Repentance is the divine path to restoration when our fellowship has been broken with the Almighty, and humble submission to the wisdom of God’s judgment is the human spigot that opens the flow of divine grace. Yes, “the wages of sin is death,” but when we yield our sin-prone lives to God through true repentance and humble submission, “the gift of God is eternal life,” some of which leaks from the eternal into the here and now.
Going Deep // Focus: 2 Samuel 15:25-26
Then the king said to Zadok, “Take the ark of God back into the city. If I find favor in the LORD’s eyes, he will bring me back and let me see it and his dwelling place again. But if he says, ‘I am not pleased with you,’ then I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”
The seeds of sin that King David planted through his adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband to cover up the pregnancy that had resulted from the affair were now being harvested in the rebellion of the king’s son, Absalom. God had completely forgiven David (2 Samuel 12:13), but his sin had set into motion a series of tragic consequences, which Nathan the prophet had predicted (2 Samuel 12:14), that would devastate the humbled king both personally and publically.
The low point of David’s kingship must have been conspiracy, coup and the resultant death of this favorite son, Absalom. The events of this dark season were beyond tragic for David and Israel, and so unnecessary—as is always the case with sin. Certainly the Apostle Paul’s assessment of sin was spot on: “The wages of sin is death.” (Romans 6:23a) One sin set in motion a chain reaction of death, and as a result, the stench of death was in the air over all Israel—both literally and figuratively.
In spite of his self-inflicted disaster, however, the king found a way to reach into the reservoir of grace and wisdom that God makes available to every repentant believer. David humbly submitted himself to the merciful hand of God as he journeyed through this sin-harvest season. And as he did, this broken man found just what he needed: even more of God’s great grace.
What is it that releases God’s great grace at times when grace is the last thing we deserve? It is that which always moves the heart and hand of God: true humility and complete submission to God’s sovereignty. David truly meant what he said—“ I am ready; let him do to me whatever seems good to him.”
Now that is an incredibly mature response to a self-induced disaster. Unlike some people who whine, blame and pout, David demonstrated confidence in the judgment of God, he focused on God’s presence in the moment , he left restoration—if there was to be any—to a later time, and he submitted himself completely to the will of God, no matter what the divine plan would bring about. Such humility of heart and submission to the Sovereign’s will are the very reasons the Lord himself proclaimed David to be “a man after God’s own heart” despite the many mistakes he made throughout his lifetime.
It is that very posture, when it comes from an authentic heart, that allows the second half of Romans 6:23 rather than the first half to become the defining reality of our lives: “But the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.” For sure, we have been promised life in the age to come, but when we yield our sin-prone lives to God through true repentance and humble submission, some of that divine life leaks to us from the eternal into the here and now.
Please note: I reserve the right to delete comments that are offensive or off-topic.