Friends, let us turn back in the Word of God to 2 Samuel 12. We can read again verse 13. 2 Samuel 12, verse 13. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin. thou shalt not die. David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord." We noticed this morning that in this very sad chapter of David's life, sin was conceived secretly in his heart. And we notice that there was and is, according to James, an inseparable connection between sin being conceived in the heart and sin then being practiced and committed in the life. Sin can have very secret and small beginnings, but will in time lead to sin in the life When a man or woman is tempted, they are drawn away by their own lust and enticed. And when lust has conceived, it brings forth sin. And sin, when it is finished, brings forth death. There is an inseparable connection between the small risings of sin in the heart an actual sin taking place in the life. David's sin was conceived secretly, but then we saw that this secretly conceived sin was committed suddenly. David, in a very short period of time, after having conceived sin in his heart, committed sin. It was so sudden. And there's such a warning, friends, isn't there? As we so often know to our cost. Sin can be fallen into unexpectedly, suddenly, tragically. We notice tonight two further aspects about this chapter in David's life. The first is that his sin was covered subtly. David, realizing that he had been caught, that his sin had caught up with him, decided to try and cover his tracks. To pass the blame onto someone else and to get himself off the hook, which of course didn't work. And the second thing we'll see is that his sin was confessed sincerely. And he was forgiven. He was pardoned. He was spared. The Lord had mercy upon him. And friends, hopefully from this we'll be able to draw some parallels with our own lives. And we'll see that what is recorded here about David is very true about ourselves. And maybe someone tonight is feeling that coming to this communion weekend is something they're not worthy of. Something that in the past weeks and months has left them in a position where they feel they shouldn't come. Maybe someone has fallen into a specific sin. Maybe someone tonight is feeling the Lord is against me. Well, what is the answer for that? The answer is the Lord himself. Confession of sin, forsaking sin, returning to the Lord. He will abundantly pardon. First of all, friends, let's look at this. David's sin was covered subtly. Bathsheba sent him word. No sooner had she gone away to her house after having sinned with David, no sooner had David apparently thought, well, that is the end of the matter. It's forever behind me now. She sent word to David. And she said, I am with child. What's this, friends? We were talking this afternoon, some of us, about sin finding us out. And how true it is, even in the lives of the people of God, as it was here in the life of David, his sin found him out. It caught up with him. And whereas he thought his secret sin could be covered from everyone, possibly even thinking God would not deal with him for it, it caught up with him. And he was in a fearful situation because, as you know, adultery was punishable with death. It was a capital crime. And he was in a situation now where he had nowhere to hide. So what did he try and do? Well, he came up with a plan. There were three stages to this plan in trying to cover his sin. What he does, he immediately calls to Joab to send him Uriah. Send me Bathsheba's husband. Take him away from the battlefield where he's serving me faithfully. Bring him back home and I'll see if I can get him to go back to his house. And then when everyone knows he's been back at his house, they'll think, well, Uriah and Bathsheba have had another child. And then I will be off the hook. I will have escaped. Isn't this tragic, friends? that even such a mighty man of God, having fallen from such a height to such a depth in the very sin of adultery, is now resorting to deception in order to cover one sin. He's using another. So he sends for Uriah. Uriah comes. And David then pretends to be inquiring. How is the war going, Uriah? How are things going? How are the servants? How is everyone doing? Oh, Uriah, you go back. You go home and take some rest. Go and be with your wife. Uriah, I'm going to favor you. You're such a unique, you're such a special, you're such a devoted and worthy warrior of mine. You go home. Spend some time. David had false motives. David had insincere intentions and he's giving Uriah this picture that is not actually true at all but how David was rebuked by the very conduct of Uriah who refused to comply with David's intentions. David finds out that Uriah didn't go home and then he asks Why did you not go home, Uriah? What is this all about? And Uriah explains to David, the arch, Israel, Judah, Joab, his servants, they're all out in the battlefield. And you expect me to go home and be with my wife? You see, David, do you honestly think this is right for me to do in this situation? What a rebuke. But David doesn't seem to see it. Or if he does, he doesn't take it on board and he doesn't do anything about it. So he resorts to a second plan. I'll get him drunk. He gets Uriah drunk. Think of this. How many of these wonderful Psalms that we sing were written by David? What heights of spiritual experience and vast visions and disclosures he had of the character of God and all about the spiritual life. David had such insight. He was so blessed. But we're seeing someone who's almost like another man now. He hasn't just so put a situation