DAVID’S CONFESSION David lived a whole year with his sin, with no reproach from his conscience, despite his spiritual experiences, his knowledge of the law, and his position as a judge of the people. He was in need of the prophet ‘Nathan’ to rebuke him, and to get him to confess what he had committed. 1- Nathan rebukes David 1-9 2- The chastisement of David 10-12 3- David’s repentance 13-14 4- The death of Bathsheba’s newborn child 15-23 5- The birth of Solomon 24-25 6- David defeats Rabbah 26-31 1- Nathan rebukes David: The Lord sent Nathan to David to wake up his conscience; He told him the story of the rich man who refused to slay one of his ewe lambs for his guest; then took the only little ewe lamb of his poor neighbor, that grew up together with him and with his children; ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and laid in his bosom; that was like a daughter to him. David’s anger was greatly aroused against that man, and gave his verdict: “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man’ “ (2 Samuel 12: 5, 6) The hungry guest was David’s lust that was aroused in him, through his slothfulness and negligence; and had to be fulfilled by raping ‘Bethsheba,’ very beloved to her man; who shared his life, food, drink, and bed; who for long had lived with him, with all her feelings and emotions; to be raped by the very rich David, the king and judge, who broke the law by marrying numerous wives. The book says that David grew in his greatness every day, because the Lord of hosts was with him (2 Samuel 15: 10); The Lord wished to give him more; but he closed before himself the door of that flow of free graces. According to the law, a thief is not to be put to death, but he has to restore fourfold (Exodus 22: 1; Luke 19: 18). But the circumstances of the theft, as described by Nathan (and which applied to David), strongly aroused the anger of David, that he sought the execution of the man, unaware that he was condemning himself; especially that he did not steal just an only ewe lamb, but the wife of an honest and loyal man; whom he raped in circumstances of war, and had her husband killed ... What then did he deserve? It is fitting for us to look at the behavior of Nathan that was wise, straightforward, firm, and full of love. He did not fear to speak daringly, frankly, and firmly, to the king who tried to conceal his crime by having Uriah the Hittite killed; and it was possible for Nathan to face the same destiny. As it came in the apostolic statutes directed to a Bishop: [Be completely impartial when you rebuke for sins; be like Elijah; like Micah with Ahab (1 Kings 18: 21, 22); like Ebed-Melech the Ethiopian with Zedekiah (Jeremiah 38, 39); like Nathan with David (2 Samuel 12; and like John the Baptist with Herod (Matthew 78 14)1]. He was frank, firm, yet compassionate ..., and opened the doors of hope before David. Nathan came to talk with him in secret, and did not defame him publicly though God allowed the whole thing to be widely publicized for the sake of our salvation. It is likewise fitting for us, when we get to rebuke others, to do that within the limits of love and friendship, and not to defame them publicly in their presence or in their absence. St. (Mar) Isaac the Syrian says: [Who corrects his brother in his secret place, will cure him from evil; while he, who accuses him in a public gathering, will cause his wounds to bleed even more. Who cures his brother secretly, proclaims the extent of his love; while he who disgraces his brother before his friends, will proclaim the extent of his own envy. The friend who firmly, but secretly, rebukes another, is a prudent physician; while he who does that before the eyes of many, is in truth, a defamer2]. 2- The chastisement of David: God, through His love for David, sent Nathan to him to wake up his conscience secretly, and to chastise him publicly. It is better for him to be exposed here in this world, to get the chance to repent and return to God, than to have the wounds of his soul covered up, leading to his eternal perdition. That is why the prophet Nathan said to David: “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me (God), and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun”(2 Samuel 12: 10-12). This chastisement may seem too harsh, but it was necessary for his own salvation and that of others: a- He made it clear that that chastisement was a natural fruit of sin. to have this realized in David’s own house: His newborn child from Bathsheba died; his son Amnon raped his own sister (2 Samuel 13: 1-22), to get killed in revenge by her brother Absalom (2 Samuel 13: 23-38); Absalom rebelled against his father David, to get the kingdom from him, and went in to his father’s concubines before the eyes of all Israel (2 Samuel 16: 22); sought his father’s life (2 Samuel 17: 2), to be himself killed (2 Samuel 18: 14, 15); and Adonia the son of David was killed by the order of his brother Solomon (1 Kings 2: 25).... . God allowed all that to take place in David’s house, to confirm that this was the natural fruit of the corruption which David adopted by his own will. b- Through the chastisements of David that occurred in his house, the Holy Book demonstrated the importance of the role of the family and its sanctity; What David committed gave fruit in the life of his children. Although they were not punished because of his sin, here, they tasted the bitterness of what they inherited from their father. Corrupt fathers present corruption to their children, and the blessed fathers present them blessings. c- David’s chastisement was severe and twofold, because of his position as a 1 Constit. Of The Holy Apostles 7: 1. 