David had committed adultery, and in order to cover up what he had done, plotted to have Uriah die in the battlefield. Just when it seemed like David had gotten away with it, and that the story was over, Yahweh sent the prophet, Nathan, to correct David.

How does a prophet correct a king who has absolute power? Nathan told a story to have David condemn himself. David’s anger was greatly kindled by the story and he condemned any man who would behave in such a way as was told in the story. Nathan arrived immediately to the point of his story, and told David, “You are the man!”

David was the man whom he himself would have condemned. David was the man who had despised the word of the Lord by committing evil in God’s sight (verse 9). And God’s judgement will come upon his household.

David was the man who committed evil in God’s sight, David was the man whom Nathan was pointing to in his story, but David was also the man who was completely repentant. His words, “I have sinned against the Lord” (only two words in Hebrew) had no excuse and no blame, they were full of genuine remorse and sorrow. A king of his time had no need to confess to any of their wrongdoings, and David could have easily killed Nathan out of anger, but David was immediately repentant and acknowledged his sin.

True repentance is met instantly with genuine forgiveness, and in the mercy of God, He put away David’s sin and David shall not die. God showed His mercy, His grace, His love, through the forgiveness of the repented David.

But did the judgement on David move to his newborn son who was to die? No, the son was not punished on behalf of David. But the child’s death was a consequence of sin. The baby of a drug addict may die soon after birth, not as a punishment but as a consequence of the mother’s sin. And while we all suffer from the consequences of sin, God had graciously limited the consequences of sin to three or four generations, but His love extends for “a thousand generations” to those who love Him.

David is the man who is king, who sinned, who truly repented, and who received genuine forgiveness. But the things that happened to David, the man, only points us to Yahweh, the true God. Just as David was restored in his relationship with Yahweh, we, too, can be restored in our relationship with God. God puts our sins behind Him when we are truly repentant. He is full of love, grace, mercy, and compassion, and desires for us to be reconciled with Him. May our Lord search within us, and as we confess our sins, may we be encouraged by the promise that our Lord’s love extends for a thousand generations to those who love Him.

Be the man who is repentant and who desires a deep fellowship with our Lord!

Prayer : Dear Father, please help me to walk closely with you, and to be after your heart’s desire. May I never turn away from you, and may I always seek after you. In Jesus’ name I pray, Amen.