David is Caught in His Sins

INTRODUCTION: In this chapter, we learn three great lessons: 1) your sin will surely catch up with you and find you out; 2) the judgment of sin is more than you can ever imagine; 3) God shows great mercy to those who truly repent and turn to Him.

1. NATHANS PARABLE OF THE EWE LAMB (2 Samuel 12:1-6)
1. The Story of the Ewe Lamb (2 Samuel 12:1-4)
1. Two men in one city (2 Samuel 12:1-3)
1. One rich with many possessions
2. One poor with nothing but a ewe lamb; NOTE: a ewe is a female sheep.
2. The evil act of the rich man (2 Samuel 12:4)
1. He received a visitor from another city.
2. He refused to take of his own large flock.
3. He took the poor mans lamb for their meal.
2. The Reaction of David (2 Samuel 12:5-6)
1. His anger (2 Samuel 12:5a)
2. His judgment (2 Samuel 12:5b-6)
1. The man should die (2 Samuel 12:5b).
2. The lamb should be restored fourfold (2 Samuel 12:6).
3. His reasons (2 Samuel 12:6)
1. Because he did this thing
2. Because he had no pity
2. GODS JUDGMENT ON DAVID (2 Samuel 12:7-14)
1. David Identified as the Man (2 Samuel 12:7-9)
1. Nathan declared, Thou art the man (2 Samuel 12:7a).
2. God declared the blessings He had given David (2 Samuel 12:7b-8).
1. He anointed him king over Israel (2 Samuel 12:7).
2. He delivered him out of the hand of Saul (2 Samuel 12:7).
3. He gave him his masters house and wives (2 Samuel 12:8).
4. He gave him the house of Israel and Judah (2 Samuel 12:8).
5. He was willing to give him even more (2 Samuel 12:8).
3. God described the sin of David (2 Samuel 12:9).
1. He despised the commandment of the Lord (Numbers 15:30-31; Proverbs 13:13; Amos 2:4).
2. He did evil in the sight of the Lord.
3. He killed Uriah the Hittite.
4. He took Uriahs wife as his own.
5. NOTE: Bathsheba would henceforth be known as the wife of Uriah the Hittite (see 2 Samuel 12:15; Matthew 1:6).
2. Judgment Declared on David (2 Samuel 12:10-12)
1. Continual judgment: The sword will not leave his house (2 Samuel 12:10).
2. Fit judgment: The punishment was in likeness to his sin (2 Samuel 12:11).
3. Public judgment: to be done before the sun (2 Samuel 12:12)
3. Gods Mercy on David (2 Samuel 12:13-14)
1. David confessed his sin (2 Samuel 12:13a).
2. The Lord not to kill David (2 Samuel 12:13b)
1. Davids judgment was that the man should die (2 Samuel 12:5).
2. God chose to put away Davids sin (see Psalm 32:1-2).
3. NOTE: David also judged that the lamb be restored fourfold (2 Samuel 12:6). This was not withheld from David. Look at the remaining events in Davids life and see where he paid at least fourfold.
3. But the child, as the fruit of the sin, must die (2 Samuel 12:14).
1. The harm caused by the sin
1. Gave occasion to the enemies of the Lord
2. Caused the ungodly to blaspheme (Romans 2:24; 1 Timothy 6:1)
2. The child born of this sinful union must die.
3. DAVIDS CONFESSION OF HIS SIN (Psalm 51:1-19)
1. Davids Confession (Psalm 51:1-6)
1. He pled for mercy (Psalm 51:1-2).
2. He acknowledged his sin (Psalm 51:3-4).
3. He acknowledged his fallen nature (Psalm 51:5-6).
2. Davids Cleansing (Psalm 51:7-12)
1. He asked for cleansing (Psalm 51:7-9).
2. He asked for renewal (Psalm 51:10-12).
3. Davids Consecration (Psalm 51:13-19)
1. To be a witness for God (Psalm 51:13-15)
2. To have a broken heart before God (Psalm 51:16-19)
4. THE DEATH OF BATHSHEBAS SON (2 Samuel 12:15-23)
1. David Besought God for the Child (2 Samuel 12:15-17).
1. The child was struck by the Lord and was very sick (2 Samuel 12:15).
2. David sought Gods mercy on the child (2 Samuel 12:16).
3. David refused to eat bread (2 Samuel 12:17).
2. David Learned of the Childs Death (2 Samuel 12:18-20).
1. The child died on the seventh day (2 Samuel 12:18).
2. The servants feared to tell David (2 Samuel 12:18).
3. David perceived that the child was dead (2 Samuel 12:19).
4. David reacted to the news of the childs death (2 Samuel 12:20).
3. David Explained His Action to His Servants (2 Samuel 12:21-23).
1. The servants questioned his reaction to the childs death (2 Samuel 12:21).
2. David had hoped that the Lord might yet show mercy (2 Samuel 12:22).
3. The childs death made this hope unnecessary (2 Samuel 12:23).
1. He shall not return to me, but I shall go to him.
2. NOTE: This verse gives comfort to the parents of children who die before they reach the age of accountability. They may not be saved in the sense of believing on Jesus, but they are certainly safe in His arms.
5. GODS GRACE EVEN IN JUDGMENT (2 Samuel 12:24-31)
1. The Birth of Solomon (2 Samuel 12:24-25)
1. Bathsheba had another son (2 Samuel 12:24).
2. David called his name Solomon, meaning peaceable.
3. The Lord loved him this shows the great mercy of the Lord in this matter; truly, the Lord had put away Davids sin (2 Samuel 12:13).
4. Nathan called him Jedidiah, meaning beloved of the Lord (2 Samuel 12:25).
2. The Victory Over Rabbah (2 Samuel 12:26-31)
1. Joab fought Rabbah to the point of surrender (2 Samuel 12:26-27).
2. Joab called David in to take part in the victory (2 Samuel 12:28-29).
3. David took the spoil of the city (2 Samuel 12:30).
4. David severely punished the Ammonites (2 Samuel 12:31).

CONCLUSION: David fights battles on two fronts: personal and physical. The personal battle will cost David far more than any physical battle ever could.