The illegitimate baby he fathered with Bathsheba will die. And his wives will be ravished in the sight of all Israel. Finally tell David I have wiped out all his sins. He is no longer under judgment. I’m not going to kill him. Assure him he is totally forgiven.’ (told to Nathan before, 2 Samuel 12:8-15).
Think about it: when God said this to Nathan, David was still in denial about his sin. He hadn’t even confessed it yet. Do you see what was happening? God was forgiving this man before he had even faced his sin – before he could utter a prayer!
God knows all, and He knew David’s heart. He knew that when Nathan would confront him, David would blurt out, ‘Oh Lord, I have sinned horribly. I’ve carried this burden for an entire year. Thank God, it has all been brought out in the open.’
God knew David would be broken and contrite over his sin. Yet, most of all, the lord knew that at heart David wasn’t a habitual adulterer or murderer. Instead, David had been surprised by sin.
This man did not wake up one morning and decide, ‘Today I’m going to indulge my lust. I’m going up on my roof to peep around until I spy a nude woman bathing on her rooftop. Then I’ll bring her here to the palace and seduce her.’ No, I’m convinced David was overwhelmed in a moment of weakness.
Likewise, God sees your heart. You may be trapped in a bondage, having been overwhelmed by sin. But the Lord knows you didn’t wake up one day and decide, ‘Today I’m going out to commit fornication. I’m going to find a way to lose my temper and explode.’
No, only hardened souls behave this way, gospel – rejecters and lovers of sin. Broken, contrite Christians don’t plan to sin; they are surprised and overtaken by it. In fact, often the enemy floods them while they are busy about God’s business.
Dear Christian, God has counted your tears even before you’ve shed them. He has already forgiven you, at the point of your first pang of conviction and sorrow. He wiped away your sin even before the awful pain struck your heart and you cried, ‘Oh, God, I hate this, I despise it. I’m so sorry I have grieved You.’ He sees contriteness in your heart even before it first appears.
So God knew the pain David was facing. He knew that for the next several years David would go through severe discipline. And God wanted to move in quickly to meet David with blessings of His grace.
We see a picture of this when David later brought Bathsheba as wife into his house to cohabit with him. After their illegitimate child died, God blessed them with another child, whose name was Jedidiah, meaning, ‘God knows.’ The Lord was assuring David, ‘I know your heart, and I see your brokenness.”*
We will wrap up this series in Part 6. CHRIS
*This teaching is paraphrased from the World Challenge Pulpit Series. This message was delivered by David Wilkerson at the Times Square Church in New York City, February 26, 2007. “The Preventing Love of the Lord, An Encouraging Message for Those In Need of Hope”
Covenant Chronicles with Chris Lovett 