Enduring God’s Discipline

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Oct. 14, 2001                                                                                                    NW Bible Church

 

2 Sam. 12:13-31

Enduring God’s Discipline

 

 

INTRO

God has told David that his child will die.  How does he bear up under such trials?  The answer lies in his concept of God.

 

 

 

1. GOD DISCIPLINES HIS CHILDREN IN LOVE AND FOR THEIR GOOD.

 

God disciplines his children when they sin out of love and for their profit.  Heb. 12:4-11 makes this clear.

 

1. God disciplines the ones He loves (vv. 5-6).

 

1. God disciplines as a father (vv. 6b-10).

1) All sons receive discipline (6b-8).

2) Sons should submit to their heavenly Father’s discipline (v. 9)

3) God disciplines us for our good (v. 10).  Cf. Ps. 119:71; Rom. 8:28.

 

1. Discipline is at first sorrowful, but produces righteousness in those who are    trained by it (v. 11).

 

 

 

1. DAVID’S RESPONSE REFLECTS HIS VIEW OF GOD (vv. 16-23).

 

1. David believed that God is                            .  This affected how David responded to the affliction  of his child (vv. 16-17).

 

 

1) David’s response (vv. 16-17):

 

 

2) Why David responded this way (v. 22).  “Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to the child.”

 

 

 

1. David believed that God had                            .   These next three attributes affected how David responded to the death  of his child (vv. 20-23).

 

1) David’s response (v. 20):

 

 

2) God’s will was ____________ (v. 23).  When you believe that God’s will has been determined, there is a remarkable quietness of spirit, a peaceful acceptance of the will of God.

 

 

 

1. David believed that God is .

 

Ps. 51:4  “Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.”

 

David did not harbor a grudge against God or Nathan.  Later he will name a son after this great prophet (Lk. 3:31; 1 Chron. 3:5).

 

God’s justice is seen in the following ways:

 

 

1) _________________ sin - Even David acknowledged that he was “conceived in sin” (Ps. 51:5).  See Rom. 5:12-14; Eph. 2:3.

 

 

2) The ________ of God is the rule of all perfection and justice.  Whatever God does is just.  We must accept this by faith.

 

3) The chastening was ________________ to the sin.   The sin of adultery produced this child and it was just that the chastening should take away this child.

 

How can we know if our trials are linked to some sin?  One way to assess this is by this rule:  Does the chastening reflect or correspond to some sin that I have committed?

 

 

1. David believed that in God’s will he would be  to his child again.

 

Did David consider that the child would go to heaven (v. 23)?

 

1) Some say NO.  This view says that David means only that “I will go to the dead, the dead will not come to me.” David had only the realm of the dead in view.

 

2) Others say YES.  David believed that he will be reunited with his child in heaven after he dies.

 

 

 

III.  GOD’S GRACE RETURNS TO DAVID (vv. 24-31).

 

1. God shows David kindness in giving him another ___________ to replace the son that died.  The name Solomon is derived from the Hebrew SHALOM  and means peace, prosperity , and the name Jedidiah means “beloved of the Lord.”

 

1. David defeats the Ammonites at Rabbah.

 

 

 

LESSONS:

 

1) In times of affliction, KNOW YOUR GOD.

 

 

2) When God has spoken, QUIETLY SUBMIT AND WORSHIP GOD.  Trust in His love, justice and grace.