Chapter CXXVE. THE PUNISHMENT OF DAVID'S SIN. about THE Lord had promised to put away the sin of B.C. David his servant; but David did not put away 1034. the remembrance of it, nor forgive himself. Again and again he acknowledged his faults to God, and his sin was ever before him, even to the day of his death. In many Psalms' he poured out his soul in sorrow before the Lord, and entreated his forgiveness. He found comfort in confessing his sins, and humbling himself before God and man on account of them. "While I held my tongue," he says in Psalm xxxii., "my bones consumed away through my daily complaining. Thy hand was heavy upon me day and night. . . . But I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my sin unto the Lord; and so thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin." David had been a prayerful man from his 1 Psalm vi. xxv. xxxii. xxxviii. xxxix. xl. xli., &c. earliest years. All through his life he had been accustomed to seek help and comfort from God in times of trial and suffering, and to turn to Him with praise and thanksgiving in times of joy and triumph. It was in the midst of the troubled and wandering life which he led for so many years, and afterwards amid the cares of ruling his king- dom, that he wrote the greater part of those Psalms of prayer and praise which are preserved in the Bible. And now in this holy habit of prayer he found both comfort in his heavy sorrow, and power to recover from the effects of sin. Thus he gained strength to return again to the way of righteousness, from which he had strayed for a time, and won back the grace and favour of God, which his sin had forfeited. After Nathan had departed from David, the punishment of his sin which the prophet had foretold began to come upon him. The Lord struck the child which Uriah's wife had borne to him with sickness. David therefore besought the Lord to spare the child; and he fasted, and lay all night upon the earth. But on the seventh day the child died; and David's servants feared to tell him of it, lest he should afflict himself still more. But when David knew that the child was dead, he arose from the earth, and washed himself, and changed his garments, and went into the house of the Lord and worshipped. And the servants of king David wondered when they saw that he mourned less when he knew that the child was dead; and they said to him, "What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child while it was yet alive, but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread." And David answered, "While the child was yet alive I fasted and wept; for I said, Who can tell whether God will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” B.C. about And after a time God was gracious to David, and gave to him and Bathsheba his wife another son;" and he called his name Solomon, and the 1033. Lord loved him." 2 Samuel xii. 186 Chapter CXXVE. THE MURDER OF AMNON, DAVID'S FIRST-BORN SON, BY HIS BROTHER ABSALOM. DAVID had been warned by the prophet Nathan, that the sword should never depart from his house, because he had killed Uriah with the sword, and had taken Uriah's wife to be his wife. And the prophet's words were still to be fulfilled. David was not spared the chastisement of his sins, though on his repentance he was received again into God's favour; for sorrow and suffering must ever follow sin. The death of the child which Bathsheba had borne was the beginning of these sorrows, and others followed quickly. David had many wives, according to the custom of those times; and he had many children by these wives. Amnon was his first-born son; Absalom was the son of another wife. And about two years after the birth of Solomon, Amnon did a great injury to Tamar, the sister of Absalom. Therefore Absalom hated his brother Amnon; but he said nothing, and spoke neither good nor bad to Amnon. about And after two full years had passed, Absalom B.C. had a feast at the time of sheep-shearing; and he 1030. asked the king his father to let Amnon and all the king's sons go with him to the feast. And David let them go. Then Absalom commanded his servants to kill Amnon when he should be at the feast. He said, "Mark ye when Amnon's heart is merry with wine; and when I say unto you, Smite Amnon, then kill him: fear not." And And the servants of Absalom did as he had commanded, and slew Amnon. Then all the king's sons who were at the feast arose and fled. they came to David, and told him that Amnon had been slain by Absalom his brother; and they wept for Amnon. Then the king tore his garments, and wept very sore; and his servants wept also. And king David mourned for his son day by day. But Absalom fled away from the land of Israel to the king of Geshur, who was the father of his mother; and he remained there three years. Thus David was deprived of both his sons. And after a time, David was comforted for the loss of Amnon; and his love for Absalom his son |