Confession and Forgiveness

David had successfully hidden his adultery with Bathsheba so that few if any would question the birth of her baby.  God was not fooled however, as II Samuel 11:27b tells us.  “But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.”   For years, David had done everything he could to please God, but as things went better, he felt he deserved a little more pleasure.  Unfortunately, as people get used to having power, they begin to abuse it, using it for their own benefit.  David had abused his power to get Bathsheba to have sex with him, and to cover up his sin. 

Fortunately, God is a loving God, often giving us multiple warnings when we do things that are not right.  In II Samuel 12:1-4, God sent Nathan to warn David.  “And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.  The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:  But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.  And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.”

Hearing the story, David was incensed that a man of power could have so little concern for others as to take the only thing they had for his own pleasure.  He demanded that the law be fulfilled to to the max for such a cavalier attitude, in II Samuel 12:5-6.  “And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”  A man with that little regard for others didn’t deserve to live, as far as David was concerned. 

One can only imagine David’s shock at Nathan’s response, in II Samuel 12:7. “And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man….”   He would never even consider doing such a horrible thing.   Nathan went on to explain that while he had not thought of it that way, it was essentially what he had done to Uriah, in II Samuel 12:7b-10a.  “Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.  Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.”

David had a great deal of wealth, several wives and children and power over all Israel, and God’s blessings, yet he was not content, taking the only wife Uriah had then using the war with the Ammonites to get him killed.  The sin would affect David’s family for years to come, as II Samuel 12:10b -12 states.  “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.  Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.  For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.”  As a result of his sin, David’s family would always have people trying to kill them, and one of David’s own family would turn on him, committing adultery with his wife as he had done with Uriah’s wife, except it would be done publicly to embarrass him. 

It is here that we see the difference in David’s attitude, as compared to Saul’s.  When confronted with his sin, Saul blamed his actions on others, both in I Samuel 13, 11-14, and in II Samuel 15:13-29, only admitting he had doen wrong in an effort to regain Samuel’s support.  David made no excuses, freely admitting he had sinned in II Samuel 12:13, “And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD.”

I John 1:8-10 tells us, “If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.  If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.  If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.”  Saul was not forgiven because he refused to take responsibility for his sin.   David accepted responsibility for his sin, and was forgiven, but the sin would still have conswequences, as Nathan Told David, in II Samuel 12:13b-15.  “And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.  Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.  And Nathan departed unto his house.”

Being justified does not mean “just as if I had never sinned.  It means we have been forgiven and restored to a proper relationship with God, but it does not mean the effects of our sin are erased.  Though David was forgiven and justified with God, Uriah was still dead, and Bathsheba still had David’s baby.  David’s sin brought a reproach on God, and the basby would die so other people would know God did not approve of what David had done.