Day 90. 2 Samuel 12-13

Nathan's parable (12:1-4) is a masterpiece of its kind; it causes David to condemn himself out of his own mouth (12:5). And Nathan seconds that condemnation—"You are the man!" (12:7) But even though David "deserves to die" for the double crime of adultery and murder, the LORD spares him. His crimes, however, will have terrible consequences in the future. Nathan tells him that "the sword will not depart from your house" (12:10). This proves true; three of David's own sons will precede him to violent deaths. And David's family will plagued by trouble (12:11)—a prediction than is amply fulfilled in the affair of Amnon and Tamar that will soon follow.
But the worst consequence of David's sin is the death of Bathsheba's child (12:14). While there is still hope, David fasts and pleads for God's mercy. But on learning that the child is dead, David rises from the ground, washes, anoints himself, and changes his clothes, and then goes to the house of the LORD to worship. (12:20). When his servants question him, he expresses a proper resignation to the will of God. His words are filled with the healthy realism which may seem callous to us, but is in fact the best part of the faith of ancient Israel. "Can I bring him back again?" David says of the dead child. "I shall go to him, but he will not return to me" (12:23).
Life goes on. We are then told that he and Bathsheba have another child, Solomon, whom the Lord loved, and who will eventually succeed David as king (12:24).
But the consequences of David's sin continue to unfold. As predicted, David's house is troubled throughout the rest of his life. Amnon's rape of his half-sister Tamar( 13:14) demands justice. But the crime of rape and incest goes unpunished. David allows his paternal feelings to get in the way—this is always David's tragic flaw—and, although he is angry, he "does not punish his son Amnon," because he loves his first-born, who will presumably his heir (13:21).
Spare the rod, and spoil the child, the old saying goes. It is another of David's sons, Absalom, who avenges his sister's honor by murdering Amnon and fleeing from court. Such behavior is intolerable—or should be. But David again allows his tender feeling to get in the way of the justice he should uphold as king. We are told that in time "the heart of the king [goes] over, yearning for Absalom" (13:39). David is ready to forgive the murder of one son in order have another back, and more trouble—this time, open rebellion and civil war--will result.