's return doesn't quite bring about restoration for Mephibosheth in the way we hoped, but in the midst of being crippled, slandered, and having lost almost everything, Mephibosheth rejoices over and trusts his returning king's rule and reign.
King Jesus' return will restore His faithful people to Himself perfectly. In the midst of mourning our pain, oppositions, and losses, we can rejoice over and trust the reign of our King in both the here and now and long for His return, where our mourning will turn to rejoicing for eternity.
III. King Jesus Secures a Place in His Kingdom for the Content (19:31-40)
King David's return offers a place for Barzillai to feast in His Kingdom that only appeals to his waning senses.
King's Jesus' return prepares a place for us at a great feast where we will be able to look, see, taste, and feel His glory beyond our comprehension.
A Sad Victory
2 Samuel 18:1-19a
A Sad Victory
2 samuel 18:1-19:8a
Main Idea: Sin creates a tension between justice and mercy that is only resolved by a better King.
I. The Rebellious Son
Absalom’s rebellion has hit a tipping point and the battle lines are drawn. He has set himself “against the Lord and against his Anointed” (Ps. 2) and God has ordained his downfall (cf. 17:14).
There is a sad irony in Absalom’s death; though he tried to “set up for himself a pillar” and a lasting monument (18:18), he dies:
Brought down by the source of his pride & glory (cf. 2 Sam. 14:26; Prov. 16:18)
Hanging from a tree, a sign of being ‘cursed by God’ (cf. Deut. 21:22-23)
Being stoned to death, memorialized as a traitor and enemy of God and his people (cf. Josh 7:26, 8:29, 10:27)
II. The Ruthless General
In the face of Absalom’s sin and rebellion, Joab desires justice without mercy. Though he previously tried to reconcile Absalom & David, he now ignores the King’s request and brutally murders Absalom (18:14-15).
The narrative, typically, reports but does not evaluate Joab’s action. His act was both rebellious and rational: rebellious, in light of David’s order; rational, for the welfare of David’s regime… Here in [chapter 19] Joab seems to be right, yet in [chapter 18] he is insubordinate. Joab was wrong to defy the king’s order, yet he clearly divined what disaster David’s incessant grief would bring. Thus, Joab is wrong and right; he is rebellious and reasonable. He lacks subordination but not sense. The biblical writer allows Joab to remain an enigma.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity
III. The Remorseful King
If Joab desired justice without mercy, David desired mercy over justice with his son Absalom (18:5). David’s weakened kingdom and failures as a king caused the Lord’s deliverance on this day (18:31) to be a sad triumph, as he mourns for his son whom he loves.
There is a deeper dimension to David’s grief... How Nathan’s words must have echoed in David’s conscience: ‘The sword will not depart from your house forever’ (12:10). It is David’s guilt that inflames his grief. ... David knew that his sin had set the sword loose in his household… Perhaps David wished he had died instead of Absalom because he knew he deserved to die. Guilt has aggravated grief. So we end with a paradox: a safe kingdom, a sad king.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity
When Absalom died, David cried out, vainly wishing he could have died in his place. What David longed to do for Absalom, God accomplished for us. Jesus Christ went to the cross to die in our place, an act of love that should remind us of David’s heartfelt cry… Jesus did for us, His sons and daughters, what David could not do for his own. Absalom died hanging in a tree with a spear for his rebellion thrust through his heart; Jesus died on a tree with a spear for our rebellion thrust through his.
~ J. D. Greear and Heath Thomas, Exalting Jesus in 1 & 2 Samuel
Ultimately, the tension of this account must be resolved by a Greater Son of David; like Absalom, Jesus is ‘suspended between heaven and earth’ as he is hung upon a tree, speared, and dies a curse-bearing death in the place of the guilty (cf. Gal. 3:13). The crucifixion of Christ is the resolution of the tension between mercy and justice (cf. Ps. 85:10)
A King on the Run
2 Samuel 15:13-16:14
A King on the run
2 samuel 15:13-16:14
Psalm 3:1-2: O Lord, how many are my foes!
