2 Samuel 12 Bathsheba's baby died

seekeroftruth

Well-Known Member
2 Samuel 12:13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for[a] the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

15 After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth(b) on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.

18 On the seventh day the child died. David’s attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, “While the child was still living, he wouldn’t listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.”

19 David noticed that his attendants were whispering among themselves, and he realized the child was dead. “Is the child dead?” he asked.

“Yes,” they replied, “he is dead.”

20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.

21 His attendants asked him, “Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”

22 He answered, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, ‘Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’ 23 But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”​

24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him; 25 and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.[c]​

a. 2 Samuel 12:14 An ancient Hebrew scribal tradition; Masoretic Text for the enemies of
b. 2 Samuel 12:16 Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint; Masoretic Text does not have in sackcloth.
c. 2 Samuel 12:25 Jedidiah means loved by the Lord

When I was a kid... and I did something wrong... my mom would send me out to the switch bush. I had to break off a switch and I had to test it.... it had to whistle. I would cry all the way to the switch bush and I would cry all the way back to the house, testing that whistling switch all the way. Before I walked back in the house, I would dry my tears on my sleeve and get control of myself. It was worse if I kept up the crying.... When it was over... I could go back to chores or play... but whining over the fair punishment would only get me another punishment. Mom wouldn't just spank me for fun. [Well, would she?]

David pleaded for that baby boy the whole week he was sick. I'm sure he was on his knees rocking back and forth... praying and begging. But when the punishment was done... there was no need to beg anymore. God wasn't going to change his mind.

This is from Bible.org.

First and foremost, David's sin is against God. He has ceased to humbly acknowledge God as the Giver of all he possesses. He has ceased to look to God to provide him with all his needs -- and his desires. David has not only ceased to ask God to supply his needs, he has disobeyed God's commands by committing adultery and murder. David's sin against God manifests itself by the evils he commits against others. Nathan outlines these, employing a repetitive “you:”

You despised the Word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight.

You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword.

(You) have taken his wife to be your wife.

(You) have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

Nathan now proclaims the irreversible consequences to come upon David and his family due to his sin:

Therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife

I will raise up evil from your own household

I will even take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your companion

He will lay with your wives in broad daylight

You did this secretly

I will do this openly, before all Israel, and under the sun.​

In a couple of chapters this will come true. In the meanwhile. David is trying to make it up to Bathsheba. I'm sure she's devastated over the loss of her husband and now her son. David will comfort her and she'll be the mother of the wisest king to rule Israel. But for now... it's just a horribly sad household.

IMHO, it only goes to show... it's not good to take a shepherd and soldier out of the fields and stick him in a house full time. It's not good to take away all that beauty and serenity.

:coffee:
 
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