David: Return to God.

Nathan’s challenge to David is one of the most famous interactions in the whole bible. He confronts David’s sin, David confesses, God forgives. It sits at the heart of David’s story. But the episode also raises a bunch of questions concerning the suffering that David and Israel will experience as a result of David’s sin. It’s important for us from time to time to wrestle with the problem of how a good god can allow, never mind seemingly instigating suffering. But such wrestling should not take away from the main challenge of this story, and the Bible in general. The Bible is less concerned with philosophical musings or impossible questions, than it is with what God has to do with us. It’s is always personal. And it is always direct. David has lost God, and he goes through the humbling process of coming back to him. We can draw courage in being able to do the same, because Jesus always heals and always forgives. By Ed Flint