A Scary Truth - June 2 Readings: 2 Samuel 12, John 9:19–41, Psalm 69:14–20, Proverbs 14:10–12

Links to June 2 Readings: 2 Samuel 12, John 9:19–41, Psalm 69:14–20, Proverbs 14:10–12

The Bible is a blessing and joy, revealing the character of God and the wondrous works he has done on our behalf, to redeem us, to make us new and to use us in his service. God’s word encourages us when we are down and discouraged, it challenges us, it strengthens us when we are weak, it corrects our thinking and renews our minds.

But sometimes, the Word of God can be downright scary. It reveals the truth about who we are and holds the mirror of God’s holiness before our faces that we might see the cold, hard truth. 2 Samuel 12 is one of the scariest passages of Scripture in the 66 books that comprise our Bible.

It is the story of the aftermath of David’s sin. Nathan appears to him and tells him a story about a man who had many sheep and stole the one his neighbor had to give a feast. David, in the blindness caused by his own self-righteousness was incensed. He was going to track down this scoundrel and make him pay for his misdeeds.

That is when I imagine Nathan staring down David, pointing a finger and him and saying, “David, YOU are the man.”

That’s when it all came crashing down on the king; the reality of the heinous act he had committed and the guilt he felt. He genuinely repented before God (evidenced both by Nathan’s prophecy and by the words of Psalm 51) and was forgiven by God.

But then God told him what the consequences of his actions were going to be. His son, born of this unholy union, would not survive (12:14). In addition, the “sword shall never depart from your house,” Nathan told him (12:10) and evil would rise up against the house of David, one previously blessed by God in a way unique in human history. All because of David’s sin.

Here is what is so scary. The consequences of David’s sin was felt mostly in the lives of his children and his grandchildren. The rest of 2 Samuel tells stories of how one of David’s son raped one of his daughters, how another brother killed the one who committed the vile deed, then led a rebellion against his father. The consequences of David’s sin did not simply fall on him but on his family.

The Bible is clear that we are each held responsible for our own sins and that no one is punished for his parents’ sins. But the Bible is also clear that consequences fall on sinners and those consequences often effect generations to come as much as they do the person who committed the sin.

The greatest reason to serve God and walk in humility and obedience is because God is God and God is good – he redeemed and renewed me by the blood of his Son, my Savior. He deserves every act of worship and every bit of service I could ever give him. But if that is not enough, one more reason to serve him is because I love my children and grandchildren and do not want to see my sin visited on them by way of consequences, to the third and fourth generation. I want my life to be a blessing to the generations that follow after me.

David was going to pass down to his descendants a great and godly heritage, but he spoiled that with his sin and cast a dark shadow on his own family.

Father, may I live my life to glorify you, but may I also leave a heritage of godliness to my family. May they never feel the weight of the consequences of my sin!