Devotionary

David was on the outside looking in, God was not. He was fully aware of all that was going on and was in full control of all that had happened. Every single circumstance surrounding David’s life was under the sovereign control of Almighty God.

Shemei believed David was simply getting what he deserved for having taken the crown from Saul. But David refused to allow this man’s words and actions to get to him. He was going to trust God. Regardless of the circumstances.

Even as bad as things appeared to be, David saw a light at the end of the tunnel. In spite of the dismal circumstances surrounding his life, he tried to keep his hope in the God who had anointed him king in the first place.

Absalom, unlike David, was not a man after God’s own heart. His heart beat fast for one thing only: Himself. Everything he did was aimed at elevating himself and he was willing to do whatever it took to make a name for himself.

David’s weaknesses as a leader were going to be exploited by his very own son. The man after God’s own heart had lost the heart of his son and would eventually find himself facing the potential loss of his kingdom.

David was going to discover that, while he had been willing to do nothing, Absalom wasn’t. The son of the king, unimpressed with his father’s leadership, would begin to have aspirations for his father’s throne.

As we’ve seen before, David’s choice to do nothing will not make Absalom’s sin go away. And it will not prevent God from bringing just and righteous judgment on David and his house.

Joab, a well-intentioned friend, would go against the revealed will of God and counsel David to do what he believed to be best, for his family and the kingdom. But Joab failed to remember that God takes sin seriously.

As a father, grieving over his son’s actions, David refused to carry out justice as the king. He let Absalom get away. But the ramifications for the sons’ sins and how own inaction would eventually come back to haunt him.

David refused to step in and do what he was obligated to do, as a father and a king. Rather than do his job, David decided to turn a blind eye. And his inaction would only make matters worse.

One of the most telling proofs of David’s poor parenting skills will be his tendency to avoid rather than confront, to dismiss rather than discipline. David would turn a blind eye to the sins of his children and the results would be deadly.

While this story rocks our modern-day concepts of justice, we must be careful in passing judgment on God. He is not the one who sinned. He had not been unfaithful. But He was just.

God, being holy and just, could not leave David’s sin unpunished. God used His prophet, Nathan, to convict David of what he had done, exposing the true condition of David’s heart and revealing the true victim of David’s sin: God Himself.

In 2 Samuel 11:14-27, David continues to deal with his sin, not with confession, but with self-preservation. While David would survive the ordeal, his sin would leave a trail of dead bodies in its wake. His transgression would have drastic ramifications.

David's decision to forego his God-given responsibilities as the leader of Israel’s armies was going to set him up for a moral failure of epic proportions. And like all sins, this one was going to have long-lasting and, ultimately, deadly consequences.