2 Samuel 12:13 And David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said to David, The LORD also has put away your sin… 1. The history of this pious and sincere servant of God is like a broken hull deeply imbedded in the sand, and the ragged masts emerging from the waves to tell others of the danger and to warn them to steer away from the shoal on which this gallant ship was wrecked. David's sad story has a voice to every open ear, "Let him that thinketh he standeth, take heed lest he fall." 2. But this history illustrates David's character, while it brings out in parallel the character of God. Did God who has so fully recorded the particulars of his servant's crimes — did He wink at the crime? Did God dread the exposure of David, and care to hide the crime, because the criminal was one of His own family, and household? Let him who is disposed to sneer at David's fall, and to think that God may be partial, study well and carefully the record of David's punishment. But is that all that David's sin and David's fall should teach us and has taught us of judgment? 3. Does it tell us nothing of mercy? Does it bring out nothing further, both of God's character, and the character of His true, though fallen child? "I have sinned against the Lord:" That one thought spreads its sorrowful influence over his whole soul. "My base ingratitude against God, my foul dishonour done to God, the deep offence against his holiness, the sad requital of His unmerited goodness" — that one thought like a dark veil, shuts out all others. 4. And does not David's feeling as a child bring out and illustrate the feeling of God as a father? "If he commit iniquity, I will punish his offences with the rod and his sin with scourges; nevertheless I will not take away my loving kindness from him, nor suffer my faithfulness to fail." When the child who has sinned comes back with a broken spirit, and melting heart, to his wronged and injured, but still loving father, will that father refuse the pardon which is now all in all to his repenting child? Will he turn away coldly from the returning prodigal, and not forgive the offence so deeply felt, so fully acknowledged, and so evidently repeated? And so the broken-hearted David has scarcely sobbed out, "I have sinned against the Lord," when he who knew how true and deep that sorrow was that wrung his heart, replied by his prophet, "The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die." (W. W. Champneys, M. A.) Parallel Verses KJV: And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. |
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