Fasting: The story of David after he committed adultery and murder:

After committing adultery with Bathsheba and arranging for the killing of her husband so he could marry her, Nathan lets David know in no uncertain terms what God thinks of his sin. The story is told in 2 Samuel 12:1-23. In verses 14-16, Nathan tells David that as a consequence of his sin, the child Bathsheba bore as a result of it will die.

This is a difficult passage. To the Middle Eastern mind, then as now, all things are in the hand of God, and He is given credit for causing evil as well as good. This is shown frequently in the Old Testament. Yet God is not the author of evil. There never would have been death or pain if His plan had been followed from the beginning. Sin is the cause of all such sorrow, whether directly or not. In this story, the tragic consequences of sin are indeed direct and immediate. God says the child will die.

David knows, though, that sometimes God is moved to intervene between sin and its results. He is deeply and truly sorrowful, as a reading of Psalm 51, which he wrote during this time, will show:

“Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Against You, You only, I have sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are justified when You speak and blameless when You judge.” (Verses 3-4) … “Deliver me from blood guiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation.” (Verse 14) … “The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, You will not despise.” (Verse 17)

David here shows his clear understanding that the sacrificial system is not just a mechanical way of balancing the scales, one ritual per sin, and you’re even. He knows God is more interested in his deep repentance than in any physical sacrifice he may make. Perhaps if he is willing to humble himself before God, express his sorrow, beg forgiveness, maybe, just maybe, God will intervene this time.

David lay on the ground, refusing food or drink, praying desperately, for seven days and nights. His household servants begged him to eat, but he wouldn’t. When the baby died, they were afraid to tell him. He had been so upset already, how would he react when he learned the answer to his prayers had been No?

David heard them whispering. Haggard and pale as he must have been by then, he lifted his head and asked the dread question: “Is the child dead? ”No doubt they exchanged nervous glances. “He is dead.”

To their surprise, David got up, washed himself, and went to the temple, where he worshiped God and almost certainly did make a sacrifice. Then he went home and asked for food, and ate. When his servants found the courage to ask him why, David’s answer gives us some more clues to the practice and purpose of fasting. “He said, ‘While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live. But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” (2 Samuel 12: 22, 23)

David clearly believed that fasting would make it clear to God (and himself) how serious he was. He had no time for food, or for considering himself or his body at all. He was, for that week, entirely devoted to prayer and repentance. Perhaps it was this sort of faithfulness, even after a serious fall, that caused God to call David “a man after My own heart.”

There is an interesting sequel to this story. Verses 24 and 25 say that David went to comfort his wife. This time, the child they conceive is formed in true love rather than the lust that marred the beginning of this relationship, and the Bible says “the Lord loved him and sent word through Nathan the prophet, and he named him Jedidiah [the beloved of God] for the Lord’s sake.” We know this Jedidiah better by the name of Solomon, the wise high king of Israel’s golden age, a king who, like his father, sinned greatly, but returned to the God of his salvation. Could we speculate that this outcome was, in part, because David (and Bathsheba as well, we can hope) came together after being truly repentant and were now spiritually united with God?