APRIL 5

David could have defeated his temptation, for it is not sin
to be tempted. He could have recalled God’s Word found in Exodus
20:14, “Thou shalt not commit adultery,” but he yielded to the
temptation. And the sin of adultery led to the sin of murder. David
covered these sins for at least a year before confessing them.
Psalms 32 and 51 give the accounts of David’s life during the
difficult period. He became weak and sick physically; he lost his
joy; he lost his witness; he lost his power. He would never again
have the power God wanted him to have, for he did not follow God’s
will for his life. God gave David plenty of time to make things
right, but he persisted in hiding his sins. God finally sent Nathan,
not with a message of blessing as in chapter 7, but with a message
of conviction. David admitted his sin and God was ready to forgive
him, but He could not prevent those sins from bringing forth death.
God’s grace forgives, but God’s government must allow a man to reap
what he sows. David had declared to Nathan, “He shall restore
fourfold,” so God accepted David’s sentence. The sword never
departed from David’s household. The baby Bathsheba conceived died;
Absalom killed Amnon, who had ruined Tamar; and Joab killed Absalom
(chapter 18:9-17). Adonijah was slain by Benaiah. David had said
“fourfold.” Add to these trials the awful ruin of Tamar, the
shameful treatment of David’s wives by Absalom, plus the rebellion
of Absalom, and you can see that David paid dearly for a few moments
of lust. He sowed lust and reaped the same; he sowed murder and
reaped murder. Galatians 6:7 tells us, “For whatsoever a man soweth,
that shall he also reap.”

It is sad to see that David had no disciplinary influence in
his own family. Chapter 13:21 tells us of David’s anger, but we read
nothing of his actions to correct things. We see here how the sins
of the father have now affected the next generation of his family.
Not only that, but we again see a parent’s failure to discipline his
children. When children are not disciplined, they are bound for
almost certain misfortune in later years.