T h e K i n g ’ s
B u s i n e s s
July 1927
453
ticed deceit- and treachery; it would come back upon him in later years. His sins were forgiven but there was a “howbeit” left behind, “Howbett, be cause 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 (vK 4 ). Alas, how true, that when a Christian in a con spicuous place breaks down, sneers against Christ are sure to be discharged on every side. So with his sin, the-sor row of David’s life began, nor Can it be different with any willful sinner. Let no Christian get the idea that he is made of. different stuff from David. If. he had passions, so have we, If he could forget his manhood, his' piety, his obli gations to God and man, so can we. It is the old record ,of fallen nature, and if we have been kept from such aggravated sins, it would not.be well to plume our selves upon our purer virtue, but rather ascribe it to God’s grace that has kept us. Admit sin into the precincts of imagina tion and it may master the soul. It is a perilous moment w-hen'a young man ad mits a polluted thought, into his mind. The door is left open to a dangerous brood. The Saviour alone can save from the wretched thraldom of the flesh and keep the soul renovated from day to day. Are you looking to Him?® r ,.'-rio—-: - P ith an BIP oint Prosperous times are perilous times-. God never fails to have His man for His message (v. 1). Conscience is more surely pricked when' there is prudence in giving reproof. ■ We are sure to condemn our own faults when we see them in other people (v. 6). From the highest heights, a man may fall to the lowest depths. . The high cost of living is nothing to the high cost of sinning. „ Though a man’s sins are pardoned, they may dog his steps till death (v. 10). It is at his peril that any child of God discontinues earnest, daily communion with God. Q— S uggestive Q uestions What should be the qualification of one who feels called to condemn others? (Rom. 2:1). Is any Christian beyond the danger of temptation? (1 Cor. 10:12). Will God fail to bring judgment upon whoremongers and adulterers? (Heb. 13: 4)- I . ; Even though our sins, have been kept secret from men, can we expect to have a satisfied life until they are confessed and put awa y ( P r o v . 1:3:15). How does David describe his feelings during the time he lived in sin? (Psa. 32: 3-4). - Though David couldn’t get rid of the after-effects of sin, what could he get rid of? (Psa, 32:5). What did David write,as the outcome of his’fall into gross sin ? (Psa. 51),- . G olden T ext I llustration A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt not despise. —-(Psa. 51:17). . Sin is. a black cloud that separates one from the sunshine of God’s love. Clouds may obstruct the beneficial influences of the heavens from coming upon the earth; so sin prevents the blessings of the Gos pel from flowing into the soul. Clouds
have their origin in the earth; the origin of sin is beneath. Clouds may be charged with destructive electricity and bring fearful storms; sin brings havoc wher ever it strikes. Clouds cannot be -dis persed by human agency, nor sin be for given by any power less than divine. To invoke the One against whom all sin is committed, it is required that we come with a genuinely humbled and penitent spirit. gfc CjINCE, as we learned in the lesson of last Lord’s Day, David put God first, God signally and abundantly blessed him in giving peace throughout his borders.
away with David. Little did he realize whence he was headed or the price he would have to pay. About a year had passed since his fall. Our chapter for today gives us the story of how God broke the silence, which David himself tells us made his bones wax old. His sin was still unrepented of. Alas, what long sleeps some back sliders take! How great was God’s mercy that He had not ended David’s story in the sleep of death that year! Instead He lays it upon the heart of Nathan to go to David (v. 1). It is not easy to reprove sin in high places. Nathan must have communed touch with the Lord that he should have had the courage and cleverness to ap proach the king as he did. He puts up a parable in such lifelike form that the king was not even suspicious of its character. He had David in a corner. A rich man with plenty of herds, would make a feast for a traveler. Instead of killing one of his own lambs, he goes into the pastures of his poor neighbor and steals his one pet lamb. What shall be done with such a scoundrel? David was indignant. The ordinary law of four fold restitution was not enough for such a cur. No number of lambs could re place a family pet. "The man that hath done this thing shall die,” ruled the king (v. 5). The flush of resentment was still in his cheeks, when David caught the piercing eye of Nathan, and heard him in calm voice say, “Thou art the man” (v, 7). “Thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife” (v. 9). He recounted God’s many blessings, and then faced him with the question! “How could you do this evil ?” (v. 9). It was wise reproof. Says Dr. Mac- laren: “The contemplation of God’s faith ful love and of the all-sufficient gifts which it bestows makes every transgres sion irrational as well as ungrateful, and turns remorse which consumes like the hot wind of the wilderness into tearful repentance which refreshes the soul.” As a man confounded and condemned, David cries out in the bitterness of his soul, “I have sinned against the Lord” (v. 13). It was a short confession, but came from the bottom of a contrite heart, as we may readily see from his Psalm (51). He made no attempt to make out a case for himself. He made a clean breast of it all and realized that while his sin against Uriah .had been great, its worst feature lay in the fact that it was a slap in the face of God. Witnessing the King’s genuine contri tion, Nathan replies, "The Lord hath put away thy sin” (v. 13). The estrangement was at an end. Just that simple is God’s answer to any, erring child of HisV "If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1 : 9). Some sins, however, are so grievous that though they are forgiven and fellow ship with God is restored, they cannot be allowed to pass without chastisements in the after life. "The sword shall never depart from thy house” (v. 10). Uriah was slain with a sword; .a sword would get David. He robbed a man of his wife; his neighbors would take his. He dis turbed the purity of family relations; his own house would be polluted. He prac
In the earlier parf of , David’sisclife, as is so vividly and graphically set forth in the Biblical ac count, David h a d many problems to solve, obstacles to meet, and difficulties to overcome. What exercise is to the
physical body, trials, and difficulties which are in,such proportion that will cause one to see his utter helplessness, and his utter dependence upon God, are to the spiritual man.’ While life was a struggle of life and death with David, he grew and de veloped into one of the greatest charac ters of the Old Testament history: but with the beginning of peace, plenty, and prosperity, David began to yield to the subtle influences of luxury and ease. Temporarily he seemed to forget that “Life is real, life is earnest, In the world’s broad field of battle, In the bivouac of life, Be not like dumb driven cattle, Be a hero in the strife.” It is a very sad day for one when he is placed in a position of ease-and freedom from actual duties and responsibilities of life. When David was taking life easy, and enjoying the fruits of the labor of his early life, his friend, the King of Ammon, died, and his son Hanun suc ceeded his father to the throne. Upon the accession of the new King to the throne, David sent a committee to extend his congratulations and good wishes for the new Monarch. In this thing he was truly sincere, but as it is today, so it was then: Satan, the Prince of the powers of the air, of the spirit that now worketh in the children of disobedience, moved the coun cilors and couriers of the young king to place a wrong interpretation upon David’s motives which prompted him in sending his greetings, Instead of David’s wishing him the blessings Of God, they advised the king that David was using the occasion as. a pretext for spying out the land, This suspicion in the mind of the young king became so very real to' his inexperienced heart and mind, th a t. he insulted and shamefully treated David’s men. This mean treatment occasioned another war, which was brought to a'successful termi nation by the bravery .and skill of David’s able general, Joab. David, having let up in his active conduct of affairs, as he was wont to do in his early life, remained at the capital enjoying the delights of congenial surroundings, .and allowed his valiant soldiers to go to the front and endure the hardships of battle. The saying familiar to us all, “Idleness is the devil’s workshop,”’ was especially
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