Consequences

S: 2 Samuel 12

₇Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what Yahweh, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. ₈I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that would have been too little, I would have added to you many more such things. ₉Why have you despised Yahweh’s word, to do that which is evil in his sight? You have struck Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. ₁₀Now therefore the sword will never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken Uriah the Hittite’s wife to be your wife.’

₁₁“This is what Yahweh says: ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbour, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. ₁₂For you did this secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’”

₁₃David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh.”

Nathan said to David, “Yahweh also has put away your sin. You will not die. ₁₄However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to Yahweh’s enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you will surely die.” ¹⁵Then Nathan departed to his house.

O: David repented so “Yahweh also has put away your sin. You will not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to Yahweh’s enemies to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you will surely die.” Also, “the sword will never depart from your house” and “I will raise up evil against you out of your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbour, and he will lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.”

New Testament believers, we know that “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us the sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” (1 John 1:9) The temptation, then, is to be too nonchalant about sin. But 2 Samuel 11-19 reminds us that sin has consequences, even when God forgives us when we repent.

A: I must remind myself daily that sin has terrible consequences:

• It dishonours God.
• It harms others.
• It damages my witness.
• It invites discipline.
• It promises pleasure but produces death.

I must submit myself to God resist the devil (James 4:7) and take the way of escape when faced with temptation (1 Corinthians 10:13). Though the sin looks attractive (that’s why it’s tempting) in reality, it’s deadly! (James 1:14-15)

P: Father, let me always submit myself to You and resist the devil. Let me always take the way of escape when temptation comes. Let me remember that the wages of sin is death.  Keep me from sin. Let me fear dishonouring Your name and hurting the people around me more than I fear losing the pleasure. Give me a tender heart that repents quickly and takes the way of escape. Guard me from the death that sin brings. In Jesus’ name, amen.