Recitation: John, chapter 17.
David broke three of the ten commandments: He broke the tenth commandment by coveting another man’s wife, then the seventh commandment by committing adultery. He broke the sixth commandment by arranging the death of Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah. Jesus said, “ ‘You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.’ This is the great and foremost commandment. The second is like it, ‘You shall love your neighbor as yourself.’ On these two commandments depend the whole Law and the Prophets.” (Mt. 22:37-40) The Ten Commandments can be divided into those commandments which show that a person has love for God and those which show love towards ones neighbor. David violated the commandments on the side of loving ones neighbor; however, he recognized that in violating the Law of God, his sin was primarily against God. Nathan used the Law to bring convection before telling him that God has taken away his sin; therefore, he would not die but his son would die. Can you say picture of the gospel? The son did nothing wrong, yet it is the son who dies for the sins of David. There is much sin in David’s family with Amnon, Tamar and Absalom. I have sinned against the Lord. I have violated his commandments. I have not loved God with all of my heart, soul and mind. I have not loved my neighbor as myself. I have broken everyone of the Ten Commandments; however, God has taken away my sin and God’s son (Jesus Christ) died in my place. Like David’s children, my children are angry Law breakers. I have no one to blame but myself. Yes, my children are at fault for their sin against God and neighbor but I did not raise them to fear God. The advantage that the Jew in Paul’s day had over the gentile was the Scriptures. (cf. Romans 3:2) I did not read the Scriptures to my children, nor talk about them, nor teach them the ways of the Lord. I was a father who just wanted them to be quite. I have redemption for my sins in Jesus Christ but there are consequences in this life being played out just as there were for David and his sin.
