Episode Transcript  

One

The Death of the King’s Son

Most of us know the story of David and Bathsheba, how David took another man’s wife, and when she became pregnant, David had her husband deceitfully killed in battle to hide his own sin. And you might remember that God sent His prophet, Nathan, to tell David that the Lord knew, the Lord had seen the adultery, and the murder. And David, when confronted with his guilt, admitted his sin and repented before the Lord.

But maybe you’ve forgotten the heartbreaking end to the episode. Because the baby conceived in adultery became gravely ill. The king’s son, on the point of death. And though the child had been conceived in adultery, the baby himself was, of course, innocent. And David begged the Lord to spare him. For days, for days he fasted and refused to taste food, though his servants urged him to eat, and he slept in sackcloth and ashes on the ground. He wanted so badly for his little boy, his little, beautiful, innocent boy, to live. David prayed with all his heart for his son not to suffer on account of his sin.

He prayed so hard. But the boy died anyway. And David’s servants were afraid to tell him. They thought it would break him, after all his prayers, after his desperate hope. And yet, when David heard that his son had passed away, he didn’t have a breakdown. He got up off the ground and resumed his normal life. Because God had shown His will. And David would accept it.

Two

Fierce Prayer and Utter Abandonment

The story of David seems like a total paradox, but it’s the paradox of the Christian life. We’re supposed to pray fiercely, confidently, without ceasing, asking God for help, for good things. And yet we’re also supposed to be completely detached, abandoned to His will, at peace with whatever happens. How are we supposed to do that? How are we supposed to beg with a deep desire, with burning hope, and yet when our prayers go unanswered, we’re supposed to be fine with it? 

How do we care about something, and tell God that we care, but then when He refuses our request, not be disturbed? How can we be like Christ, first sweating blood and begging for God to take away the cup of crucifixion, and then standing calmly before Pilate and the Sanhedrin and quietly accepting the path to Calvary? How can we be like David, first spending days and nights on the ground, begging and offering up penance, and then calmly having dinner after his beloved son has died?

How do you do that?

Three

God is in Control

It’s petition and prayer that bring us peace. It’s the act of imploring God for something that prepares us to be resigned when God doesn’t give us what we ask for. Because when we ask God for something, we are acknowledging His supreme power. We are saying, “Lord, you can do this, because you can do anything.”

And when we know, when we remember, that God is in control, then we know whatever happens can only happen because God allows it. And if God allows it, it can only be for the best.

Four

Purification

So what if God doesn’t give us what we ask for? What then?

Well, of course, we can’t really be surprised. Because God knows what we need, and what we need is usually to be detached and purified from our worldly desires. That’s why we so often experience God’s will as punishment. Because punishment exists to perfect us, to reform us, to make us better and happier.

We read in both the Old and the New Testament that fathers only punish the sons they love; a child who is unloved is allowed to have and do whatever he wants. God allowed the death of David’s son as a consequence and, therefore, a cure for David’s sin. God allowed the death of His own Son as a consequence and a cure for the sins of humanity.

So if your prayer goes unanswered, as David’s and Christ’s did, remember: it’s often the case that only unanswered prayers can purify you from your faults. 

Five

Rejection is God’s Protection

There’s a beautiful phrase, “Rejection is God’s Protection.” In other words, God only refuses to give us what we ask if giving it to us would prevent some greater good in the long run.

Consider David’s son. He died and went straightaway to a place of peace, of rest, and eventually, to Heaven. So, it was no tragedy for him. And who's to say what would have happened if he’d survived? Maybe his own salvation would have been more at risk. Maybe he would have been like David’s other elder son, who became a murderous revolutionary and died a shameful death. Instead, God allowed that baby to go to heaven more directly, and in so doing, to make room for Solomon. In fact, in the same chapter, we read that “David comforted his wife Bathesheba… and she bore him a son whom he called Solomon.” Solomon, who would bring Israel to its greatest prosperity, would leave the world a perpetual legacy in the Wisdom Literature and the Song of Songs.

As a resolution, remember, God wants us to pray fiercely. Remember, God answers every prayer by doing what is best for us. So pray fiercely today and be confident God heard you, He answered, and He did what is best for everyone, so trust Him and be at peace. 

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