T H E K I N G ’ S B U S I N E S S
517
August 1024
fulness. A writer who would make a hero of David would speak of his sins in milder terms or would pass over them altogether.;— Praet. Com. The causes of this terrible fall were many: 1. In defiance of the ancient law, David had followed the custom of his day for kings and had taken many wives. Thus he had come to regard his fancy as supreme and himself as above the law. 2. David was evidently not on his guard against temptation. 3. David’s long prosperity and unbroken suc cess had made him careless and proud. 4. David was indulging himself in ease. He remained at home and let Joab do his fighting for him.— Peloubet. 11:9. In the guard room (1 Kgs. 1 4 :2 7 ,2 8 ) with the royal court officials or the bodyguard. It is possible that he did this merely out of zeal of service, but also his sus picions may have been already aroused and he may have heard something of the affair with Bathsheba.— Erdmann. 11:26. How deeply Bath-sheba mourned for Uriah we can not know with certainty, but all the circumstances indicate that the mourning was mostly formal. Her infatuation had cost her her virtue and a noble husband.!—Pract. Com. 11:27. This record shows God’s mind regarding David’s course. God’s displeasure was about to find expression in so emphatic a way that David would keenly realize the enormity of his sins.— Sel. The failings of a David and a Solomon remind us also that no human examples are to be substituted for the Divine law as a rule of life, and that there is no spotless example but that of Christ.— Words worth. 12:1. It is a very dangerous thing to tell princes of their sins, and especially when that prince is an absolute monarch, and his sins are adultery and murder.— Pulpit Com. The first step in David’s return to God is taken by God Himself. David had fallen by his own want of vigil ance into a horrible pit of sin; his moral backbone was broken (Psa. 5 1 :8 ), and he could no longer stand upright before his conscience and God, and the longer this state continued the deeper did he sink into the mire or moral insensibility.— Horn. Com. 12:2. His parable touched upon the experience of David. He had known what it was to be poor. He knew what it was to possess and lové the lambs. The wise prophet led David to pass unconscious verdict upon himself. The effect of the application of the parable is a remarkable illustra tion of the power of conscience.-—T. R. Arnold. 12:S. This award was more severe than the case deserved, or than was warranted by the Divine statute (Exod. 2 2 :1 ). At the time when he was most fatally indulgent to his own sins, he was most, ready to condemn the delinquencies and errors of others.-—J. F. & B. 12:7. Nathan before David; Elijah before Ahab; Daniel before Belshazzar; John the Baptist before Herod; Paul before Felix; John Knox at the court of Queen Mary; Savonarola before Lorenzo, the Magnificent; Bishop Lat imer before Henry the Eighth; Martin Luther before the Diet of Worms; each is an example of the fearless preacher. -—Pract. Com. 12:8. The phraseology means nothing more than that God in His providence had given David, as king of Israel, everything that was Saul’s. The history furnishes con clusive evidence that he never actually married any of the wives of Saul.— J. F. & B. 12:10. The change in David’s moral condition had a per nicious influence ever after on his rule, in his court, on his private life and on the general prosperity of his kingdom. Loss of respect, loss of executive power, loss of influence was inevitable. His sin was the turning point in his career, which was henceforth marked by a long series of calamities. — Arnold. From that day his own house was the scene of horrible crimes, feuds, scandals, and miseries of every kind; and the long interval after his repentance, between the birth of Solomon and David’s death, is passed over in gloomy silence.— Pulpit Com. The judgment pronounced upon David shows it possible for a saint to be restored to God’s favor, while at the same time the divine abhorrence of sin must be shown in bitter results in the present time. David lost four sons after this, and other evils came upon him. (Cf. I Cor. 5 :1 -5 ; 11 :28-32).— Gray.
men face to face with their sin. (Acts 2 4 :25 ; Matt. 2%: 12). Every man must he revealed to himself in the light of God’s holiness (Eccl. 12 :14 ). “For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every seeret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil.” Look for a moment at the awful consequences of David’s sin: There can be no escape for him,— a long list of judgments will fall upon him. “ It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.” “The sword shall never depart from thine house” (v. 10).. The child of his unholy alliance dies. One of his sons assaults his own sister. Absalom steals the hearts of the people and rebels against him. His own wives, are assaulted by Absalom upon the roof of the palace. He is an outcast. His enemies mock him. (6) THE ACKNOWLEDGMENT OF DAVID and the ANSWER OF NATHAN, vs. 13-23. “ I have sinned against the Lord.” v. 13. Honest confession is good for the soul (1 Sam. 7 :6 ). David is convicted and confesses, “ I am the man— I have sinned against the Lord.” All sin.is against ;th,e Lord. Sin is “ coming short of the glory of God” and all are sinners. Hear the verdict, “Thou shalt not die; the Lord hath put away thy sin.” ' , Wonderful grace! Listen to what the Book says in grace to us who are His children. “ If we confess our sin He is faithful and just to forgive us our sin, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.” . David’s confession was prompt, outspoken, brief, satis factory. He made no attempt at apology, no pleading of mitigating circumstances. This is the thing God desires of every sinner. Teacher, tell your scholars that if they sin they must confess their sin to God. if any have not yet accepted Christ as Saviour, there is no better time than when facing this story to tell them God’s plan for saving sinners (1 John 1 :9 ). . God pardoned David’s sin, yet he must suffer the conse quences of that sin, for God compelled him to hear the words concerning the little child, “He is dead.” Topics for Study (1) Did David arouse God’s anger by despising the law? (2) Would looking to the Lord have saved David from lusting after another man’s wife? , (3) Is God’s,anger mingled with mercy? (4) Is a parable sometimes sufficient to produce convic tion of sin? (5) What did David see when Nathan held the glass to his face? (6) Can we teach the Word of God with such convincing power that it will produce conviction? (7) Is the application of a lesson, or sermon, best applied when it is self applied? It is a striking distinction of the Bible, that while it dis misses in a few verses the story of David’s victories, which, if won by an Egyptian or Assyrian monarch, would have been the great theme of their chroniclers, it dwells with sad detail on the lesson of his fall.— Geikie. COMMENTS The history here recorded may be re- FROM THE garded as a strong argument to support COMMENTARIES the authenticity of the Scriptures. The V. V. Morgan sacred biographer did not in any sense try to cover up David’s sins, nor did he seek to shield him from blame. He tells the story with a simplicity and candor that convince the reader of its truth
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