47 Days of Justice 2024 - Day 16: God’s justice, though “delayed,” is never denied.
- araratchurch
- Jun 14, 2024
- 3 min read
“David rose to his feet and said: “My brothers and my people! It was my desire to build a Temple where the Ark of the Lord’s Covenant, God’s footstool, could rest permanently. I made the necessary preparations for building it, but God said to me, ‘You must not build a Temple to honor my name, for you are a warrior and have shed much blood.’”
1 Chronicles 28:2-3 NLT
Over the last couple of weeks we have considered the story of David and Bathsheba in order to glean more about God’s justice.
Someone looking at this story, knowing that David’s throne was chosen to be the throne that would never end (in that the Lord Jesus Christ would come from the house of David), may wonder how God could choose to use/honor a person with such major failings. Indeed, the Bible is fraught with flawed heroes.
First of all, there is none perfect except the Lord Jesus Christ.
Now, some may use the fact that many of our biblical heroes are flawed, as an invitation to walk according to the flesh. They may suppose that since we are walking in the righteousness of Jesus Christ, there is no point in abstaining from fleshly lusts.
Some even contend that being conscious of sin, being aware of when we sin, indicates a lack of faith in the salvation we have received through Jesus Christ.
Child of God, making an occasion for sin is not biblical. You will not be able to find one example where God justified someone who willingly walked in opposition to His word. Quite the contrary, we are repeatedly instructed to abstain from fleshly desires. We are repeatedly commanded to observe God’s rules. We are mandated to walk in God’s way of being and doing, to walk in His righteousness.
King David loved the Lord, but in his human frailty, he allowed his desires to distract him, diverting him from doing what was right. As a matter of fact, Bathsheba was not his last failing; but every time he was made aware of his displeasing God, he turned to the Lord in repentance, accepting his punishment with humility and grace.
Remember, as we see mentioned in our opening scripture, David was not allowed to build the temple of the Lord he so fervently desired to build. However, when he was told by the Lord that he would not be used to build the temple, he did all that he could to prepare the things that would be needed for its building and furnishing.
Think of the case of Moses, though mentioned as being the friend of God, he was not allowed to go into the Promised Land because he disobeyed the command of the Lord:
“Then Moses raised his hand and struck the rock twice with the staff, and water gushed out. So the entire community and their livestock drank their fill. But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust me enough to demonstrate my holiness to the people of Israel, you will not lead them into the land I am giving them!””
Numbers 20:11-12 NLT
What we can learn from these situations is that God‘s justice is based on a complete knowledge of the whole situation—from what can be seen, to what can’t be seen. Only the Lord knows what is in a person’s heart and mind. And only the Lord knows the end from the beginning.
““Remember this, keep it in mind, take it to heart, you rebels. Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient times, what is still to come. I say, ‘My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I please.’”
Isaiah 46:8-10 NIV
So, David didn’t get to build the temple for God; and Moses didn’t get to go into the Promised Land. Yet, David’s throne will last forever, and Moses appeared with Jesus on the Mount of Transfiguration.
How do we make sense of this? We can’t. We must trust God, remembering that He is holy and perfect in judgment. We must also remember that the Lord is patient and long-suffering. But make no mistake, God’s justice will never be denied in the end.
Lest you still suppose that what David did concerning Uriah was a small thing to God, consider this commentary:
“For David had done what was pleasing in the Lord’s sight and had obeyed the Lord’s commands throughout his life, except in the affair concerning Uriah the Hittite.”
1 Kings 15:5 NLT
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
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