David’s Curse

Summary

The Chosen People with Yael Eckstein: Episode Summary – "David’s Curse"

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Introduction

In the episode titled "David’s Curse," Yael Eckstein delves into one of the most poignant and complex narratives from the Old Testament—the story of King David, his sin with Bathsheba, and the ensuing confrontation with the prophet Nathan. This episode interweaves dramatic storytelling with deep theological insights, exploring themes of power, repentance, and divine justice. Through vivid narration and reflective commentary, Eckstein invites listeners to witness David's fall and redemption, drawing parallels to personal struggles with faith and morality.

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Recap of Previous Events

The episode opens with a brief flashback to King David's illicit affair with Bathsheba and the subsequent conspiratorial actions leading to Uriah's death:

• [00:00-00:46]
  The narrator sets the stage with a reenactment of David's decision to have Uriah killed to cover up his affair with Bathsheba. David's attempt to "make this right" (00:40) foreshadows the turmoil to come.

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Yael Eckstein’s Reflection

Yael Eckstein introduces the episode with emotional depth, reflecting on the human aspects of David's story:

• [02:09-03:15]
  Eckstein shares her personal connection to the narrative, expressing empathy for both David and Bathsheba. She emphasizes the internal struggle David faces, highlighting the episode's exploration of unchecked power and its burdens.

Notable Quote:
"Grace doesn't always arrive with a whisper. Sometimes it shows up like a sword." — Yael Eckstein ([02:09])

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The Confrontation with Nathan

The core of the episode revolves around the confrontation between David and Nathan, wherein God’s judgment is delivered through the prophet:

• [05:17-12:23]
  Nathan presents David with a parable about a rich man who steals a poor man's only lamb, eliciting David's righteous anger. Nathan then reveals that David himself is the perpetrator, delivering God’s judgment that the sword will never depart from David’s house and that violence will rise among his own kin.

Notable Quotes:
"You are that man, David." — Nathan ([08:17])
"I have sinned before the Lord. I have no excuse, no cloak." — David ([09:22])

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David’s Descent into Grief

Following Nathan’s rebuke, David undergoes profound personal anguish, leading to the loss of his child:

• [12:57-17:08]
  David grapples with his guilt and the impending loss of his child, choosing to isolate himself and seek solace outside the palace. His intense mourning ultimately culminates in his child’s death, despite David's fervent prayers and penance.

Notable Quotes:
"The child will die. Not for his sake, but for mine. Where have I gone? Who have I become?" — David ([12:57])
"Save my child. I beg you, Lord." — David ([17:05])

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The Path to Redemption

After the tragic loss, David begins his journey toward healing and reconciliation with God:

• [18:14-26:11]
  David emerges from his mourning, physically and spiritually weakened but determined to mend his relationship with God. He composes Psalm 51, a heartfelt confession and plea for forgiveness, symbolizing his broken spirit and desire for renewal. Bathsheba's return signifies the restoration of their relationship, moving from anguish to a foundation of mutual understanding and grace.

Notable Quotes:
"Have mercy on me, O God, in the shelter of your steadfast love... Created me a heart that is new. Set a steadfast spirit within me." — David ([22:47])
"Play it again for me. For my heart." — Bathsheba ([26:06])

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Yael Eckstein’s Insights on Repentance and Mercy

Eckstein provides a profound analysis of David’s transformation, drawing lessons applicable to contemporary faith journeys:

• [27:18-33:40]
  She reflects on the significance of David's repentance, emphasizing that genuine remorse and brokenness can lead to divine forgiveness and personal renewal. Eckstein highlights the importance of acknowledging one's sins and allowing pain to redirect one's heart toward God. She connects David’s experience to broader themes of mercy and redemption, illustrating how God’s interventions prevent further moral decay and encourage spiritual growth.

Notable Quote:
"Repentance changes a person, just as it changed David." — Yael Eckstein ([29:00])

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Conclusion

The episode concludes by reinforcing the message of hope and the transformative power of sincere repentance. Yael Eckstein underscores that despite severe consequences, such as the death of David and Bathsheba's child, God's mercy remains accessible to those who seek it earnestly. The narrative serves as a powerful reminder that even at our lowest points, there is potential for redemption and renewal through genuine contrition and faith.

