The God of Discipline and Grace, pt 2.

The God of Discipline and Grace Pt 2
2 Samuel 12:21-25
"Now the Lord loved him."

In Ezekiel 18:20, we read, "The person who sins will die. The son will not bear the punishment for the father's iniquity." If this is true, then how do we understand that the child of David died because of David's sin and God's discipline upon him? The answer lies in 2 Samuel 12:23. In response to the pronouncement of the judgment, David went into a time of prayer and fasting. In his response, we see the heart of David. For David, God was holy and just, righteous in his disciple, and merciful in his actions. Consequently, he began to fast and weep so the child's life might be spared. However, in the end, the child died. But this does not mean that God is unjust or unloving. David understood the balance between the holiness of God that brings judgment upon sin and the grace of God that brings salvation. Consequently, the death of the child was only physical. Because God does not judge a son eternally for the father's sins, David had confidence that the separation would only be temporary even though he was now bereft of his son. God's mercy and grace mean that the child who had done no wrong would be in heaven to be restored to David. God's grace provides salvation for those children who are not yet aware of right and wrong and have not yet committed an act of rebellion against God.

The second display of God's grace and mercy is found in verses 24-25. Even though David committed an act of adultery and murder, his subsequent marriage to Bathsheba was still recognized and affirmed by God. While what led to their marriage was wrong, God still affirmed the legitimacy of their marriage. This is evidenced in the acceptance and validation of God's love for the son that was born. Usually, the eldest son would be the heir to the throne. In the case of Solomon, he was the 10th child born to David. God could have easily chosen one of the other sons to be the heir to the throne. Yet, in a demonstration f his grace, it was upon Solomon that God's covenantal promise to David would be realized. Nathan, who had pronounced judgment upon David and Bathsheba's first son, now pronounces that the second son is the one chosen by God by naming him "Jedidiah," which means "beloved of Yahweh). Both David and Jedidiah are based upon the same Hebrew word dwd (beloved). The play on words is a subtle hint to the reader that this child is the next David. He is the son of David, who would fulfill the promise of an heir given to David in the Davidic Covenant. The fact that God chose Solomon from birth also points out that the choice of Solomon was not based upon any inherent worthiness of Solomon but solely upon God's grace.

The power of God's grace and forgiveness is that God can take what originated as an act of sin and rebellion and use it as the means by which the Messiah would come in fulfillment of the promise to have an eternal king from the Davidic dynasty. This is the power of God's grace. David recognized and experienced the reality that God is a God of judgment and mercy. While he condemns and judges sin, he is also gracious and forgiving those seeking him in repentance. Furthermore, in his grace, he can take our broken lives, ravished by sin, and still accomplish his eternal purpose through us. Just as our sin is never beyond the forgiveness of his grace, our lives are never broken beyond the restoration of God's grace.