Tuesday: Forgiven and Forgotten?
After David has unwittingly pronounced judgment on himself ( 2 Samuel 12.5-6), Nathan confronts him with the enormity of his sin. David’s heart is broken, and he confesses his sin. Immediately Nathan assures him that “The LORD also has put away your sin” (2 Samuel 12:13) and that he is forgiven. There is no waiting period on God’s forgiveness. David doesn’t have to prove that he is really sincere before forgiveness is extended.
However, Nathan, who has already predicted the consequences of David’s sin in 2 Samuel 12:10-12, goes on to state that the child to be born will die.
What does it mean that God had taken away David’s sin? Did He just wipe the slate clean? Does everyone just simply forget about it? Read 2 Samuel 12:10-23 as you contemplate these questions.
Image © Daniel Pape from GoodSalt.com
David must also have wondered about these questions as he saw his world crumbling — the baby dead, his family in disarray (the stories of Amnon and Absalom are two good examples of real-life family troubles), his future uncertain. And yet, despite the consequences of his sin, which has affected innocent people such as Uriah and the new-born baby, David also begins to understand that God’s grace will cover this and that someday all the consequences of sin will be done away with. In the meantime, he can find rest for his troubled conscience in God’s grace.
What does David feel he really needs? What does he yearn for? Read Psalm 51:1-6.
With Psalm 51, David goes public as he opens his heart and confesses his sins. David’s cry for mercy appeals to God’s unfailing love and His great compassion. He yearns for renewal.
When we consider the cost of rest in Jesus, we need first to recognize that we need outside help; we are sinners and need a Savior; we recognize our sins and cry out to the only One who can wash us, cleanse us, and renew us. When we do this, we can take courage: here is an adulterer, a manipulator, a murderer, and someone who violated at least five of the Ten Commandments who calls for help — and claims the promise of God’s forgiveness.
| If God forgave David for what he did, what hope is there, then, for you? |
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If God forgave David for what he did, what hope is there, then, for you?
Databases use a mechanism called "transactions" to ensure that when you make a series of changes to a database, either all the changes are made, or none of them are. This is pretty important because if you are paying a bill, there are essentially two operations. 1) You take the money out of your account and 2) you put the money in the account of the payee. If the computer crashes between (1) and (2) where is the money? A transaction ensures that if such a fault were to occur then when the computer restarted, the money would be in your account as though the transaction had never occurred. I have written a whole lot more about transactions (260 pages actually) because my PhD is about concurrency control mechanisms for transactions, but I will spare you the details.
Some operations cannot take place as transactions simply because there is no mechanism to ensure that all or none of the operations take place. For instance, suppose you are drilling a hole in a block of wood. If halfway through the drilling process you find that the hole is too big or in the wrong place, there is no way to undrill the hole. The piece of wood is ruined and the only way to continue is to get a new block of wood.
David commenced a series of actions that essentially had consequences and none of those actions could be undone. They were quite outside the "transaction" fault tolerance and repair that we expect from a database. It was always going to get messy. When God, through Nathan, broke down David's macho defences and he realised the enormity of his sin, he prayed for the only mechanism that was going to work:
The only way forward was to throw away the ruined block of wood and start with a new block.
The Lord sees everything and none is hidden from him.
Maurice I don’t fully agree with the wood example because a wood with a hole can be refilled back to normal or even one that was severed can be joined back like nothing ever went wrong. One has to have the skills of doing so.
You said his actions couldn’t be undone.
I believed David actions could have been undone at several stages. These were the stages.
1. Saw the woman bathing.
2. Then he went and inquired who she was. He was told she was married to his trusted military man. He could have backed out here.
3. He sent for her, at that time she was at the time of her impurities. He could have backed out and sent her home.
4. He let her stayed until the time was finished. He could have sent her home at this time. He didn’t touched her all this time.
5. He laid with her then sent her home. Days-Wks after she sent to let him know about being pregnant.
He could have dismantled the relationship at this point. 6. He, David then sent for her husband to go home to his wife to cover up his sins about the pregnant. 1st night Didn’t work. 2nd night he tried alcoholic beverage and bribery with a lot of food. His plots didn’t worked. Those 2 times he could have turned back and repented, he didn’t.
7. He sent him with a letter to/ for his death. Even after his death he didn’t had any remorse and didn’t asked for forgiveness.
It was after the prophet came to him then he realized how his sinful actions were sinful in front of a Holy Father.
Lyn, examples are never perfect. I was simply trying to say that the sin once committed, leaves its mark. Imagine that your block of wood was destined to be the faceplate of a clock. Would someone be happy with the mistakes being filled with wood filler? In spiritual terms that is probably trying to cover up our mistakes ourselves. Jesus offers us the solution. In him we are fully renewed. David recognised that need.