Final Reflection:
"Within the agony of today's Bible story, there is return. Within its judgment, there is healing." — Yael Eckstein ([31:00])

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Final Thoughts

"David’s Curse" offers a compelling exploration of one of the Bible’s most dramatic stories, blending narrative storytelling with theological reflection. Yael Eckstein deftly navigates the complexities of sin, punishment, and forgiveness, providing listeners with both a gripping recounting of events and meaningful insights into the human and divine aspects of the narrative. This episode serves not only as a retelling of David’s fall and redemption but also as a universal lesson on the enduring capacity for repentance and the boundless reach of divine mercy.

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Key Takeaways:

1. The Weight of Power: David’s story illustrates the immense burdens and responsibilities that come with leadership and power.

2. Consequences of Sin: Unchecked actions, even those of a revered leader, can lead to devastating personal and communal consequences.

3. Repentance and Redemption: Genuine repentance, characterized by a broken spirit and contrite heart, is central to restoring one’s relationship with God.

4. Divine Mercy: Despite severe judgment, God’s mercy offers a path to forgiveness and renewal, emphasizing that no sinner is beyond redemption.

5. Personal Reflection: The episode encourages listeners to examine their own lives, confront their shortcomings, and seek healing through faith.

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Notable Quotes with Timestamps:

• "Grace doesn't always arrive with a whisper. Sometimes it shows up like a sword." — Yael Eckstein ([02:09])

• "You are that man, David." — Nathan ([08:17])

• "Have mercy on me, O God, in the shelter of your steadfast love..." — David ([22:47])

• "Repentance changes a person, just as it changed David." — Yael Eckstein ([29:00])

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Final Note

For those seeking a deeper understanding of biblical narratives and their application to modern life, "David’s Curse" provides a rich, engaging, and thought-provoking experience. Yael Eckstein's compassionate storytelling and insightful analysis make this episode a valuable resource for anyone navigating the complexities of faith, leadership, and personal growth.

Transcript

[Narrator]

Previously on the Chosen People.

[Bathsheba]

My king. I am with child.

[David]

Are you certain? Could it be your husband's?

[Bathsheba]

My husband? You mean Uriah? Uriah. One of your generals? Uriah has been on the battlefield since the snows melted. You know that. You sent him. It's your child. And now. Now I'm alone, exposed, and. And it's your fault.

[David]

I'll make this right. It will be as if none of this happened.

[Narrator]

In all his fretting, David did not pray. He did not cry out as he had in the wilderness, nor sing songs of deliverance beneath the stars. The name of the Lord did not pass his lips, for he could not bear to speak.

[David]

Set Uriah at the forefront of the charge when he marches in. Order the other soldiers to delay before following him. I need Uriah to fall on that battlefield.

[Narrator]

Uriah charged around the west end of the wall. The men began to charge with him, but Joab gave the second command.

[David]

Hold.

[Narrator]

His men skidded to a halt, but Uriah didn't. He charged on Al. When the mourning was done, Bathsheba removed her black veil and donned a white one. And in the back, by the fountain where the ivy hung low, stood Nathan, the prophet. God's voice came not as thunder, but as a breath in Nathan's soul, cold, unrelenting, and the Lord's anger burned.

[Yael Eckstein]

This is an I Heart podcast. Grace doesn't always arrive with a whisper. Sometimes it shows up like a sword. Shalom, my friends. From here in the Holy Land of Israel, I'm Yael Eckstein with International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. And welcome to the Chosen People. Have you ever watched someone lie to themselves for so long that they forget how to hear the truth? This is where we find David today, in the long shadow cast by unchecked power and a heavy crown. His victories still echo through the Holy Land, but his soul grows quieter by the day, hidden behind a palace and the walls. And in 2 Samuel 12 and Psalm 51, the silence ends. The prophet Nathan is coming, but not with politics or flattery. This episode will make us squirm because it doesn't let us look away. And it asks us what kind of love is willing to wound.

[Narrator]

The hour was early, and the sky had not yet caught fire with the sun. David rose before the dawn. He rolled from the warmth of his bed and glanced to the side where his new bride lay. Bathsheba stirred faintly beneath the linens, but there was no peace in her rest.

[Bathsheba]

Oh, where are you off to so early?

[David]

To walk among the grove. How are you feeling. Do you need me to fetch you anything?

[Bathsheba]

Oh, citrus. This baby has my stomach in knots.

