2 Samuel 12:21

2 Samuel 12:21 says, Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread.  David’s servants were confused when he got up and ate after he heard the child was dead.  They wondered why he had fasted and prayed while the child was alive and now went on with life.  Verse twenty-two adds, And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live?  David said that while the child was alive that he hoped that God might be gracious to him and the child might live, so he humbly appealed to God.  As long as someone is alive, there is hope and we are right to pray for them, but we must still accept God's will in the situation.  Verse twenty-three continues, But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.  David said that now that the child was dead, he couldn't bring him back.  One day, David said he would go to his son, but his son could never come back to him.  We must accept that once a person is dead, there is no purpose in praying for them anymore.  If they have accepted Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord, we will one day be with them in heaven once again if we have also accepted Him as our Savior and Lord.  Verse twenty-four states, And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him.  After the death of their son, David went to Bathsheba and comforted her.  Soon, they had another son named Solomon, meaning peaceful according to Matthew Henry, and the LORD loved him.  Just because David and Bathsheba had suffered because of their sin did not mean that God was going to be angry with them forever.  David had repented and been restored to a right relationship with God.  This is still true.  Our salvation, or right relationship with God, depends on our faith and if we sin and honestly repent, then that relationship is restored.  Even in his grief, David was still God's chosen king, and if we have accepted Jesus Christ as our personal Savior and Lord, we are His child forever.  Verse twenty-five adds, And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.  God sent for Nathan the prophet and said the child would be called Jedidiah, meaning, Beloved of the LORD, again according to Matthew Henry.  Of course, we know him as Solomon.  Verse twenty-six says, And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children of Ammon, and took the royal city.  During this time, Joab was still fighting against Rabbah, an Ammonite, and took the royal city from him.  Even while David was occupied with personal concerns, the war against the enemies of Israel did not cease.  We may be occupied with our own concerns at time and not actively involved in the war against evil, but if we are, we need to pray that other Christians are still fighting the battle.  Verse twenty-seven adds, And Joab sent messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have taken the city of waters.  Joab sent word to David of his success in taking the city of waters, which supplied other cities with water, from Rabbah.  If we could cut off the source of power, Satan himself, from supplying his troops, it would be wonderful, but we never will.  Verse twenty-eight continues, Now therefore gather the rest of the people together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the city, and it be called after my name.  Joab sent for David to come and take credit for taking the city.  Joab was still humbly serving David, just as we as Christians must humbly serve Christ and give Him the honor and glory.  Verse twenty-nine states, And David gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought against it, and took it.  We are then told that David went and fought against Rabbah and took it, though Joab had basically been responsible for the victory.  We should never attempt to take credit for what others have done for God.  Verse thirty adds, And he took their king’s crown from off his head, the weight whereof was a talent of gold with the precious stones: and it was set on David’s head. And he brought forth the spoil of the city in great abundance.  Matthew Henry says David was more interested in having the actual crown since it was very valuable, than he was in the victory.  We should never become more interested in material things than we are in spiritual victories.  Verse thirty-one continues, And he brought forth the people that were therein, and put them under saws, and under harrows of iron, and under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all the people returned unto Jerusalem.  Matthew Henry says that David acted cruelly and really with dishonor toward the people of Ammon by the manner in which he put them to death.  As Matthew Henry states, it is one thing to kill an enemy in war and another to simply torture those who may have been captured.  We are not to treat our enemies cruelly if we do overcome them, but must act in a way that brings honor to God.  After this, David and all the people with him returned to Jerusalem. If we are successful in our fight against our enemies today, we must give God the glory and return to serve Him in the next battle.