“Hear ye, Hear ye! Your King is on the Floor!” (2)

August 29, 2013 by Naphtali 3 Comments

We need to get the King off of the floor.

He remains grief stricken for 7 days hoping God will change his mind and spare the child he bore with Bathsheba.

One might wonder if he was wallowing in self-pity.

The household servants may have questioned how long would he remain a limp piece of carpet on the concrete floor?

The thought could cross a mind that he punished himself with a long “timeout” for being bad.

The problem with God is he keeps his promises.

And the King knew this. Yet, he hoped to intervene and change the Lord’s mind.

This was one time David hoped God would not keep his promise and allow his child to live.

It may have been the longest 7 days of this King’s life. 

He overheard his servants whispering. Fearing for his life they didn’t want to tell him the child had died.  His appeal of what appeared to be desperation led them to question his emotional instability.

Once the confirmation of death had been handed to him, he got up, bathed and ate.

His servants didn’t understand his behavior at all.

“Why? Why did you grieve until the child died?” It is possible they really wanted to say,

“What the heck is wrong with you? Have you lost it completely?”

His explanation was candid.

There was no point in mincing words.

So what was David doing for 7 days while his child lay ill? Crying out to God? Begging? Pleading for mercy for his son? Sure.  Who wouldn’t? But what else was he doing?

Discerning. Waiting. Remaining calm. Listening. Taking a step back.

He yearned to hear his still, small voice.

He positioned himself to keep calm so he could listen.

The need for quiet allowed him to pause before speaking.

David knew what discernment was. He had used it many times before.

David understood sheep. He raised them. Cared for them.  Long, lonely days with sheep may have taught him the “Art of Discernment.”

So how do we activate the “Art of Discernment?”

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