Many are rising against me;
many are saying of my soul,
“There is no salvation for him in God.”
Main Idea: What do you do when it seems that God has forsaken you?
Introduction: 2 Samuel 15:13-18
Intermission #1: 2 Samuel 15:19-22
Ittai is an island of fidelity in a sea of treachery. The irony is clear: David’s own son, ‘whom he had loaded with undeserved kindness, was conspiring against him, while this stranger, who owed him nothing in comparison, was risking everything in his cause.’
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity
Intermission #2: 2 Samuel 15:23-30
David says his restoration (should there be such) does not depend on whether he has Yahweh’s furniture but on whether he has Yahweh’s favor.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity
Intermission #3: 2 Samuel 15:31-37
Intermission #4: 2 Samuel 16:1-4
Intermission #5: 2 Samuel 16:5-14
The question does not imply that God was the author of Shimei’s misinformation or mean-spiritedness, just that it was possible that God purposed to use Shimei, sins, bad motives and all, to humble David. And why should David be righteously angry about Shimei’s sins against him, when he himself was guilty of far greater sins? This was God’s way of putting David’s problems in their true perspective, for God had certainly not punished him as his iniquities deserved, for all the difficulties he was going through!
~ V. Philips Long, 1 and 2 Samuel: An Introduction and Commentary
Psalm 3:1-2: But you, O Lord, are a shield about me,
my glory, and the lifter of my head.
I cried aloud to the Lord,
and he answered me from his holy hill.
I lay down and slept;
I woke again, for the Lord sustained me.
I will not be afraid of many thousands of people
who have set themselves against me all around.
Arise, O Lord!
Save me, O my God!
For you strike all my enemies on the cheek;
you break the teeth of the wicked.
Salvation belongs to the Lord;
your blessing be on your people!
What does God do/what is God doing when it seems like God has forsaken you?
Sleight of Hand in the Sight of Man
2 Samuel 14
Sleight of hand in the sight of man
2 samuel 14
Main Idea: We can surrender control to Jesus, who alone has the power to bring about true redemption, reconciliation, and restoration.
2 Samuel 13:37-39: But Absalom fled and went to Talmai the son of Ammihud, king of Geshur. And David mourned for his son day after day. So Absalom fled and went to Geshur, and was there three years. And the spirit of the king longed to go out to Absalom, because he was comforted about Amnon, since he was dead.
I. The Sleight of Hand (14:1-24)
Legal Misdirection (2 Samuel 14:4-11, Numbers 35:15, 25)
Minimizes Sin (2 Sam. 14:14)
Appeals to the Nation
Nathan’s parable was designed to rouse the king’s conscience as against his feelings; the woman of Tekoah’s, as prompted by Joab, to rouse his feelings against his conscience.
~William Blaikie
This chapter should haunt the church, not to mention the individual, believing or unbelieving. It is possible to have all the signs of wisdom—plans, strategies, accomplishments—and yet be utterly devoid of it.
~Dale Ralph Davis
Psalm 19:7: The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul; the testimony of the Lord is sure, making wise the simple.
Psalm 119:104-105: Through your precepts I get understanding; therefore I hate every false way. Your word is a lamp to my feet and a light to my path.
II. The Sight of Man (14:25-15:12)
1 Samuel 9:2: And he had a son whose name was Saul, a handsome young man. There was not a man among the people of Israel more handsome than he. From his shoulders upward he was taller than any of the people.
1 Samuel 16:7: But the Lord said to Samuel, “Do not look on his appearance or on the height of his stature, because I have rejected him. For the Lord sees not as man sees: man looks on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart.”