[David]

It will be done. I love you.

[Narrator]

Bathsheba didn't return his sentiment. She rolled over, groaning uncomfortably. David sighed, trying to release the tension in his chest, but it wouldn't lift. David's soul was unsettled, though he no longer knew it. The fierce self examination that had once shaped him was dulled like a blade left too long in salt water. He clothed himself in his royal robes and slipped out of the house into the gardens. The air was mild, the breath of spring giving way to the weight of summer. He walked beneath the trees, humming an old shepherd's tune, letting the birds accompany him. Then a figure stepped from the shadows beneath the myrtle trees. David gasped, then exhaled with a shaky chuckle when he saw who it was.

[David]

Nathan, you startled me.

[Narrator]

David stepped forward and laid a hand on the prophet's shoulder.

[David]

It was good to see you at the wedding. Bathsheba and I were glad to have you.

[Narrator]

Nathan gave a shallow nodd. His smile was polite, thin as a razor's edge.

[Nathan]

I wouldn't have missed it, my son. But I cannot remain in the spirit of celebration. I bring troubling news.

[Narrator]

David tilted his head.

[David]

What troubles you?

[Narrator]

Nathan gestured toward a stone bench near the rose vines. The prophet's sigh was long and weary, and when he spoke again, his voice was quieter.

[Nathan]

I have received a report, my king. A dispute over property, and I would have your thoughts on the matter, for you are a man who seeks after justice.

[Narrator]

David smiled at the compliment, pride blooming across his face.

[David]

I will do what I can. Nathan. Tell me what has happened.

[Narrator]

Nathan nodded and with a weathered hand plucked a violet bloom from a nearby branch. He turned it slowly between his fingers as he spoke.

[Nathan]

There were two men. They lived in the same village. One was a very rich man and the other very poor. The rich man, he had flocks beyond counting sheep and goats and herds of oxen grazing his fields. All the bounty a man could want. But the poor man, he only had one single little lamb. A lamb bought with coin hard earned and dearly saved. He raised her as his own, fed her from his plate. She drank from his cup. She slept beside his children, wrapped in their warmth. She was not a beast to him, but more like a daughter.

[Narrator]

Nathan paused, glancing toward the king, watching David's brow furrow with sympathy. Good. He had him.

[Nathan]

But then a traveler came to visit the rich man, and though he had herds and flocks at his own fingertips, the rich man couldn't bear to part with Even one of his own. He crept into the poor man's house at night and stole the lamb. He slaughtered her, roasted her flesh and fed her to his guest. And the poor man was left with nothing.

[Narrator]

David surged to his feet, his face twisted with fury.

[David]

How could he do such a thing?

[Nathan]

The man had to feed his guest.

[David]

My king, but the rich man has plenty. Why steal from the poor man who only has one? The gall. As the Lord lives, he deserves death for his injustice. I swear by the God of Israel, he shall restore the lamb fourfold. What heartless brute. What monster would do such a thing? Who is this man?

[Nathan]

You are that man, David.

[Narrator]

It was like the crack of thunder. David froze. Then Nathan rose. Slowly, deliberately, he lifted his hand and pointed at the king. His voice dropped low and thunderous as a judge's gavel.

[Nathan]

Thus says the Lord, God of Israel and God of justice, I anointed you king over this nation. I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you this house, this kingdom, this crown. And had that not been enough, I would have given you more. Yet you have despised my word. You have done what is evil in my sight. You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword of your enemies. You took his wife, his only treasure, and made her your own.

[David]

Ethan. Lord, I. I just.

[Nathan]

Silence. Hear now the judgment of the Lord, O giant slayer. The sword shall never leave your house. Blood shall answer blood. Because you have dealt in violence, so too shall violence rise in your own walls. I will raise evil against you from your own kin. And your w you thought secure in silence, will take lovers before all Israel to see you sinned in secret, David. But your punishment will stand in the sun for every one of you. With their own eyes.

[Narrator]

David crumpled, the words crashing over him like a tidal wave. Judgment had come, and it bore the voice of God. Tears streamed down his face and a wretched sob escaped his lips, quiet and broken like a dying harp string.

[David]

I have sinned before the Lord. I have no excuse, no cloak. Oh, sacrifice. Only guilt.

