Friday 15 July 2016

Psalm: Psalm 119:33-48

Background

It says a lot for the respect in which the Israelite prophetswere held that Nathan was able to challenge the king abouthis evil behaviour - first in seducing Bathsheba and then havingher husband killed when she inconveniently became pregnant. It alsosays a lot for Nathan's courage, and it is not surprising that heused a roundabout method to get David to see what he had done. Heuses a parable - an innocent sounding story with a challengingmeaning. Wisely, he engages David's own compassion before he pointsout that the king himself has acted without mercy.

It is to David's credit that he makes a full confession of hiswrongdoing rather than taking it out on the messenger.

The story outlines two forms of punishment for David. One is thathis reign will be beset by continuing violence - "the sword shallnever depart from your house". This may seem to us a reasonablecommentary on David's life so far, and how he is likely to act inthe future, given the enemies he has always made along with hisloyal supporters. But the other punishment is a lot harder for thecontemporary reader to stomach - the child of David and Bathshebais struck with illness and eventually dies.

It is problematic for us to think of a god who really strikes achild to punish its father, and perhaps it is easier to read thisas an association that could have been made by a guilty mind afterthe event. Of course, in the ancient world infant mortality was avery common occurrence and perhaps some fathers took it in theirstride. David however is shown fasting and praying for his doomedchild's life, a poignant story that engages our sympathy once againfor this very mixed character.

To Ponder

• Have you ever needed to, or felt you should, challenge thebehaviour of someone who had more power than you? Whathappened?

• Do you think that God punishes us with suffering, or throughthe suffering of other people? If not, how do you make sense ofpersonal suffering?