Tommy Mann

What was David’s grave sin? You know what I’m talking about, that terrible thing he did that brought so many negative consequences for his family. Hint: it involves Bathsheba and Uriah.   Most of us are familiar with the account of David’s lust and subsequent defilement of Bathsheba, and then his dastardly plot to cover it up, which culminated in the murder of her husband Uriah. It is a terrible story, and certainly the low point in David’s life. You may well have answered the question of what was David’s grave sin by saying adultery, lust, murder, selfishness, or something else along those lines.  And that is true, for David is guilty and without excuse. But when he was confronted by Nathan the prophet, Nathan framed the sin as an affront against God first and foremost. He didn’t pull any punches. In 2 Samuel 12:9 he bravely asked the king, “Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in His sight?”   One verse later he said David’s impending punishmen...

There is a biblical teaching known as the age of accountability that refers to people who are not yet able to comprehend God’s gift of salvation. Whether we are talking about young children or adults with mental deficiency, the age of accountability idea says that if these people die, they will go to heaven even though they may not have ever asked the Lord to save them, based on the fact that they were not yet accountable for their actions. The biggest problem with this notion, though, is that the phrasing does not appear in the Bible. The most often used verse to promote its biblical authority is in the loss of David’s week old son. In this blog I want to visit David at his time of grief over this baby, but then contrast that with the loss of his adult son. 1    The loss of David’s baby son In 2 Samuel 11 King David commits the act of adultery with a married lady named Bathsheba. After he finds out that she has conceived his child, David arranges for the murde...