[Narrator]

Nathan did not scold him. The prophet's stern gaze softened. He knelt beside the fallen king, placing a calloused hand on David's shoulder. His voice, though cracked with age, came like balm over a wound.

[Nathan]

I have heard the tenderness in the Lord's voice when he speaks of you, young David. You're his. The Lord has taken away your sin. You shall not die. Your kingdom will remain. His mercy, though undeserved, is yours still.

[Narrator]

But then Nathan's hand tightened on David's shoulders. David peered up finally meeting the old man's gaze. Nathan's eyes were filled with tears as he spoke. His lip quivered, his voice cracking, as he delivered God's decree.

[Nathan]

Nevertheless, because you have given cause for the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme his name, and because your deceit has borne sorrow and scandal in the house of Israel, the child born to you out of this treachery, this child conceived in blood, in silence. The child shall not live.

[Narrator]

David's eyes widened, wild with disbelief. The prophet said, no more. He stood, turned, and walked from the garden like the closing of a judgment. No further word came from his lips. David remained, his body hunched and trembling. The air felt colder now, though the sun climbed higher. He pressed his palms into the earth, shaking as the truth rooted itself within him.

[David]

The child will die. Not for his sake, but for mine. Where have I gone? Who have I become?

[Narrator]

Weeks turned to months, and David moved through the halls of his house like a ghost, a man only half awake to the world. Jerusalem bloomed around him, but he saw none of it. As Bathsheba's belly swelled with life, so too did David's dread. He would sit beside her at night, pressing his hand gently to her stomach, feeling the stirring of the child.

[David]

Oh, little one, how I pray the Lord does not follow through with his word.

[Narrator]

Tears streamed down his cheeks. Bathsheba's pain was even greater.

[Bathsheba]

We love you, sweet child, even if you will not be ours for more than a breath. You are loved.

[Narrator]

When the ninth month came, Bathsheba's cries shattered the silence of the king's house. The labor was long, 16 hours of blood and agony. David paced the corridor beyond the chamber door like a man on trial, fingers knotted in his hair, ears straining to each scream that echoed from his wife. The sounds were unbearable. He collapsed against the stone wall, hands covering his ears, muttering, my God, my.

[David]

God, please keep them safe. Please, God, keep them safe.

[Narrator]

Then, at last, silence. David leapt to his feet and threw open the door. Inside, Bathsheba lay drenched in sweat, pale as death, but breathing. In her arms, she held a baby boy swaddled in linen. The child's hair was ruddy like David's own, but he made no sound. David knelt beside them. The babe's breath was shallow, his chest rising only faintly.

[Bathsheba]

He won't cry. He won't cry, David. He doesn't have the strength.

[Narrator]

Bathsheba tried to nurse him, cradling the child with trembling arms. They both knew the room that should have rejoiced with singing was filled instead with the aching hush of coming death. David rose slowly. He turned his gaze to the door.

[Bathsheba]

Where are you going?

[David]

I'm going to wrestle with the Lord.

[Narrator]

He cast off his royal robes, the robes of Jonathan. They fell to the cold stone floor. David left the house for the open court, where the dust churned up with each step. The sun's warmth had left with the light of dusk. It was just David and the Lord alone, out in the open. David's heart felt torn asunder. He thought of his path to the throne, his victories, his failures. In all of it, he had been attuned to the heart of God. But in the last year, his heart had been shut off to the voice of Yahweh. But now the channels were pried open by grief and judgment. David wailed to the heavens, arms outstretched.

[David]

Here I am, Lord. You have my attention.

[Narrator]

Then he collapsed into the dust, face buried in the ground. His voice moaned low like an injured beast. He wept, tore at his hair, clawing at the dirt as though digging up his soul. He begged, he pleaded, he howled.

[David]

Save my child. I beg you, Lord.

[Narrator]

Night turned again today, then back to night. David did not rise. He remained there, outside, exposed to the elements. He refused bread, refused broth, and drank only what little water he needed to survive. Beneath him, the soil had turned to mud from his own weeping. He fasted not to twist God's hand, but to submit himself to his mercy. Benaiah was the one to approach regularly.

[Benaiah]

My lord, eat. Rise, or you will perish.

[Narrator]

But David remained. Through burning noontide sun and the chill of midnight winds, he did not stir. His lips mumbled prayers between gasps. His body grew frail, his skin drawn, but still he remained. And then, on the seventh day, Benaiah came again with Jashabin. He stood at a distance. They whispered among themselves.

