Though God has told David through Nathan that the boy will die, David beseeches God, in fasting and prayer, for His favor in the hope that He will change His mind. Note what happens when, in spite of David's fervent pleadings, his son dies. David gets up and after cleaning up, his first act is to worship the sovereign LORD.
And one final point of grace - God is able to redeem even our worst mistakes for His glory. Though David would reap great sorrow from his actions, in due time the LORD granted him a son with Bathsheba named Solomon (v. 24)...a son that would ultimately be included in the lineage of Jesus (see Matthew 1).
Questions: 1) Read Galatians 6: 7-8. The principle of 'reaping what you sow' is just as prevalent in the New Testament as in the Old Testament. God has sovereignly crafted this universe with a 'ripple effect' from our actions. What conclusions can you draw about the long term impact of your short-term actions? 2) When the 'hard word' comes to us - cancer, job loss, abandonment - how do we respond? When we beseech the LORD to change his mind and intervene (and Scripture is filled with examples of God's people doing so), and He does not, can we too respond with worship?
2 comments:
Kevin,
I understand the comments of "reaping what you sow" and how prior to God sending Jesus into the world to atone for our sins, there were significant consequences for violations of God's Word. However, since Jesus' death on the cross, there is much more forgiveness and cleansing - where God is seeking us continually, trying to bring us back into relationship with Him through Jesus. I do not see the same punishment unless people continue to sin and stay away from His Word. This is not to say that we will not answer for our actions, but I do not think that God is going to punish or inflict punishment on His people that recognize/admit their sin and work to live out His Word.
Thoughts?
Jon-
Great point! I think one important distinction is distinguishing between the punishment of God and the natural consequences of our sinful actions. As you point out, Romans 8 points out that because we are in Christ, there is no longer any condemnation by God because of our sinful actions. However, if we continue in the pattern of behavior, we are sowing seeds that will impact our hearts and our relationships with others...even if we repent repeatedly. Note: not condemned by God if we sin, but nonetheless suffering the effects of our sin. The best example of this I can think of is pornography. If I were to wage a battle with pornography, and truly ask for forgiveness each time I fall, I believe the God who knows my true heart forgives me (remember when Nathan tells David that God has removed his sin so he will not die). But...my repeated exposure to pornography IS having an effect on the way I look at women, my wife, sex, etc. And my failures, while forgiven judicially by God, are still compromising my life and my relationships. I think Chuck Swindoll used the illustration years ago that if you break your arm while doing something wrong, God will forgive you but the arm is still broken!
I'd love to hear from others on this very important point...
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