1 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.
2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
3 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.
4 And there came a traveler 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.
5 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:
6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
8 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.
9 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.
10 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.
11 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 neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.
13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
14 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.
15 And Nathan departed unto his house. And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick.
16 David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
17 And the elders of his house arose, and went to him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he eat bread with them.
18 And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?
19 But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
20 Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat.
21 Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.
22 And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?
23 But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.
24 And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.
25 And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
26 And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.
27 And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.
28 Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.
29 And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.
30 And he took their king's crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David's head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.
31 And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brick-kiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.
The book of 2 Samuel is the second part of the historical account of the reign of King David in Israel. It begins with David being anointed as king over Judah and eventually becoming king over all of Israel. In chapter 12, we see the consequences of David's sin with Bathsheba and the death of their firstborn son. This chapter also showcases the mercy and forgiveness of God towards David, even in the midst of his grave mistakes.
In the beginning of chapter 12, we see that the Lord sends the prophet Nathan to speak to David. The Lord had seen David's sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah, and He was not pleased. Nathan tells David a parable about a rich man who takes a poor man's only lamb to feed his guests, instead of using one of his own many lambs. David is angered by this injustice and declares that the rich man shall surely die.
Nathan then reveals to David that he is the rich man in the parable and that he has taken Uriah's wife for himself. He also tells David that the sword shall never depart from his house because of his sin. This is the beginning of the consequences that David will face for his actions.
As a result of David's sin, the Lord strikes Bathsheba's firstborn son with a sickness. Despite David's prayers and fasting, the child dies on the seventh day. This is a tragic consequence of David's sin and it deeply grieves him. However, we see that David's servants are afraid to tell him that the child has died because they fear his reaction.
When David sees that his servants are whispering and afraid, he understands what has happened. He asks them if the child has died and when they confirm it, he gets up, washes himself, and changes his clothes. This is a sign of David's acceptance of the Lord's judgement and his willingness to move on.
David's response to the death of his son is a demonstration of his faith and trust in God. He acknowledges that the Lord is just and righteous in all of His ways. He also acknowledges that he cannot bring his son back, but he can go to him. This shows that David has a deep understanding of the afterlife and the hope of being reunited with loved ones in the presence of God.
Furthermore, we see that David comforts Bathsheba and they have another son together, whom they name Solomon. This is a symbol of God's mercy and restoration in the midst of tragedy. It also foreshadows the future reign of Solomon as king over Israel.
Despite David's grave sin, we see the Lord's mercy and forgiveness towards him. The Lord could have struck David down for his actions, but instead, He gives him a chance to repent and turn back to Him. This demonstrates the character of God as a loving and compassionate Father who desires for His children to come back to Him.
We also see that the Lord blesses David and Bathsheba with another son, Solomon, who will become a great king and continue the lineage of Jesus Christ. This is a reminder that God can bring beauty out of the ashes and turn a tragedy into a blessing.
In conclusion, chapter 12 of 2 Samuel showcases the consequences of David's sin with Bathsheba and the death of their firstborn son. It also highlights the mercy and forgiveness of God towards David, despite his grave mistakes. This chapter serves as a reminder that no one is above sin and that even the greatest of leaders can fall. However, it also shows that God is always ready to forgive and restore those who turn back to Him in repentance. The story of David and Bathsheba also serves as a foreshadowing of the greater redemption and forgiveness that we have through Jesus Christ.
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