Then the King Arose, and Tare His Garments,
The sermon emphasizes the consequences of sin and the promise of God's grace to transmute those consequences into blessings.
F.B. Meyer reflects on King David's profound anguish and remorse following the tragic events in his family, emphasizing that these sorrows were the direct consequences of his own sins. David's actions, including the sin against Uriah and the resulting turmoil within his household, illustrate the biblical principle that one reaps what they sow. Meyer highlights the distinction between the penal consequences of sin, which Christ bore for humanity, and the natural consequences that remain, even for those who are forgiven. He encourages believers to seek God's grace to transform the natural consequences of their sins into opportunities for growth and blessing. Ultimately, the sermon serves as a reminder of the weight of sin and the hope found in God's redemptive power.
Text
Then the king arose, and tare his garments,
and lay on the earth. 2 Sam, xiii. 31.
THROUGHOUT the incidents of this chapter, the soul of David touched the bottom of the sea of anguish and remorse. The circumstances narrated were in themselves sad enough; but there was a more bitter element in them for David, because he knew that they were the harvest of which his own sin was the seed. Here began to be fulfilled the sentence of God through Nathan, "The sword shall never depart from thine house."
He had broken up the peace of another's home, and peace had quitted his home, never to return. He had defiled the purity of Uriah's wife, and the purity of his own daughter had been trampled under foot. He had smitten Uriah, and now Absalom had murdered Amnon. Through those awful hours when the entire fate of the whole of his family seemed trembling in the balance, he drank to the dregs the cup of bitterness. Oh, how true are the apostle's words: "Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap. For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
Sin resembles the Australian weed, which when once it is sown in the waters will spread with such rapidity as to spoil their beauty, and choke their flow. We must distinguish between the penal and natural results. The penal were borne by Christ for us all, and are remitted for evermore; but the natural remain even to forgiven penitents, as they did to David. Still, God's grace may transmute them into blessings, and cause pearls to grow where before there had been gaping wounds. Ask God to take in hand the natural consequences of your sins, and make them means of grace and ennoblement.
Sermon Outline
- The Soul of David in Anguish
- The Consequences of Sin
- The Promise of God's Grace
- Transmuting natural consequences into blessings
- Turning wounds into pearls
Key Quotes
“Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” — F.B. Meyer
“He that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting.” — F.B. Meyer
“Sin resembles the Australian weed, which when once it is sown in the waters will spread with such rapidity as to spoil their beauty, and choke their flow.” — F.B. Meyer
Application Points
- We must acknowledge and take responsibility for the consequences of our sins, and ask God to transmute them into blessings.
- God's grace can turn our wounds into pearls and our pain into purpose.
- We must distinguish between the penal and natural results of sin, and trust in God's promise of redemption.