across to Uriah that amounts to deception, falsehood and lies in effect. He goes that step further and gets the man intoxicated. Surely if I get this man out of his right mind, since he obviously won't do what I'm saying when he's in his right mind, if I get him out of his right mind, maybe he'll go home then. David, what are you doing? It didn't work. Uriah, has a stronger and better character at this point when he is drunk than David has when he's sober. So David resorted to a third thing. You notice, friends, what's happening? That the very first thing David did in being in the wrong place, in being idle, and having a wandering eye and having an imagination that ran away with his eye when he saw this woman. He wanted this woman. He sent for this woman. He took this woman one step to the other. But what happens then? Sends her away. She finds out she's conceived. He begins to cover his tracks. Gives this false representation to Uriah that Uriah, I have good intentions for you. Take a rest. Then gets him drunk. now he arranges to have him killed. Isn't sin a fearful thing, friends? That when we can so suddenly get into a situation where sin loses the edge it once had, that it doesn't have that bitterness anymore, being hardened by its deceitfulness. Maybe you feel like that tonight. Maybe you can see things in your life that at one point in your Christian experience you would never dare, even Entertain in your mind for a moment. Places you maybe would never go. Places you knew at one point a Christian should never be. Company a Christian shouldn't keep. Things a Christian shouldn't do. But are you doing them now? Are you going there now? Are you with these people now? Maybe it's something that is completely hidden from the view of everyone else. It's in your heart. It's in mine. Maybe no one sees what's really happening, not only behind closed doors, but within our own hearts, within our own minds. Sin will have this deadening effect. It appears David was not troubled. He was acting in a situation where he was clearly panicking. He realized he was in danger, so rather than face up to the fact, rather than confess, and at this point admit guilt, he resorted to these drastic measures. He sent a message to Job by the hand of Uriah. David, what are you doing? He had Uriah's death sentence transferred and carried to Joab by Uriah himself. Is this the same David? This is sin hardening his heart. Joab somewhat modified the plan. He put it into practice and he had a number of men. He didn't just put Uriah to the very front and heat of the battle where Uriah would be exposed to danger. He had other men with him. So when having Uriah put to death, Joab saw to it that other people would be put to death as well. Not bothered about this at all. So here is murder. Uriah, who was a real hero among the armies of Israel. As Joab sends the messenger back to David, and anticipates an objection David would give about why did you put the men so close to the wall? Do you not remember what happened previously in history when our army did the same thing? What happened? You see, Joab knew that this was wrong. This was foolish. This was so unwise to put this strategy into effect, but he did it. Uriah didn't question him. He was faithful. He was brave. He was devoted to God. He was devoted to Israel. And he was fighting for David. And he didn't question what David was doing. Little did he know what David had planned. Uriah was killed. The messenger was sent back to David by Joab. David is told what happened. The story is explained. What does David say? Friends, how tragic is this. Verse 25 of chapter 11, Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shall thou say to Joab, Let not this thing displease thee. Don't worry. Don't worry about this. The sword diverged one, just like it diverged the other. Make the battle strong against the city. And overthrow it. And encourage him. Encourage him to fight on. Don't let them be discouraged by this tragic accident. See where sin has got David. Sometimes the Word of God like this comes to us as a warning. This is like a beacon on the rocks. Warning us not to steer a course along the same lines that David went. But at other times, the Word of God is a description of where we are ourselves. Where we've got ourselves. Situations we're maybe in even tonight. David thought he'd fixed the problem. David thought the situation was now resolved. I am free. I've got nothing to worry about now. You notice what happened in verse 26. When Bathsheba heard her husband was dead, she mourned for him. But when her mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house and married her. David, what is wrong with you? Maybe the Lord will forgive me. Maybe the Lord will allow me just to carry on. Well, I committed this sin with this woman. Maybe now all I should do is marry this woman. Maybe that would be the right thing to do. So he thought he took her, married her, but the thing that he had done displeased the Lord. You notice in the course of these events, God seems to be somewhat silent. Not completely silent. Because, as we noticed earlier, when David inquired after the woman, when he saw her, he said, Who is this woman? Then someone said, This is Uriah's wife. Seventh Commandment, David. Do not commit adultery. Thou shalt not commit adultery. God was warning him. And as well, this woman Bathsheba, was Ahithophel's granddaughter. David's trusted friend and counsellor was this woman's grandfather. David, this is who she is. There are two reasons why you shouldn't go near this woman. God was warning him, no doubt, through