David's example can be analyzed in several ways. Although God has blessed him so much in the past, because of his own sinful impulses he continued to bring lots of troubles to his house! Being a "blessed character" did not make David exclusive or blocked from paying sin's price! Are we willing to be playing with sin thus we can test God's forgiveness? God is always able to forgive the contrict heart, but the consequences of sin can last for generations!
So true JC. I can list thousands of examples.
1. An unfaithful man/ or woman produces a baby which is a bastard child. The child is innocent but throughout life the child might pay the consequences for the parent behavior. Sins has its consequences no matter how small they appear or how meaningless people want to down play them.
The consequences of sin has nothing to do with the forgiveness of Jesus.
2. Some drink alcohol wine and think it’s ok. If has its consequences.
3. Some look pornography and think it’s harmless to them and others, how can one destroy their minds and think it’s ok with a loving father?
This is where the Gospel shines doesn't it?! God does not use wood filler, but rather, as the Psalmist writes: "He restores my soul". There is no human analogy for what God will do for the repentant sinner.
David didn't pray for a new heart, but a "clean heart", and prior to asking for a clean heart, he prayed:
"Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin...Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow."
I would recommend all to study Numbers 19 to see what David was referring to in his prayer.
God doesn't replace, He restores. The redeemed in heaven will be seen by God as having never sinned(Jude 24). Why? Because Jesus never sinned, and they have HIS righteousness, which His death made possible(Isa 54:17, Jer 33:16, 1 Cor 15:3).
So true Robert, it is so wonderful what the LORD does for us.
David asked Him to create a clean heart because only a creative act could do that.
Throughout the Word of the LORD we repeatedly find the concept of newness as a promise/requirement. A clean slate, a fresh start, re-boot the operating system.
Eze 36:26 the LORD promised to take away the old heart and give a new heart and spirit
John 3:3 Jesus said we need to be completely new - born again
Rom 6:4 The Holy Spirit through Paul says we die with Christ through baptism to be raised to walk in newness of life
2Cor 5:17
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; old things have passed away; behold, all things have become new.
Maurice, many times we try to hide our sins too by our outward show like going through church rituals such as baptism or even communion yet our hearts are far from being truly renewed in Christ.
Lord have mercy on us.
Lyn, while one cannot undo the past, in hindsight, past actions could have been avoided. 2 Timothy 2:22 says:
Flee also youthful lusts: but follow righteousness, faith, charity, peace, with them that call on the Lord out of a pure heart. All these things were written for our learning.
Lyn Lew, I see your point that at any time David had the choice to stop and repent or continue forward on his path of sin. But I understood Maurice to be speaking to the culmination of all his devious acts. So in that case no David could not uncommit adultery, he could not bring Uriah back to life. Bathsheba could have been advised to get rid of the baby but that would not have undone her getting pregnant.
Lyn, I think I understand what you are trying to say but the truth is David could not undo anything he did - "what's done is done". Maybe if there were a time-travel machine maybe he could. He just had the face the consequences of his actions. Thank God for forgiveness
There is something about God that I admire the most which is His justice mingled with invitations of mercy. No justice is genuine without mercy. Confession on our part needs no delay and must be acted upon quickly so much so that it doesn't affect others too. Achan delayed to confess his sin in a more timely fashion and he and his family died with it. Certain confessions of others were not genuine because they looked at the consequences of their sins rather. Pharaoh and Judas are one of those examples. This simply means that our confession must be genuine and straight to the point, we do not shift blame on anyone. John the beloved says : If we confess our sins , He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins , and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 John 1:9. This scripture assures us that confession goes together with forgiveness and cleansing. However, when we do the confession God does the forgiveness and cleansing. What happens when we fail to do the confession? Our sins remain with us. What about us? Do we confess our faults to one another? James says : Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another , that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much. James 5: 16. According to James confession brings about healing. In the judgment, many shall be disappointed not because of any great sin they committed but the sins they committed and never confessed them will be against them and will eventually take them out of the Kingdom. Jesus emphasized the paramountcy of forgiveness in the Lords Prayer : For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. Matthew 6: 14, 15.
The World has been what it is today due to unforgiving spirit. Families, Churches, Societies are suffering due to unforgiving spirit. Let's think for a moment how beautiful this world will be if we will forgive our brethren the faults they have against us. Jesus told a Parable to emphasize forgiveness following Peter's question on how many times he must forgive him who sins against him. I wish to humbly urge everyone to read the story from Matthew 18 : 23 - 35. Forgiveness is expensive for it cost the life of Jesus for all of us. Let's all pray God to grant each of us a forgiven spirit so as to forgive freely. God bless us!
The implication I get from the lesson today is that ,much as God forgives and forgets,the consequences of sin will always follow the offender.
Ex 20: 5.
