Tamar

The High Cost Of Sin

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And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, “O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom!Would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son!”
2 Samuel 18:33

King David has seen the price of his sins concerning the wife of Uriah, and his murder of Uriah the Hitite.  There is a son (Amnon) who raped his sister Tamar, the sister of Absalom. When Absalom hears about he is angry, and sometime later Absalom kills his brother Amnon for the rape.

The sword of death was in David’s house.  Some one has written, and said, “Sin will take you farther than you want to go; sin will leave you longer than you want to stay; and sin will cost you far more than you can ever pay.” David was finding this out.

These tragic events were foretold by Nathan the prophet when he confronted the king about the sin he had committed, and said, “…The sword shall never depart from your house…” (2 Samuel 12:10).

Absalom rebels against he father, and tries to take the kingdom away. David loves Absalom, and flees Jerusalem, and Absalom and his followers give pursuit. Absalom has it in his heart to kill David. David has no such thoughts of killing his son.

Our text for today above shows a father’s heart for his son said, “If only I had died in your place.” The king have given orders to the three generals to not harm Absalom. However, Joab, one of the generals had other ideas. When he saw Absalom caught by his hair hanging in a tree, he ordered him to be killed. Now David is mourning the death of his rebellious son.

It is with great love that we did have someone die for us. Jesus Christ the Son of God , became flesh and blood, from a babe in a manger to the Man He is, that He might die for the sins of the world. The Bible also tells us that “Whosoever believes in in Him shall not perish, but will have eternal life” (John 3:16).

On the cross Jesus became sin for us, and was judged by the Father in our stead. He died there. He was buried, and in three days He rose from the grave, and He lives forever more.

Sin against God has a very high price to it. Sin takes your life away. Sin is all over the world. There is only one who never sinned, and that is our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. He paid our sin debt. The wages of sin is death. The only escape from eternal death, is by calling on the name of Jesus in repentant faith, turning from your sin to Jesus Christ.

Do you believe today that Jesus Christ is Lord, and that God has raised Him from the dead? If you do then, you shall be saved.

Day 21 – Your Sin Will Find You Out

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The title above comes from the Law of Moses (Numbers 32:23); however, as I read the chapters from 2 Samuel 12 – 24 that is what they were dealing with in king David.

As we read chapter 11 yesterday it showed us of David’s sin he tried to hide, and keep between himself, and the woman who was the wife of Uriah the Hittite.  David saw her; when he should have been on the battle field with his men.  He sent for her; and he sinned with her.  They were both guilty of sin.  David alone is guilty of the murder of Uriah.  Yet, we find David to be a man “after God’s own heart”.  David should have died; yet due to his repentant heart God was merciful, spared his life, yet sent great torment into his family.

Had David gotten so secure in his victories on the battle field that he overlooked the battle of his own heart?  It almost seems that way.  He seems almost ignorant of his sin until he is confronted by Nathan, a prophet, who tells him a parable of sorts, and David immediately recognizes injustice in someone else; yet the prophet tells him,

“Thou art the man.” 2 Samuel 12:7 (KJV)

Guilty of sloth; Guilty of Adultery; and guilty of murder.  David had grown slothful in his duties as a king of that day; but it seems that the “Sweet Psalmist of Israel” (23:1) had also grown slothful in the Word and Spirit of God; else he would have heard God in the quiet recesses of his heart, calling his name.  “David, David, David.  You are treading on dangerous ground.  Open your eyes David.  Be ye holy; for I Am holy.”

The prophet Nathan tells David,

“Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised Me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.  Thus saith the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.  For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’  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.  Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.'” 2 Samuel 12:10-13 (KJV)

As we read the final chapters of Second Samuel we find the prophecy of Nathan is fulfilled.  Sexual sin and rebellion becomes prominent in David’s house.  David’s and Bathsheba’s baby dies; Amnon one of David’s sons rapes a half sister (chapter 13) and Absalom kills him – much strife in the family.  Absalom flees Jerusalem, and eventually returns only to try a take over of the kingdom.

The snares and traps of sin are grievous in anyone’s life.  We can all be sure that law of Moses is true.  “Your sin will find you out.”  We can also be assured that there is a Redeemer who came from God.  He is the Son of God, and the Son of David.  He is the Righteous One.  The one and only Divine Son of God.  He, Jesus Christ, paid the price of ransom for the lost, condemned, dying souls of men.

Your sins are known by God.  You have been found out.  You have sinned and come short of God’s glory.  Come to the One and only One who can cleanse you, forgive you and give you eternal life.  His name is Jesus.

-Tim A. Blankenship