his messenger. She is granddaughter to your trusted friend and counsellor. He'll be betraying your trust against this man. And as well, she's married. So David, There is your answer. Stop your inquiries at this point. Have nothing to do with this woman as you intend. Because if you carry on, you're sinning against God. But David didn't listen. God was speaking surely in that instance and in that way. But God lets David go his way. David put himself out of the place of duty, out of the place of God's preservation that goes along with being in the place of duty and being in the right state before God. He put him in a place where he wasn't only compromised, but he was exposed. He was exposed. And he got himself into this terrible situation where God seems not to have been involved. And hence the end of verse 27 of the last verse of chapter 11. We're told God saw this all along. And when God allows certain things to come into our lives as Christians, in the sense that we give ourselves to them and start maybe having certain habits, company, places, things like that, that we know we shouldn't. And we think, well, God isn't stopping me in his providence. Surely it's right. Doesn't mean it's right at all. God was displeased. Sin covered subtly. You know, friends, we can cover a lot from each other, can't we? And it is just as well that we cannot see each other's hearts. If you could see my heart right now, if I could see your hearts right now, we'd want nothing to do with each other ever again. Thankfully, our hearts are covered from each other, that we cannot see one another's hearts. But God sees them, doesn't he? He tries the hearts. He sees into the innermost part. He sees us as we really are. Are you thankful for that tonight? Am I thankful that God knows me perfectly, that there's nothing about me that I can hide? It's a wonderful thing, friends, to be in that place and in that position where we are glad. He knows us and we cannot hide a thing. But are you trying to hide something by not confessing and forsaking it? Maybe I can just keep this in my life. If that's the case tonight, friends, you and I, we can be sure that that will grow, that will develop. And before we know it, the small little sin, as we think, that we just want to hold on to, it'll grow. Before we know it, our feet will be gone. Sin covered subtly. Thankfully, this isn't the end of David's situation here. The Lord wasn't going to leave him. And my friend, the Lord will not leave you. In a situation like that, if you are one of His children, if I am tonight, then He will not leave us. Although we fall, we will not be cast down utterly. Though there is tragedy resulting from sin, and many people's lives, Christian people's lives can be devastated in many ways through sin coming in. Like David. The Lord will not leave His people. He won't leave you. He sent Nathan. to David. These are wonderful words. Verse one of chapter 12. And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. Would you like to be in Nathan's shoes? Knowing what God wanted to say to David and choosing you to go and bring this message to David, the king who had just orchestrated this plan that resulted in Uriah's death. And you're going to go with a message like this to him? Oh, the faithful man of God, Nathan, went. But David was put on trial by this man. The message God gave him to speak, the message he brought, he spoke this parable, the injustice of the rich man who took from the poor man to provide for a traveler. And you notice David's reaction. You know the story very well. How did David react when he saw this picture? He had this illustration of injustice, wickedness done. David's reaction was to rise up in anger and to say that, as the Lord lives... Oh, he'll speak about the Lord in this way, but not in regard to himself. As the Lord lives, the man that has done this thing shall surely die. And he will restore fourfold. Because he did this thing and because he had no pity. You see, David hasn't lost the sense of right and wrong as it belongs to someone else. And nor can we lose, do we lose the sense of right and wrong when we're not in the right state before God. But we think of, look at what he's doing. Look at what she's doing. And we tell other people, are you seeing what's going on? You see what's happening in their lives? Well, we cannot see past our own sin. David, in his self-righteousness, and hypocrisy condemned this man, a man who did the very thing David did himself. It's tragic when you read this parable, the picture you have of this poor man with his lamb and how he loved this lamb as a daughter and fed it with his own food and gave it a drink of his own drink It was like a daughter to him. How Uriah loved his wife. How devoted they were in their marriage up until this point. And David snatched her from him. The wickedness. And Nathan turns to David, doesn't he? He says, you are the man. David, you are the man. God's verdict was so clear for David. with his self-righteousness, he was confronted with the sword of the Spirit. God was going to deal with David by bringing him face-to-face with the reality of his own situation, his own spiritual state. And to do this, the sword was drawn. And it was going to pierce right into the very center of his being to expose to himself the way he really was. And that was going to hurt. as it must. Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, David, I anointed you to be king. I delivered you from Saul. I gave you his house and his wives. I gave you Israel and Judah. David, I would have given you so much more than this. Is there anything, David, that I haven't given you? Is there anything I wouldn't have given you? Why did you take this woman? Why did you murder her husband? And notice he says, you killed him. But David, I didn't touch him. God is saying you did. By arranging and bringing into effect this man's death, God is saying, David, you killed him. You're an adulterer and you're a murderer. What have I not given you, David? What would I not have given you, David? Why then did you do what you've done? the unreasonableness of sin. See how lust, sinful desire, the sinful inclinations of our hearts, they can blind our judgment, they can blind our reason. So that when we're in the situation confronted with sin, we see, we desire, and we take. We leave our mind somewhere else. And what we feel and what we want takes over. And God is bringing this reasonable This trying, this searching interrogation to David, he's saying, David, think about this. Because you weren't thinking when you did what you just did. David, you have despised my commandment. And doing this evil in my sight. I was silent, David. When you committed these sins, when you devised these plans to cover your sins so subtly, I saw it, David. And in doing all this, you despised my commandment. Friends, a man of God despising the commandments of God, doing evil in the sight of God? Yes. This is God's verdict on sin. even in the lives of his people. Deliberate, willful sin, God is saying, you despise my commandment. You do evil in my sight. David was caught. Completely cornered. He wasn't cornered by his judge. He was cornered by his father. God will not deal with his people as a judge the way he'll deal with his enemies because God is the father of his people. He's the father of his children. He's not your judge, friends, tonight. Sometimes if you're in this similar situation to David, when you're confronted, when I'm confronted face-to-face with sin and rebellion against God, we feel that God is against us. We feel that He is our judge. It's like Job reasoning in his distress. He's saying, oh, that I knew where I might find Him. I would come and plead my case before Him. This is like God's bar of judgment. But unlike Job, who would come and plead his innocence, In questioning why God has brought these things into his life, David couldn't plead innocence, and you and I at times can't. And we sometimes feel he is our judge. Friends, he is our father. And a father who knows how to deal with us perfectly. He knew how to get right to David's heart. We see his response in verse 13. David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. These words are so full, friends, of heart, of feeling, of devastation, that words cannot convey. But I'm sure that you and I can relate to them in our own measure and to our own degree. We know what this feels like. to have maybe been in a certain situation and in certain circumstances where we've sinned and failed without realizing the extremity and the degree of what we've done until the Lord brings us to see it. And it's not I have sinned. It's not I have hurt Bathsheba. It's not that I've been involved in the murder of Uriah. It is, I have sinned against the Lord. In adultery with Bathsheba, in the murder of Uriah, it is the Lord. Against Thee, against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil in Thy sight. The reality breaking in, dawning in His heart. It is against God that I have sinned. Oh, friends, the devastation that brings into our hearts. the grief, the agony. Maybe you feel like that tonight. And maybe feeling like that leaves you a little hopeless. I've burnt my bridges now. Will I ever be welcomed and received back into that blessing and fellowship I knew before this? Yes. Because we read, the Lord has put away your sin. Aren't these words wonderful? For the catalogue is brought before David by the Lord of all that he has done and all that he would have done. And when he said, You've despised my commandment, David. You've done evil in my sight. But your sin is pardoned. This is hard to grasp. It's hard to lay hold of in a feeling and experience of conviction. Sometimes we cannot lay hold of such a promise. When we seek to repent, when we acknowledge our sin, we seek to forsake it, we feel we cannot. How can I come back to the Lord? Are you feeling this tonight? Are you coming to this weekend thinking, how will the Lord ever receive me back into this sense of fellowship and communion I used to know, having done this against Him? Think about David. The Lord has put away your sin. David, it is forgiven. It is pardoned. You will not die. He deserved to die. This is no doubt what lay behind David's panic and covering of his own tracks and all that he tried to do with regard to Uriah. It was a capital crime. Bathsheba said, David, I am with child. You better sort this situation out, because if you don't, we're both going to die. The Lord says through Nathan, your sins put away, you will not. Our God, friends, is so wonderful. Isn't He? Who is a God like unto Thee, that pardons iniquity, passes by the transgression of the remnant of His heritage, who will not retain His anger forever because He delights in mercy? Can you lay hold of this tonight? Can I lay hold of this? If we're under the weight and the cloud of conviction, the agony of soul realizing we've sinned against God, He delights in mercy. Lay hold of it, friend, for yourself. This is His character. How many things do we read of in the Bible that God delights in? But that doesn't mean that David is going to get away without consequence. Although God is not David's judge, but his father