Absalom begins his rise to power. But Joab refuses to give any further help (v 28–29), and Absalom forces his hand (v 30–31). The focus on his hair, echos the story of Samson (Judges 15:3–5), another man who contrived his own downfall. Absalom claims he is still in exile (2 Samuel 14:32). So Joab mediates, and Absalom is restored to the court (v 33). Absalom calls David’s bluff with an ultimatum: accept me or execute me (v 32). And he wins. David caves in again. Absalom is treated like a royal son again. His mind is on succession.
Absalom looked the part, played the part, and plotted the part. Every aspect is controlled, and the people are manipulated.
Pretends to be kingly (v 15:1–2)
Positions himself shrewdly (v 2–4)
Potrays himself favorably (v 5–6)
2 Samuel 15:5-6: And whenever a man came near to pay homage to him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. Thus Absalom did to all of Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men of Israel.
Absalom is planning war, and David tells him to ‘Go in peace’ (9).
Absalom lies to obtain the king’s permission to hold a gathering at Hebron, where in 2:1–4 David was first anointed king. Then Absalom gathers leading figures in Israel to attend his enthronement (15:10–12).
The Ripple Effects of Sin
2 Samuel 13
The ripple effects of sin
2 samuel 13
Main Idea: We need a King who executes perfect justice on evil and bears the shame of sin.
I. The Consequences of Serious Sin (12:10-11, 14-23)
Though the Lord has “put away” David’s sin (12:13), there are still consequences for his flagrant disregard for God & His Word:
“The sword shall never depart from your house… I will raise up evil against you out of your own house” (12:10-11)
“The child who is born to you shall die” (12:14)
There is always a tension between our sin and our suffering in this world. We must be free to admit that sin in general has led to suffering in general, while being careful not to draw lines where God does not. Not all suffering in this fallen world is a punishment or consequence for specific sins we have committed.
Even in this sobering consequence, there are pointers to the gospel:
A son of David dies instead of the guilty; this will one day be true in an ultimate sense
Rather than David going to his son in death (12:23), Jesus reverses this direction in his resurrection, coming to us from the place of the dead.
II. The Danger of Unrestrained Lust (13:1-19)
Amnon sinfully lusts after his half-sister Tamar, frustrated that it was “impossible to do anything to her” (13:2). Unrestrained lust like this leads to objectification, dehumanization, and distorted relationships / desires.
Amnon is not smart enough on his own to get to Tamar; he needs an accomplice, and Jonadab is more than ready to help. The world is full of people like this, eager to put their wits to the service of other people’s evil. The intelligence and imagination that is generated daily in the cause of assisting others to acquire illegitimate power and indulge wrongful pleasure is astounding. By now “Jonadab” enterprises have sprung up all over the world, dedicated to helping men and women satisfy their sinful desires.
~ Eugene Peterson, First & Second Samuel
Amnon’s “love” for Tamar quickly turns to hatred; after he violates her body, he violates her soul in a cold, evil, & ‘godless’ manner: “Put this woman out of my presence” [lit. ‘this thing’]. Tamar’s appearance of ashes & a torn robe outwardly displays her pain, misery, and shame.
Tamar asks, “Where could I get rid of my disgrace?” Her question is left unanswered in the text… However, there was one who later came & entered her pain & shame. Jesus Christ was killed, not for revenge, but to bear her shame on the cross and to offer her a new robe of righteousness to replace her torn robes of disgrace. How Tamar felt after the assault is shockingly similar to what Jesus experienced leading up to and during his crucifixion. Jesus entered her pain and shame as Tamar’s substitute to remove the stain of sins committed against her, and he rose from the dead to bring her healing and hope.
~ Justin & Lindsey Holcomb, Rid of My Disgrace: Hope & Healing for Victims of Sexual Assault
1 Corinthians 6:18-19: Flee from sexual immorality. Every other sin a person commits is outside the body, but the sexually immoral person sins against his own body. Or do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body.
