Reading With the People of God #10 Kingdomنموونە

Focus of the month: (Kingdom)

7 Now, therefore, thus shall you say to my servant David, ‘Thus says the LORD of hosts, I took you from the pasture, from following the sheep, to be prince over my people Israel, 8 and I have been with you wherever you have gone and have cut off all your enemies from before you. And I will make for you a name, like the name of the great ones of the earth. 9 And I will appoint a place for my people Israel and will plant them, that they may dwell in their own place and be disturbed no more. And violent men shall waste them no more, as formerly, 10 from the time that I appointed judges over my people Israel. And I will subdue all your enemies. Moreover, I declare to you that the LORD will build you a house. 11 When your days are fulfilled to walk with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring after you, one of your own sons, and I will establish his kingdom. 12 He shall build a house for me, and I will establish his throne forever. 13 I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son. I will not take my steadfast love from him, as I took it from him who was before you, 14 but I will confirm him in my house and in my kingdom forever, and his throne shall be established forever.’ ”.

- 1 Chronicles 17:7-14

The Varied Facets of Grace

In our Bible readings for today, we see very different aspects of grace. In 2 Samuel 12, we find David at the height of his guilt and shame after committing adultery with Bathsheba and orchestrating the death of her husband, Uriah. God, in His grace, sends Nathan, the prophet, to confront David. Nathan uses a parable to expose David's sin, and when David’s eyes are opened, he responds with repentance: “I have sinned against the Lord” (v. 13). David’s confession was not just a human apology but a deep recognition of his offense against God.

Despite the gravity of David's sin, we see the overwhelming mercy of God in Nathan’s words:

“The Lord has taken away your sin; you are not going to die” (v. 13).

This moment is not about what David did to deserve forgiveness but God’s grace in granting it.

Though grace and forgiveness are given to King David, God does not remove the consequences of David’s sins. There are ramifications of King David’s adultery and murder. Yet God offers David the grace to be able to handle these consequences. David is able to move on by the grace of God.

In a completely different way, Romans 4 sheds light on this concept of grace. It is a different facet of God’s grace but reveals the true nature of the grace of God. Paul writes about Abraham, saying, “Abraham believed God, and it was credited to him as righteousness” (v. 3). Just as David could not earn forgiveness, Abraham’s righteousness came through faith, not works. Paul reminds us that God justifies the ungodly, and our faith in Him is what brings us into right standing. These accounts of David and Abraham illustrate the varied facets of grace. Together, these passages show that God’s grace does two things:

1. It confronts us in our sin: Just as Nathan confronted David, the Holy Spirit convicts us to bring us to repentance. This is not condemnation but God’s loving discipline (Hebrews 12:6).
2. It covers us in righteousness: Like David and Abraham, our standing before God is not based on what we do but on faith in His promise of forgiveness through Jesus Christ.

As you read, consider the weight of God’s grace, receive this grace in your life, and let His love transform you.

* Primer contributed by Doug Drainiville, Saved by Grace