2 The Ascetical homilies, hom. 48. 79 leader, who should be a living role model to his people. Punishment is not a price equal to transgression, but it is a chastisement to correct the path of the sinner and of those around him; that is different according to circumstances of every man. St. John Chrysostom says: [Punishment is not the same for all sins; but they are numerous and different, according to times and to the stature and understanding, etc. of the persons concerned1]. d- To confirm that there is no partiality in God; David, although set a prophet, king, and judge, and got a glorified history of holy life, when he sinned, he deserved to be chastised. St. Erinaos says: [Because God does not look at the faces; He puts the right punishment on things that do not please Him. David, who suffered Saul’s persecution (1 Samuel 18) for the sake of righteousness, who fled before him and refused to stretch his hand to the Lord’s anointed, who prophesied the coming of Christ, who taught the nations the wisdom, did everything by the Holy Spirit, and pleased the Lord, when his lust motivated him to take the wife of Uriah the Hittite, the Book says: “But the things that David had done displeased the Lord” (2 Samuel 11: 27). God sent him the prophet Nathan to confront him with his crime, to let him judge and condemn himself; in order to regain from the Lord mercy and compassion2]. 3- Repentance of David: The prophet David entered into his depths to discover his weaknesses, without giving himself any justifications. He felt that he erred with no excuse; and counted his sin, as not directed against Uriah the Hittite, nor against Bathsheba, but as against God Himself. He did not hesitate, despite his position as a great king, prophet, judge, and a spiritual leader, to confess his sin to the Lord, before the prophet Nathan, saying: “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12: 13). He felt that the sin inside him was extremely bitter, that he had to (vomit) it; and as St. (Mar) Isaac the Syrian says: [Remember that the fulfillment of every lust is always followed by disgust and bitterness, as close companions3]. David vomited the bitterness inside him, out of shame of himself and his transgression; and not because of his embarrassment to confess before Nathan. Nathan’s response came to proclaim God’s exalted love: “The Lord also has put away your sin; You shall not die” (2 Samuel 12: 13). According to the statutes of the Law, he should have been put to death; Yet God spared him that punishment; By repentance, he would also enjoy salvation-through the Holy sacrifice-So he would not die, but would enjoy the life that overcomes death. Through that true repentance, the prophet David presented us with the “psalms of repentance,” like: Psalms 6; 32; 38; 51; 102; 130; 143, crowned by Psalm 51 that we sing with every prayer, asking for God’s mercies, through our true repentance. Whoever you are, who sins, and hesitates to repent for your transgressions, listen to David’s moans. It is not Nathan who is sent to you, but it is David himself. Listen to his cry-outs, and cry-out with him! Listen to his moans, and moan with him! Listen to him crying, and mix his tears with your tears! 1On Matt. hom. 75. 2 Iren. Ad Haer. 4: 27: 1. 3 hom. 32. 80 Listen to him trying to correct himself, and rejoice with him! If the sin is not put away from you, keep your hope for forgiveness! When Nathan was sent to that man, Notice the humility of the king, who did not despise the words of advice given to him; and did not say: “How dare you speak to me, the king”? The great king listened to a prophet; I wish the humble people of Christ, listen to Him. “For I acknowledge my transgressions; and my sin is ever before me” (Psalm 51: 3). His sin was not previously before him, but behind his back; He was not acknowledging his transgressions ... But the prophet Nathan was sent by God for this purpose: to take his sin from behind his back, and place it before his eyes; to see the verdict proclaimed against him; to open up the wound of his heart to heal it; He used for this the scalpel of his tongue. St. Augustine1 David transgressed; Let us now see how he repented ... He cleansed his sin by humility, by contrition of heart and soul, by not falling again; by always remembering his sin; and