His Sovereignty

 DEVOTION

2^ND SAMUEL

HIS SOVEREIGNTY

2 Sam 12:15-25

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 went into his house and spent the nights lying 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 servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate." 19 David noticed that his servants 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 servants 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 fast? 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 lay with 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.  

NIV

There are several truths within this narrative that we need to explore. First, it is all within the power of the Sovereign God to sustain life or take it. The child was innocent, having no say in its conception or birth, yet the Lord determined the child would not live because of the sinful act by David, and the willing submission of Bathsheba. We should never be so bold as to think we have anything to do with the longevity of our days. Culture is consumed with various ways to improve our bodies, either to enhance our physical appearance or to extend our lives. Although there is no specific one verse that tells us God has numbered the exact days of each person, we know that Hezekiah was given an extra fifteen years. However, we could use that verse in Job when he said, “Man's days are determined; you have decreed the number of his months and have set limits he cannot exceed”, to show the sovereignty of the Almighty God and our lives are in his hands. So he took that child to be with him. The second truth is how David reacted, first, beseeching the LORD to save the life of his child, a heavy, deep seeking of the favor of the LORD After all, who knows, the Lord could have been gracious to him and allowed the child to live. But when he realized the sovereignty of God, he got up and restored himself and went to comfort his wife. We are not told what emotional turmoil Bathsheba went through losing her baby. We also do not know if she and Uriah ever had any children, and if they had none, this would have been her first child, and to have God take it from her, we believe she would have been devastated, hurt, and in need of her husband’s comfort. For the most part, women may have deeper emotional hurts than men, although that is not an exact science, but when a wife is hurting, should not the husband comfort her? Maybe we men fail too often in that area, and we need to be more sensitive to the needs of our wives. David comforted Bathsheba, and at some point she bore him the son God wanted, Solomon. Nathan named him Jedidiah, which means, loved by God. He would be the one who would be known as the wisest man to live and who would build the temple for God in Jerusalem. Oh, Sovereign, who am I that you have taken me this far? We live and breathe and have our being in you, Oh Sovereign Lord.