20 A Son Dies and a Son is Born

In the first portion of chapter twelve, the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to confront David over his adultery with Bathsheba, the murder of her husband Uriah, and the extensive coverup David enacted.

In this next part of the chapter, the writer not only shows how the Lord would confront David, but the consequences of the king’s sin.

1 The Confrontation

It should be understood, that as a loving Father, the Lord will always confront His child with their sin.

Under the Old Covenant, as seen in chapter twelve, the confrontation would come primarily through God’s prophets who would relay the Lord’s words of correction to those who had gone astray. In our day, the confrontation mostly comes from God’s already declared word.

In both cases, the Bible is clear that God’s Word is permanently established by Him in heaven:

Psalm 119:89

God had already decreed (established, settled) that the child born of David’s adulterous act, would indeed die:

2 Samuel 12:14

Because of His holiness and righteousness, the Lord cannot condone our sin, a principle which is seen as far back as Adam and Eve’s sin in the Garden.

2 The Chastening

Nathan had been very clear to David regarding the result of his sin, which is exactly what happened:

2 Samuel 12:15b-23

The believer must understand, that for the Christian, chastening isn’t punishment, but it is rather correction with the intent to teach proper future behavior. In the original language, the root of the word, speaks of “child-training instruction and discipline.”

As for the death of the child, it doesn’t point to insensitivity or uncaring on the Lord’s part. Rather, death is simply the result of the effects of sin.

It is also one of the natural courses of events, which affects each of us:

Matthew 5:45

The greatest example of the ramifications of sin, and how even an innocent individual will bear the cost of the guilty, is seen in how the Father had His Son become sin itself, so that we the guilty, might become (gain) the righteousness of God:

2 Corinthians 5:21

Even though Nathan had been clear, that David’s young child would die, the king still pleaded with the Lord to rescind the judgment:

2 Samuel 12:16

David’s actions were much like those of most parents in those circumstances.

In verse 17, David’s servants were extremely concerned, when they saw that he refused to eat or engage in any of his normal activities while the young child clung to life.

In many respects, David acted just as someone in mourning would.

But in verse 18, which speaks of the seventh day, the infant died, at which point David acted in a very curious manner:

2 Samuel 12:18

After having seen David grieve over his son’s condition while he lived, the servants were convinced that David would act much worse, when he received the word that his child had died.

However, the servants were unaware of how the Lord had been dealing with David during his seven days of “mourning”.

Therefore, once David was advised of his son’s death, he then washed, changed his clothes, and went to the tabernacle to worship the Lord, which was highly unusual and unanticipated behavior for someone who had just lost a close relative.

Yet, for David, he now clearly understood, that God indeed stood by His word, and therefore there would be no reason to mourn any longer.

David finally received food as he had fasted during the baby’s illness.

In verse 21, the king’s servants were completely confused by his actions, as he had mourned when they hadn’t expected, and then he had worshipped and was then refreshed, when they would have expected grief.

David then explained his actions:

2 Samuel 12:22-23

He explained that there had been a period when he held out hope that the Lord would relent and allow the child to live, but now that he understood that wasn’t to be, then there would be no reason to grieve, as he knew that while the child would not be restored back to him, that he would one day go to be with his son (through his own death).

David understood that as showing that those who followed the Lord would spend eternity with Him.

3 The Comforting

2 Samuel 12:24-25

David then comforted Bathsheba, who obviously was aggrieved over her infant’s death.

His comforting of her, is a great picture of what the apostle Paul wrote about in one of his letters to the Corinthian church, in which he spoke of how a believer should comfort others, with the same comfort which they’ve received themselves from the Lord:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4

At some point, Bathsheba bore David another son, whom David named Solomon. However, the Lord instructed Nathan the prophet to tell David that God called the child Jedidiah, which means “loved by the Lord”.

In that name, God was showing David, that He did accept this son, and in effect that He had a plan for him.