by accepting all what happened to him. By contrite heart, he enjoyed the cleansing of his sin through repentance and confession. St. John Chrysostom2 He got rid of the burden of his sin, through a complete confession-of one sentence. St. John Cassian3 Through God’s love for his believers, He chastises them for the sake of their edification. Do not think of God just as a Condemner; He is all goodness!.. Think of Him when He shows mercy! Together with His firmness, put into consideration His compassion! Scholar Tertullian4 Chastisement of love, is for the sake of correction, and not for revenge. A prudent and a righteous being , like God, does not chastise man to pay back his evil, but to correct him, and as a warning to others. St. (Mar) Isaac the Syrian5 God loves His children; and in his love He allows for their chastisement, to let them realize how much He hates sin; He allowed for the death of the child who came as a fruit of David’s sin (2 Samuel 12: 14); not because something that child had committed; but so that those around him-especially the pagans-would not assume that God is partial. 4- Death of the child of Bathsheba: The Child got very sick; So David humiliated himself for his sake; and for feeling that his death was a sign of God’s wrath on his parents. He pleaded with God for the child, fasted and went in and laid all night on the ground (2 Samuel 12: 16); and when the 1On Ps. 51 (50) 2 In 2 Cor. hom. 4. 3 Institute 12: 11. 4 Ad Marcion 2: 17. 5 hom. 48. 81 elders of the house arose and went to him, to raise him up from the ground, he would not, nor did he eat food with them.(2 Samuel 12: 17). On the seventh day, the child died, and the servants of David were afraid to tell him, because of his grief. When David saw them whispering, he realized what happened; and when he knew from them that the child died, he arose from the ground, washed ,anointed himself, ,changed his clothes, and went into the house of the Lord and worshipped. Then he went into his own house, and requested to eat. How marvelous was David’s complete delivery to the will of God. He, at first, humiliated himself before God, seeking mercy; Yet, once the child died, he submitted to God’s will and said: “Now he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me” (2 Samuel 12: 23). He anointed himself, as a sign of joy; St. John Chrysostom says: [It was the custom of people in the old days to anoint themselves when rejoicing, as noticed with David and Daniel (Daniel 10: 3)1. As much as David humiliated himself when his child was sick, he rejoiced when God chose to take him]; and [That is real wisdom! That is love! Whatever great is your love to your son, you will not love him as God does2] . The heart, that is open to heaven, does not fear death, but receives it with joy, as a ‘set forth’ toward Christ. Do not fear death; as God prepared for you to rise up overcoming death3! Fix the fact of your departure in your heart, O man; Say to yourself all the time: “Behold, the messenger is at the door; Here he comes to me, why am I slothful?! My departure is everlasting; There, there is no return! “ Tonight, meditate in this; Tomorrow, meditate in it; And when it is time to go, greet him with Joy, saying: Come in peace; I knew that you are coming; so I did not neglect to do something to help me on my way4. St. (Mar) Isaac the Syrian 5- The Birth of Solomon: David comforted Bathsheba; He did not send her away, on account that she had been the cause of his grief and troubles. She bore him another son, and he called his name ‘Solomon,’ meaning (safe) or (Peace maker)5; as in his days, “God gave peace and quietness to Israel” (1 Chronicles 22). David chose this name to proclaim, that although sin has stirred up many storms in his life, , by true repentance, and leaning upon God’s mercies, he restored his inner peace through gaining forgiveness, despite the chastisements he had to bear from all sides. God loved that child, and sent Nathan to name him ‘Jedidiah,’ meaning (God’s beloved) to confirm to his parents that, although the first child died for the sake of chastisement, the second proclaimed God’s love for them, and His forgiveness of their sin. 1On Matt. 2On Colos. hom. 8. 3 hom. 48. 4 hom. 64. 5 St. Augustine: On Ps. 127. 82 6- David defeats ‘Rabbah’: The author got back to the news of the war against the Ammonites, which he started in (2 Samuel 11: 1). When Joab defeated ‘Rabbah’ the capital of the Ammonites, he sent for David to come and enter the city, so that the conquest would be referred to David as a conqueror and victor. That David did; He went , fought, and took the city, and took the king’s crown from his head; its weight was a talent of gold (about 18 Libra) with precious stones. It was set on David’s head with the help of two of the elites, as a sign of his dominion over the kingdom of the Ammonites. David enjoyed an abundance of spoils, after killing all the people of the city.
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