will discipline, will chastise, and will make David learn the lesson. There are going to be consequences. David, this sin of yours has brought so much trouble upon yourself. The sword will not depart from your house. You've sinned secretly. Well, David, someone's going to take your wives publicly and everyone will know. Like for like. God, does he not very often deal with us for specific sins in such a way that we know, not always that we know that he's dealing with us for. So we, maybe we don't always realize that his chastisement is actually chastisement for a particular sin. But David is told plainly here, because you've done this secretly, someone will do this publicly with your wives. And the child that Bathsheba is carrying will die. David wasn't cold and indifferent about this. He wasn't unmoved. He wasn't, oh, well, OK, that's fine. He agonized, didn't he, for seven days. He wept. He fasted. He cried before the Lord all night pleading for the life of this child. But God has said no. But how does God's character so gloriously shine out of this? We notice that after the child was taken, verse 24 of chapter 12, David comforted Bathsheba, went in unto her, lay with her, she bared a son, and he called his name Solomon, and the Lord loved him. Isn't that amazing? Here David and Bathsheba, they are now married. The Lord has dealt with them and the Lord will yet deal with David in consequences in his life, in his family, in his kingdom. Things that David will for the rest of his life know he has brought upon himself and upon other people because of this one act of sin that led on to the second act of sin in having Uriah put to death. But in the midst of it, God laughed. This child Bathsheba bore to David, so much that after David called him Solomon, God said, No, Nathan, go and give this child another name. Go and call this child Jedidiah, because of the Lord, loved by God. This is God speaking to you and to me tonight, friends, that He is so glorious in His mercy and His willingness to forgive and to bless that He says, David, I can love a child you and Bathsheba have brought into the world. The first child was taken. Chastisement. The second child was Solomon. We come across to the New Testament, friends, and we see that Bathsheba is one of the ancestors of our Lord Jesus Christ. That according to the flesh He descended, according to His human nature, He descended from Bathsheba. That He has this sinner that with all, isn't it quite remarkable if I remember right, she's referred to as she who had been the wife of Uriah. This is brought out in the family tree of Jesus. How did Jesus descend from Abraham? Through her who had been the wife of Uriah. Isn't that wonderful, friends? This is God. Our Lord is the Savior of His people. How sweet is the name of Jesus to you tonight. How sweet is the name of Jesus to me. What does the name Jesus mean? Why was he called Jesus? Remember, friend, let's say it to ourselves so often. You shall call his name Jesus because he will save his people from their sins. I don't know where you are tonight in your Christian life. Maybe there are parallels drawn between your life tonight and David's. Maybe you've not reached the point in your heart where you feel the Lord has forgiven you. But maybe you and I can see from his dealings with David that he's ready to forgive. That he will pardon you. If you confess, if I confess my sin, he is faithful and he is just to forgive us our sins. If Jesus died for your sins, my friends tonight, God has put himself under obligation to forgive you for Jesus' sake. Because Jesus has died for these very sins. Maybe someone tonight doesn't know that they're a Christian. Maybe someone wants to be a Christian. Maybe someone's finding their life isn't what it used to be. The world isn't what it used to be. It doesn't hold what it used to hold. Maybe you're becoming somewhat aware that God is real. Maybe you're becoming aware that this whole gospel you've heard maybe many times before that speaks to you about sin, speaks to you about God, speaks about judgment and Calvary is becoming real. But maybe your problem tonight is that having lived the way you have. Having rejected Jesus the way you have, having spurned the invitations of the Gospel, maybe so freely and so passionately presented to you, you're saying, will He have me? Will He receive me? Can I ever be saved as anyone? Oh, friends, surely someone's feeling that tonight. Will He save me? Yes, He will. On the authority of His own Word. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. And you shall be saved. What does God want you to do, friend? He wants you to repent. To turn from these sins that you maybe feel tonight. Put you in a position where you cannot be saved. God now commands. Friends, think of this. He commands all men everywhere to repent. If God commands something, what does that say? This is what I want you to do. That's what it means. God will have you repent, my friends. All men, everywhere. Could it be any more worldwide, universal, this invitation, this command? It's not just an invitation, it's a royal command. Oh, friends, He's speaking to you in His Gospel. He will receive you. He didn't come to call the righteous. He came to call sinners to repentance. Come and welcome to Jesus Christ on the authority of His own Word, that He would have you to repent. Because He has provided for the salvation of sinners, that whosoever will may come and will have everlasting life. David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said, the Lord also has put away your sin. You will not die. Let's pray.