The Leading: Kindness Of God Leads To Repentance

“In the same way, I tell you, there is joy in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.” (Luke 15:10)

When Samuel the prophet confronted King Saul after the king disobeyed God’s command, Samuel said, “But now your kingdom shall not endure … because you have not kept what the LORD commanded you.”^[1] When the prophet Nathan went to confront King David about his sins of adultery and murder, David said, “I have sinned against the LORD.”^[2]

What did Saul do after hearing Samuel’s pronouncement? He went on with life as usual. What did David do? He repented. And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.” God did not kill David, even though he was in direct violation of the Law which says, “If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife … the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death” (Leviticus 20:10).

Two kings of Israel, two different results. Why was David allowed to live, and his throne established forever? (Psalm 89:3–4, 27–29, 36–37). In Exodus 34:6 we read that God is compassionate, gracious, slow to anger, full of lovingkindness and truth. He forgives sin, but does not allow the guilty to go unpunished. David was disciplined by God for many years; but why did God forgive David so quickly and seemingly so easily?

The apostle Paul sheds some further light on this in Romans 2:4 – “Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?” God forgave David out of the kindness of His heart. It was free and unmerited favor from God. We cannot earn it, but we can receive it freely as a gift (Romans 3:21–26).

FOOTNOTES

1. 1 Samuel 10:8; 1 Samuel 13:7-15; 1 Samuel 15:10-11, 22, 28, 34-35. ↑

2. 2 Samuel 11; 12:1-25. ↑