And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die. 2 Samuel 12:5.
The Bible has little to say in praise of mortals. Little space is given to recounting the virtues of even the best men and women who have ever lived. This silence is not without purpose; it is not without a lesson. All the good qualities that people possess are the gift of God; their good deeds are performed by the grace of God through Christ….
It was the spirit of self-confidence and self-exaltation that prepared the way for David’s fall…. According to the customs prevailing among Eastern rulers, crimes not to be tolerated in subjects were uncondemned in the king; the monarch was not under obligation to exercise the same self-restraint as the subject. All this tended to lessen David’s sense of the exceeding sinfulness of sin…. As soon as Satan can separate the soul from God, the only Source of strength, he will seek to arouse the unholy desires of humanity’s carnal nature….
When in ease and self-security he let go his hold upon God, David yielded to Satan and brought upon his soul the stain of guilt…. Bathsheba, whose fatal beauty had proved a snare to the king, was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David’s bravest and most faithful officers…. Every effort that David made to conceal his guilt proved unavailing. He had betrayed himself into the power of Satan…. There appeared but one way of escape, and in his desperation he was hurried on to add murder to adultery….
Nathan the prophet was bidden to bear a message of reproof to David. It was a message terrible in its severity. To few sovereigns could such a reproof be given but at the price of certain death to the reprover…. Appealing to David as the divinely appointed guardian of his people’s rights, the prophet repeated a story of wrong and oppression that demanded redress….
Nathan fixed his eyes upon the king; then, lifting his right hand to heaven, he solemnly declared, “Thou art the man.” “Wherefore,” he continued, “hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight?” The guilty may attempt, as David had done, to conceal their crime …; they may seek to bury the evil deed forever from human sight or knowledge; but “all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.” …
The prophet’s rebuke touched the heart of David; conscience was aroused; his guilt appeared in all its enormity. His soul was bowed in penitence before God. With trembling lips he said, “I have sinned against the Lord.”—Patriarchs and Prophets, 717-722.
Christ Triumphant p. 147
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Prayer Requests
—-Please pray for my dog who is needing dental surgery on Tuesday. Rose
—-Please pray for my friend Gabbie. Someone in her family had some sort of emergency a few days ago, and apparently today things are worse. Mary
—-Mike was very sick last night (vomiting) and his blood pressure was high. There are many vaccinations that are required to be on the transplant list and he received them all at once so I’m guessing in his weakened condition, this may have contributed to his setback. Roberta
—-I have an unspoken important request. Buck
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Dear Friends,
Some years ago, Ron was removing some metal from the edge of our roof in preparation for re-roofing the mobile home we lived in at the time. The metal was about a foot wide and very sharp. As he was standing on the ladder putting a lot of force into its removal, he lost his footing and slipped. Ron’s throat landed right on the edge of that knife-like metal. How thankful he was that it did not cut him. A few minutes later, he did cut the end of his thumb on that same metal stripping. It was a very deep cut just as if a scalpel had done it. Then Ron realized that his throat could have been cut in the same way and much deeper, and he praised God for the miracle of His protecting care!
“Oh that men would praise the LORD for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!” “Many, O LORD my God, are thy wonderful works which thou hast done, and thy thoughts which are to us–ward: they cannot be reckoned up in order unto thee: if I would declare and speak of them, they are more than can be numbered.” Ps 107:8; 40:5
Just as Ron was delivered from severe injury or even death that evening, so our Great Protector delivers us from the evil one many times when we do not even realize it. “The angel of the LORD encampeth round about them that fear him, and delivereth them. O taste and see that the LORD is good: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.” Ps 37:7, 8 “Are they [the angels] not all ministering spirits, sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation?” Heb 1:14 In God’s Holy Word we find many examples of God’s protecting care through these agents. They are still at work today.
As important as it is to be delivered from injury or death, there is an even more vital protection we need. That is the deliverance from sin. Praise God! He has provided “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” to be our Mighty Deliverer! “Who is this that cometh from Edom, with dyed garments from Bozrah? this that is glorious in his apparel, travelling in the greatness of his strength? I that speak in righteousness, mighty to save.” Isa 63:1 “ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved.” John 3:16, 17
Think of it. “He hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.” 1 Cor 5:21 “God, who is rich in mercy, for his great love wherewith he loved us, Even when we were dead in sins, hath quickened us together with Christ, (by grace ye are saved;) And hath raised us up together, and made us sit together in heavenly places in Christ Jesus: That in the ages to come he might shew the exceeding riches of his grace in his kindness toward us through Christ Jesus. For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus unto good works, which God hath before ordained that we should walk in them.” Eph 2:4-10
May “the Lord deliver [us] from every evil work, and preserve [us] unto his heavenly kingdom: to whom be glory for ever and ever” is my prayer. 2 Tim 4:18
Rose