III. The Problem of Inadequate Anger (13:20-33)
Tamar is also failed by the deficient response of those around her. Though Absalom and David are rightly angered about this wickedness, they both have an ‘inadequate’ anger:
As both the King of Israel & a father, David was in the God-ordained means & position to deal with this evil; however, his anger fails to move him to righteous action and appropriate justice.
Absalom “takes this matter to heart” (13:20), but takes vengeance into his own hands with no restraint (cf. Rom. 12:19)
There is an “amplification” of the sins of David with both of his sons, with Amnon’s sexual sin and abuse, and Absalom’s murder of his brother. David’s own sin has led to a loss of moral credibility to properly act and bring God’s Word and will to bear.
David is the christ, God’s anointed king, Israel’s greatest king. But in the end, he’s a let-down. 2 Samuel leaves us longing for a king who will exercise justice without hypocrisy—a king with moral authority. We need a king who can say to the baying crowd as again they accuse the victim, “Let him who is without sin cast the first stone” (John 8:7). We need Jesus. But King Jesus does more than execute justice. He also covers our shame. “Where could I get rid of my disgrace?” asks Tamar before her rape. The answer will be at the cross. At the cross, Jesus not only atoned for our guilt; he also removed our shame. He puts right both the wrong we have done and the wrong that has been done to us. He clothes us in his righteousness and makes us children of God.
~ Tim Chester, 2 Samuel for You
This entire account is an invitation to take up the posture of lament, crying out “how long, O Lord?” (cf. Ps. 13:1, 35:17, 79:5) as we await the return of Christ who will “judge the living and the dead,” when everything hidden will be revealed (Lk. 12:2), and the eternal Kingdom of perfect justice will be established.
The Hope of Repentance
2 Samuel 12
THe Hope of repentance
2 samuel 12 and psalm 51
Main Idea: God’s grace and steadfast love invites us to humble and honest repentance.
I. Relenting to God’s Word (2 Sam. 12:1-7a)
The Lord sends his Word through the prophet Nathan to open David’s eyes from his blindness of his sin. Nathan’s “parable” brilliantly provokes David:
He appeals to the ‘shepherd’ theme that is central David’s life
The poor man treated his lamb like a “daughter” (Heb. ‘bath’)
David rightly recalls the Word of God about fourfold restoration (Ex. 22:1)
Hebrews 4:12-13: For the word of God is living and active, sharper than any two-edged sword, piercing to the division of soul and of spirit, of joints and of marrow, and discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart. And no creature is hidden from his sight, but all are naked and exposed to the eyes of him to whom we must give account.
Nathan is not just a prophet of the Lord in this action, but also a faithful friend who risks his own life to confront King David in truth and in grace (cf. Prov. 27:6, James 5:16).
Nathan knew what stout defenses mind and mouth can muster against a frontal assault. So instead of sitting down and calling David a filthy womanizer and a cruel murderer he began with, ‘Sir, I want to tell you about a situation …’ He so suckered the king into the case that David judged himself… Nathan’s strategy is nothing but the ingenuity of grace. His technique is the godly scheming of grace that goes around the end of our resistance and causes us to switch the floodlights on our own darkness.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity.
II. Taking Responsibility for Sin (2 Sam. 12:7b-13, Psalm 51:1-5)
With David now condemned by his own judgment, Nathan rightly diagnoses the fact that David “despised the word of the Lord” (12:9), essentially “despising” God himself (12:10). David has abused God’s kindness and generosity toward him and instead did what was “evil in his sight.”
Despite the consequences & discipline of the Lord that will result from this sin (12:10-12, 14), David humbly and simply takes the first step of repentance: “I have sinned against the Lord” (12:13a; cf. Lk. 18:13-14).
