Temptations come to one and all; The rich and poor alike may fall In Satan’s traps, set ev’ry day To catch the feet that go astray.
David was a wise man, and he loved God. But he was often tempted to do wrong things, and sometimes he allowed the temptations to lead him into trouble. One day a very strong temptation came to him and he forgot that God could see everything he was doing. He forgot that God could even hear his thoughts, and he planned to cover up his wrong deed.
But God sent a faithful prophet to speak to the King and to tell him how greatly he had sinned. The prophet said, “Because you have displeased God you shall have many sorrows in your home-life. First your baby son whom you love so dearly shall die. Other troubles will come in later years.’
David wept when the prophet spoke to him. He felt very unhappy because he had displeased God. He asked God to take away his sin and to give him a clean heart, for he knew that his heart was not right. And his prayer was heard in heaven because he was truly sorry for his wrong deed.
Not long after this had happened the baby in David’s home be-came very sick. And David remembered the words of the prophet. When he saw that the child was growing worse instead of better every day, he thought, “I will fast and pray very earnestly, and maybe the Lord will spare the life of my darling.” So David refused to eat any food, and he lay down with his face on the ground, to pray to God. His servants urged him to take food; but he would not eat.
Although God had forgiven David’s sin, he did not take away the punishment which that sin had brought. He allowed David to suffer pain because he had done wrong, and after seven days of sickness the baby died.
David’s servants were afraid to tell him the sad news about the baby’s death. They said to each other, “If our King has been so greatly distressed that he would not eat while his child was ill, how can we tell him that the child is dead?” But David heard them whispering, and he asked, “Is the child dead?” And they answered, “He is dead.” Then David rose from the ground and washed himself in clean water, and dressed in his kingly robes, as in other days. He went first to the tabernacle to worship God, and afterwards he came to his home and asked for food. His servants were surprized, and they asked why he had fasted and wept and prayed while the child lived. He answered, “I fasted and prayed then because I thought the Lord might spare my darling’s life; now I know that the child can not come back to me, but some day I shall go to be with him.”
After this baby died, God gave David and his wife another child, and they named him Solomon. God loved this child, and he told David that some day Solomon should sit upon his throne and become the king of Israel.