47 Days of Justice 2024 - Day 14: Whether you sow seeds of injustice or justice, you will reap a bountiful harvest.

““This is what the Lord says: Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.””

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭12:11-12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

We’ve come full circle from where we started on Day 2 with the story of Nathan the prophet confronting King David with what he had done.

Now we have rehearsed the process through which David came to disregard justice and take another man’s wife. Then, to cover his sin, he resorted to ordering the death of righteous Uriah when his deceptive scheme didn’t work.

We carefully considered David’s failure regarding Bathsheba and Uriah, to understand that injustice rarely happens overnight. A person rarely goes to sleep as one who administers justice and wakes as one who perverts justice. Indeed, we took this journey into David’s failure so that we can understand that injustice happens when we look away from what is right, desiring rather, to fulfill our own desire.

Make no mistake, for justice to reign, the judgments of God, what He requires, must be given preeminence over any individual desire, agenda, and so on.

As we have observed before, God’s way of being and doing, His righteousness, is often an enigma to us. On our own we cannot fully understand the pillars of perfect justice, much less carry it out.

No, perfection in judgment is only possible in One Who is perfectly holy, One Who is immune to any other factors that distract from what is right. God is a holy God and He is a consuming fire. His ways are always just.

If we are to do justice, then we must be walking in the fear of the Lord, allowing His Spirit to direct us.

Now, when Solomon was building the temple for the Lord, the Lord came to him in a dreaming vision and offered to give him whatever he asked.

“Give me an understanding heart so that I can govern your people well and know the difference between right and wrong. For who by himself is able to govern this great people of yours?” The Lord was pleased that Solomon had asked for wisdom. So God replied, “Because you have asked for wisdom in governing my people with justice and have not asked for a long life or wealth or the death of your enemies— I will give you what you asked for! I will give you a wise and understanding heart such as no one else has had or ever will have! And I will also give you what you did not ask for—riches and fame! No other king in all the world will be compared to you for the rest of your life!“

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭3‬:‭9‬-‭13 NLT‬‬

Solomon asked for wisdom to be able to rule with justice. God gave him wisdom and much more!

Sadly, Solomon ended up doing things that were not pleasing to the Lord. He married foreign women and worshiped their Gods.

“The Lord was very angry with Solomon, for his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice. He had warned Solomon specifically about worshiping other gods, but Solomon did not listen to the Lord’s command. So now the Lord said to him, “Since you have not kept my covenant and have disobeyed my decrees, I will surely tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your servants. But for the sake of your father, David, I will not do this while you are still alive. I will take the kingdom away from your son.”

‭‭1 Kings‬ ‭11‬:‭9‬-‭12‬ ‭NLT‬‬

Solomon’s gift of wisdom was useless to him without the power of God in his life. He could not do that which was just, without God’s presence with him.

In our opening scripture we see that a judgment is spoken against King David, punishing him for what he has done. The Lord had forgiven David; but justice required punishment.

“Don’t be misled—you cannot mock the justice of God. You will always harvest what you plant. Those who live only to satisfy their own sinful nature will harvest decay and death from that sinful nature. But those who live to please the Spirit will harvest everlasting life from the Spirit. So let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give up.”

‭‭Galatians‬ ‭6:7-9‬ ‭NLT‬‬

King David sowed a great sin into his life and would now reap a bountiful harvest of that same sin. Just a little while later on, his own son, Absalom, would rise up against him and would openly have sex with King David’s concubines on the roof of his palace.

“Ahithophel told him, “Go and sleep with your father’s concubines, for he has left them here to look after the palace. Then all Israel will know that you have insulted your father beyond hope of reconciliation, and they will throw their support to you.” So they set up a tent on the palace roof where everyone could see it, and Absalom went in and had sex with his father’s concubines.”

‭‭2 Samuel‬ ‭16:21-22‬ ‭NLT‬‬

King David had a painful lesson in what God’s judgment looks like. Yes, even one who was one-time “after God’s own heart,” would—because of the blood on his own hands—suffer loss at the hands of a perfectly just God.

Peace to you.

Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!

#resolveforhim #47DaysOfJustice