David’s expanded repentance in Psalm 51 shows he grasps the seriousness of his sin, acknowledging:
Sin is against God (51:4)
Sin is comprehensive (51:1-2, 5; cf. Eph. 2:1-4)
Sin is pervasive (51:3)
2 Corinthians 7:9–10: As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.
There is an eternal difference between regret and repentance. Regret feels bad about past sins. Repentance turns away from past sins. Most of us are content with regret. We just want to feel bad for a while, have a good cry, enjoy the cathartic experience, bewail our sin and how selfish/stupid/sorry we are. But we don’t really want to change… Here’s one way to distinguish between worldly grief and godly grief: one mobilizes you into action and the other immobilizes you. Godly grief is a fruitful and effective emotion. We are not meant to wallow in this grief. It is supposed to spur us to action, to change, to make right our wrongs, to be zealous for good works, to run from sin and start walking in the opposite direction. But worldly grief makes you idle and stagnant. You don’t change. You don’t grow. You don’t fight against the deeds of the flesh. Instead, you ruminate on your mistakes and obsess about what people’s opinions and ponder what might have been.
~ Kevin DeYoung, “Godly Grief
III. Experiencing Renewal and Restoration (2 Samuel 12:13b, Psalm 51 6-19)
As David takes up full ownership of his sin, he simultaneously appeals to God’s mercy and “steadfast love” (51:1- Heb. ‘hesed’), which is shockingly offered to David through Nathan: “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die” (2 Sam. 12:13b; cf. Rom. 2:4).
David makes a series of pleas for God’s forgiveness, cleansing, and inward renewal, showing his humble willingness to be changed by God (Ps. 51:6-12). All of these pleas are answered at the cross of Jesus Christ, where “by his wounds you have been healed” (1 Pet. 2:24-25).
Just as sin never impacts just you alone, the same is true of repentance (Ps. 51:13-19); God’s renewing and restorative grace in David’s life leads him to “teach transgressors your ways,” urging “sinners to return to you,” and true worship to be experienced among God’s people.
A broken and contrite heart is a heart that knows how little it deserves yet how much it has received. To know only the first truth is to be self-loathing, to know only the second is to be self-satisfied - and both kinds of hearts will be self absorbed… David came to hate his sin but not himself.
~ Tim Keller, The Songs of Jesus
The Avalanche of Sin
2 Samuel 11
THe Avalanche of sin
2 samuel 11
Main Idea: We must resist the sin that crouches at the door by humbly clinging to Christ.
I. The Root of Sin (11:1-3)
Even though David has been blessed by the Lord and has successfully been established as the King “after God’s own heart,” the seeds of sin have already been sown. We see this in 2 ways:
David’s taking of many wives and concubines, like the kings of the nations (cf. 2 Sam. 5:13-14, Deut. 17:17)
David’s idleness and inactivity (11:1-2a), from a place of success and comfort
The root of David’s sin was not in seeing Bathsheba; it was in entertaining in his heart something that the Lord had forbidden. Sin was “crouching at the door” (Gen. 4:7), and David welcomed it in his heart.
James 1:14: But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire…
Matthew 5:27-28: You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart.
Mark 7:20-23: And [Jesus] said, “What comes out of a person is what defiles him. For from within, out of the heart of man, come evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness. All these evil things come from within, and they defile a person.
We are to deal drastically with sin. We must not pamper it, flirt with it, enjoy nibbling a little of it around the edges. We are to hate it, crush it, dig it out.
~ D.A. Carson, Jesus’ Sermon on the Mount & his Confrontation with the World
II. The Ruin of Sin (11:4-13)
David behaves like Adam & Eve in the Garden of Eden; both are paradigmatic stories for how sin works:
He sees (11:2 | Gen. 3:6a)
He desires (11:3 | Gen. 3:6b)
He takes (11:4 | Gen. 3:6c, 1 Samuel 8:10-18)
He covers up (11:6ff | Gen. 3:8)
An idolatrous attachment can lead you to break any promise, rationalize any indiscretion, or betray any other allegiance, in order to hold on to it. It may drive you to violate all good and proper boundaries. To practice idolatry is to be a slave.
