    Today’s reading begins one of the greatest tales of sinful intrigue recorded in the Bible, perhaps in all literature. Within the story of David and Bathsheba, nearly every commandment set by God as a guide for His people is broken by David as he covets, commits adultery, murders, and steals. For all of David’s greatness, such actions are enough to undo all of what we have known of Him to this point, except for one thing.
    That thing is the fact that our God is a merciful God and David repented of his sin. In that mercy and repentance, we see the promise God has given to all of us through the sacrifice of His Son on the cross. While David had to suffer the consequences of his sin, and those consequences were great, just as we all do, they were suffered knowing that he was forgiven and that his sin would be remembered by his God no longer.
    The story of David and Bathsheba, then, is not just one of sin and consequences, but one of forgiveness and love. God forgave David because David repented, and God remembered His covenant with David because David remained faithful to God. We should all take comfort in this reality, because it applies to us too. In this story, we are reminded all the more that we are sinners in need of a savior and that we have been redeemed by the same mercy that forgave David his sin.
DLH
