2 Samuel 13 – 15; Psalm 3; 2 Samuel 16:1-14; Psalm 7; 2 Samuel 16:15 – 18:33

Although forgiven by God, David still suffered the consequences of his sin. Through Nathan, Yahweh foretold that the sword would not depart from the house of David (since he killed Uriah by the sword) and adversity would come against David from his family through of public sexual sin (because David took Bathsheba privately). More painfully and immediately, the love child with Bathsheba would die.

Certainly David had sins in his life before that fateful evening when he saw Bathsheba bathing. If he could have remained the shepherd boy at heart while sitting on a king’s throne the blessing would have abounded. Instead, he became a king in his own mind and heart and believing he was above it all took what was not his to take. No, it wasn’t Bathsheba. David took sovereignty over his own life in a moment of presumptuous arrogance.

Indeed sexual sin and violence would become the hallmark of David’s family. Amnon rapes Tamar and Absalom murders Amnon. You can almost hear it ripping David’s heart. That’s what happens to God each time His children sin. In forgiving Absalom, perhaps David thought they would be reconciled and put the past behind them. Absalom had other ideas. Conspiring against his father, he set out to tell the people what they wanted to hear and steal their hearts away from David. It worked.

Instead of taking up the sword, David fled. Some went with him, others cursed him. Absalom schemes to solidify his hold on the throne. Just as God foretold, Absalom even took his father’s concubines publicly for all to see. The shame of David’s family was complete. Try as he might to save the life of Absalom, in the end the usurper died at the hands of Joab and his men. “O my son Absalom, my son, my son, Absalom – if only I had died in your place. Oh, Absalom, my son, my son!” The sorrow of David was complete.

Thinking on Absalom as a personification of consequences, we see the permeating and lingering effects of sin in our lives. Acknowledging sin and accepting consequences are two different matters. The consequences of David’s sin began to infect everything. His world fell apart. For everyone, our thoughts and our circumstances are stained with sin and her consequence. Even though forgiven, we never fully escape it in this life. Often times the consequences of our sin will drive us away from God, effectively “stealing our hearts away”. David’s psalms reveal a troubled man thoughts wrapped in a righteous man’s heart. Therein lies the key for us and the solution God want us to find. In our world of sin’s consequences we must draw nearer to God, not wander away from Him. As David never engaged the battle with Absalom, we must not fight the consequences of sin, but rather endure them in faith.

Sin and her consequences will try daily to steal our hearts away from God. God and His steadfast love and mercies calls us closer to His side through it all. We are helpless in sin and consequences, but God is not.

David could not die in place of Absalom. At the right time, however, God became like us to live without sin so He could become sin and die in our place. The redemption of David came through one of his own sons.

Consider His nature. Consider His ways. Strive to love Him more!