~ Tim Keller, Counterfeit Gods
As David feeds his sinful desire and attempts to deal with it himself, he becomes increasingly ‘calloused’ (Eph. 4:19, 1 Tim. 4:2), ‘dulled’ to the impacts of his sin on himself and others. Uriah is ironically presented as the faithful one to the Lord at every turn in this horrible account.
III. The Results of Sin (11:14-27)
James 1:14-15: But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
Romans 6:23a: For the wages of sin is death…
We are all four steps from murder… Sin can take you down paths you would never have dreamed of walking. Nobody decides one day to have an affair. Nobody decides one day to steal from their company. But if you neglect your duty, if you gratify your eyes, if you indulge your fantasies, if you fail to flee temptation—then that may be where you end up. “I would never do that,” you may be thinking. But please don’t think you’re better than David… David didn’t think of himself as a potential murderer. He didn’t wake up at the beginning of 2 Samuel 11 with murder on his mind. It was a thousand miles from his thoughts. Yet murder is where he ended up. He didn’t get there in one step. But it only took four steps.
~ Tim Chester, 2 Samuel For You
The way the narrative is written, then, tells us that the silence of God does not indicate the absence of God… Yahweh may be silent but he is not sightless. David may have Bathsheba’s flesh and Uriah’s blood, but he will have to face Yahweh’s eyes.
~ Dale Ralph Davis, 2 Samuel: Out of Every Adversity
IV. The Remedy for Sin (12:1a)
The only hope for sinners is to run to the true and better King who does not abuse his power, who is faithful to his covenant promises to his bride, who was tempted in every way, yet without sin, and who is sent to die for sinners. King Jesus is the only one who can set us free from the consequences and power of sin in our life.
Romans 5:6-8: For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly. For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die— but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
A Dead Dog at the King's Table
2 Samuel 9
A dead dog at the king’s table
2 samuel 9
Main Point: The kindness of God should be humbling and prized, not arrogantly despised.
I. The Covenant Remembered (9:1-5)
The covenant promise is fulfilled in the initiative of grace, for the covenant itself is all of grace! God always makes the first move. Were he not to do so, we would remain as we are, dead in our sins and oblivious to the gospel. The same principle may be applied to personal relationships. If you want to be of help to someone, if you want to befriend a neighbor, if you want someone to come under the sound of the gospel, you must be ready to take the initiative. You have no right to expect someone else to do it for you. This is what grace is about—reaching out to bless even your adversary’s household, without your being asked, or their deserving it! David owed Mephibosheth nothing; Christ owes us nothing; but praise God that Jesus came to save sinners like us and that, by his grace, the Davids reach out in compassion to the Mephibosheths of this world.
– Gordon Keddie: Triumph of the King: The Message of 2 Samuel
II. The Covenant Restores (9:6-8)
Today’s counsellors and psychiatrists would probably set this down as ‘a poor self-image’ or ‘low self-esteem’ induced by disability and deprivation. And perhaps there was an element of this in Mephibosheth’s self-deprecatory remark. Nevertheless, it needs to be said that there are times when self-deprecation and low self-esteem are justified because they are a realistic assessment of our true condition before God.
– Gordon Keddie: Triumph of the King: The Message of 2 Samuel
III. The Covenant Exceeds Expectations (9:9-13)
David is not merely fulfilling the letter of his promise to Jonathan. Mephibosheth is not merely tolerated. He’s not just given provisions. He’s invited into a relationship with David. Eating is a powerful symbol of friendship. That was true then and it’s still true today. That’s why Jesus eating with “tax collectors and sinners” was so controversial. God’s king was eating with God’s enemies as a sign of God’s grace. It is the same today. Christ does not merely tolerate us. He invites us into a relationship of intimacy and friendship. And that is powerfully symbolized in the invitation to eat at his table in the Lord’s Supper. Christ says to you, Eat at my table.
– Tim Chester: 2 Samuel for You