Ex 34:1-35. Emphasis on verse 30-35.
Why do we think only 2 made it into the promised land and over 600,000 died in the wilderness?
Yes Simeon, I totally agreed with you. Many people have done wrong in ignorance and/ presumption just to satisfy their ego or because of a lack of faith in Jesus. They prayed for forgiveness and were forgiven but all sins have their consequences.
Sometimes people down play sin because of a forgiving Father.
What is the biblical evidence that God actually forgets?
Divine amnesia: Hebrews 8:12; 10:17; Isaiah 43:25; Jeremiah 31:34
Thanks Sieg
None of those verses say/covey that God will forget. Only says he won't remember or more precisely recall their sins. That is, God won't bring remembrance of the relevant sins up against those that have accepted forgiveness and use remembrance of such sins against such persons. The root Greek word in the Hebrews texts, for example, is mimnesko which means to actively and intentionally bring back into mind - recall.
We have some insight into this as humans. We have memories, but only a small subset of those memories are recalled into awareness at any one point in time. The rest of the memories are still there, but not being recalled into awareness (ie remembered) until a situation activates need for such.
"The history of sin will stand to all eternity as a witness that with the existence of God's law is bound up the happiness of all the beings He has created. With all the facts of the great controversy in view, the whole universe, both loyal and rebellious, with one accord declare: "Just and true are thy ways, thou King of saints." {Mar 346.2}
I would like to suggest that 'forget' doesn't mean erased from our/God's memory. If it was erased from memory who would have remembered to write the bible? Since, it was written in the bible, I beg that there is a log (that Christians consider factual) that reminds David/God of his sinful acts.
I'd like to suggest that this 'forget' has more to do w/David's acceptance of God's forgiveness and accepting the Holy Spirit's cleansing of David's heart and mind. God freely forgives but we have to accept the changes the Holy Spirit would wrought in us to turn from sin.
God looks at the condition of my heart when I confess my sin. Not just the act of my confession. David being told by Nathan that his sin was removed, to me means that God isn't going to hang this sin over David's head. Micah 7:19 He will turn again; He will have compassion upon us; He will subdue our iniquities. And Thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. That by no means removes the consequences of what David has done. Neither does it remove the damage to the reputation of God that David has caused.
Yes it gives me hope that in faith God will remove my sins. Trepidation that I don't take God's mercy and grace for granted and think I can receive forgiveness without true repentance.
"There was no waiting period for God’s forgiveness. David didn’t have to prove that he was really sincere before forgiveness was extended."
Is it possible for man to repent and God not know if they are sincere or not? We cannot “prove” sincerity. We are either sincere or we are not. God reads the heart, even better than we can read our own heart. Isn't this thought in the quarterly misleading? We cannot fake genuine repentance and fool the Lord.
The wages of sin is death, the death of the soul that sinned. This death/wage is placed upon Jesus for all who repent in faith. The consequences of sin remain as long as this world remains, only the sinner's eternal death for the sin is removed, and they will receive eternal life through Jesus. The thief was not delivered from the execution for his crime, but the resurrection will bring him forth to eternal life.
Being “saved” is more than forgiveness. Once we realize what we need to be saved from, our desire will be to receive what we need. This is why Jesus taught as He did. The Beatitudes teach this truth and make it simple to understand. Jesus told Nicodemus of the need for being “born again” into a new/different life, and taught the woman at the well in Samaria about living water, and its transforming power. David's prayer is for an entire transformation of his life, which changes every facet of our being; physical, mental, and moral. The image of God restored in man is the promised goal of salvation. One cherished sin will rob us of being saved.
God's blessings for others may encourage us, but His “exceeding great and precious promises” are for every soul who will believe in them because of their faith in God Himself. Every branch must abide in the Vine, not in other branches.
I do believe the author ment, that David allowing God to change his life completely, which can be a process, not necessarily instainously, does not delay the forgiveness he asked for. This is what he does for us also. He says, return to Me and I will heal your unfaithfulness(a rebound of last weeks lesson). Jeremiah 1:22. This is where we don't practice medicine on ourselves, rather we let God be the Doctor.
Return to Me and I will heal your unfaithfulness. Jeremiah 3:22.
Today’s lesson states “There is no waiting period on God’s forgiveness. David doesn’t have to prove that he is really sincere before forgiveness is extended.”
What do these two statements say about the nature and basis of God’s forgiveness?
How is the nature and basis of God’s “higher ways” of forgiveness different from the nature and basis of typical human forgiveness?
Phil
1. Why do the Lord asked us to forgive each other?
2. Did the Lord asked us to forget our sins if we sin against somebody or someone sin against us because he forgave us?
Eg. How can someone forget they went stealing and got caught, injured and thrown in jail? Or you are a child born out of wedlock?
What was his answer to Peter Matt 18:21-22.
I would say that once we have forgive or asked for forgiveness we are to lay it to rest, otherwise we have not sincerely for given.
What do these two statements say about the nature and basis of God’s forgiveness?
God is a mighty God. He names every star, counts every hair and speaks galaxies into existence. Yet, according to the gospel of self-salvation, I must act first (repent, obey, cooperate, etc.) before God is allowed to act to rescue, forgive and save me. Really?
God is sovereign and can lavish grace on whomever He pleases whenever He pleases. And it pleased Him to give it to all mankind.
For the grace of God that bringeth salvation hath appeared to all men (Titus 2:11).
Nowhere are we given the prerogative to wait until our enemies/persecutors have repented before we love an forgive them.
But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you (Matthew 5:44).
Nowhere is it stated or implied that forgiveness must be withheld until after repentance.
For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: But if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses (Matthew 6:14-15).
Repentance is not prerequisite for mercy in the parable of the unforgiving debtor (Matthew 18:21-35). As was the case with King David, repentance often follows forgiveness.
God rains His grace on the righteous and the wicked. Which group deserves God’s grace? Which group earns God’s grace? Answer: neither
That ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. (Matthew 5:45).
When people work, their wages are not a gift, but something they have earned. But people are counted as righteous, not because of their work, but because of their faith in God who forgives sinners. David also spoke of this when he described the happiness of those who are declared righteous without working for it:
“Oh, what joy for those
whose disobedience is forgiven,
whose sins are put out of sight.
Yes, what joy for those
whose record the LORD has cleared of sin.”
Romans 4:4-8 NLT
What hope is there for you and me? Great hope! If David were the only man alive at the time, Jesus would still have come in the form of a man to offer Himself a sacrifice for sin to save the errant king just as He did to save the whole world including you and me.
"God's free mercy streameth over all the world ...broad and deep and glorious as the heavens above; shines in might victorious, His eternal love".
With the assurance and confidence, we can rejoice with the apostle Paul in Romans 8:1 There is therefore now no condemnation to them that are in Christ Jesus who walk not after the flesh but after the spirit.
If God could forgive David and take away his guilt after knowingly committing such heinous, abominable sins and crimes and later describe him as "a man after God's own heart", we have hope. No matter the color size or quality of the sin, Jesus' blood is sufficient to cleanse us from every stain of sin.
Yes! There's power, power, wonder working power in the precious blood of the Lamb. We stand forgiven, justified before God when we acknowledge, confess and abandon our sins. He has promised to remember them no more. So forgiven and forgotten? Yes!
As I was carefully reading the lesson and its Scripture references, something caught my attention. In addition to considering the topic of today’s lesson of being 'forgiven and our sin’s forgotten', there is someone else to be considered!
2Sam.10:10 - ”…., because you have despised Me, ….
2Sam.12:14 - ”However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, ….”
These passages point out clearly that the interest of two parties are involved – David's and God's.
It appears to me that God’s judgements are very much calibrated to protecting His Name, His Image, and His Reputation in the eyes of His enemies. Yes, God deals harshly, justly and mercifully with David’s disregard of His Authority - he has ‘despised Him -, but I can also see that this response is in part God’s efforts to restore His Name in the eyes of all involved as well as those who look on to find out how the God of Israel deals with defiance of His Authority.
Psalm 51:3-4: ”For I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight – that You may be found just when you speak, and blameless when you judge.”
David acknowledges that He has transgressed the LORD’s Authority! This observation seems to be overlooked as we focus mainly on David's sin and his punishment. Are David's acts not an expression of his disrespect of God's authority?
In His dealings with David, I see our heavenly Father maintaining His reputation; establishing His Name in the eyes of nations by how He interacts with those He is in Authority over. After all, He is our God! We should not be deceived and take His Mercy and Grace lightly.
He is a ‘jealous’ God who invested the life of His Son to secure for us that His Will can be done by those who believe.
I understand my ‘Rest in Jesus’ to be the safest place I could be; in addition, it is truly a marvelous joy to know my life is being established according to the Will of my heavenly Father!
The topic for Tuesday lesson has a question mark "?" attached. If requires an answer "Yes of No"
What does it mean?
Forgiven and Forgotten?
Samuel, it is a rhetorical question, designed to make us think, rather than demand a yes/no answer.
The fact of the matter is that, although God forgave David for his sins, David had to live with the consequences of his sins for the rest of his life. Does that mean that God does not forget about our sins? The question is an invitation to explore the true meaning of forgiveness, acceptance of forgiveness, judgement and responsibility. There is a lot to think about and in the end, you may see that neither yes nor no really answers the question. The discussion is more important than the answer.
I suggest that you read the comments others have placed under this topic to see if they enrich your understanding.