[Benaiah]

What shall we do? If we tell him, we may lose what is left of him.

[David]

He must know that Sheba needs him.

[Narrator]

David, ragged and hollow eyed, heard them. He had not spoken since the sixth day. Now, as the first fingers of dawn reached over the city walls, David turned his face to the breeze. For the first time in what felt like years, he felt the Lord's nearness. He rose. His knees buckled, and Jashabin rushed to catch him.

[David]

Is my son dead? Yes, my king.

[Narrator]

He is. David nodded once, slow and weary, then turned and limped back into the palace like a man returning from war. Inside his chamber, he found a basin and poured the water himself. It was warm, fragrant with herbs and oils. He bathed in silence, letting the heat soak into his flesh, peeling Away the grime, the dust, the shame. His skin was raw from days in the sun, his body brittle from starvation. But the balm eased his wounds like a lover's touch. Afterward, he opened a vial of oil and poured it over his head. The scent of cedar and frankincense filled the room, wrapping around him like a cloak. For the first time in many days, he breathed deeply. His men waited just beyond the threshold, eyes downcast, their whispers hushed. David opened the door and looked upon them. The man they saw was not the same who had fallen to the floor in despair. This was a king again, cleansed and clothed.

[David]

Benaiah, would you mind asking the servants to bring me something to eat?

[Narrator]

Soon David was seated alone, eating cured meats, fresh figs, and warm bread. His fingers trembled as he tore the loaf apart, and each bite brought life back to his limbs. Benaiah and Jasherbeam sat slowly at the table beside him, looking at him, then at each other. David gave them a weak smile.

[David]

Speak your mind, friends.

[Benaiah]

I don't understand, David. You fasted and wept while the child yet lived. And now he is dead. You rise, wash, eat.

[David]

Why now it looks as if you're celebrating his death. Why mourn before and feast after? It makes no sense. David.

[Narrator]

David looked up. His eyes were hollow but steady while.

[David]

The boy still breathed. I prayed and fasted, for who was I to say the Lord might not show mercy? Perhaps he would let the child live.

[Narrator]

David tore another piece of bread. Softer now, his voice steady now the child is gone.

[David]

Shall I fast and wail still? Can my grief call him back from Sheol? No. One day I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. So I will eat, I will gather strength. I will go to my wife and give her comfort. And then? Then I will return to my God.

[Narrator]

David rose from the table and retrieved his lyre, untouched these many weeks. He cradled the instrument like a child. The wind whispered through the open window, cool and honest. He sat by the sill, the rays of the sun drawing gold through his graying hair. His fingers, bruised and calloused, found the strings again. And then, from cracked lips and a voice worn by dust and prayer, a psalm rose up, half song, half confession, sung from the depths of a king's shattered soul.

[David]

Have mercy on me, O God, in the shelter of your steadfast love, in the greatness of your compassion, wipe away the record of my wrongs, wash me clean from all my guilt and from my sin, make me pure again. Against you only you have I rebelled. What I've Done lies open before you. You are just in your sentence, faultless in your judgment. You seek truth in the deepest places. And in the quiet heart you whisper wisdom. Purge me and I shall be clean. Wash me, I'll be whiter than snow. Let me once more hear joy, gladness. Let these shattered bones dance again. Turn your face, face away from my feelings. Erase every trace of my wrong. Created me a heart that is new. Set a steadfast spirit within me. You don't desire offerings from the fire. If you did, I would bring them. But what you see is a spirit undone, a heartbroken and humbled. This you will not turn away. May your kindness bless Zion once more. Let your delight rebuild Jerusalem's walls.

[Narrator]

When David's voice at last fell to silence, the only sound that lingered was the gentle strum of his lyre's final chord and the rustling breeze stirring the garden leaves. He let the instrument rest in his lap. His eyes lifted skyward as if waiting for a response from heaven. But none came in wind nor fire, only stillness, and within it, a peace he had not felt in many months. Then he saw her. Bathsheba. Standing in the threshold, barefoot, her hands clasped before her. Her eyes were rimmed red from weeping and her veil hung loose about her shoulders.

[David]

She hurt.

[Bathsheba]

I. I heard every word.

[Narrator]

She stepped across the floor in silence. And when she reached him, she sat at his feet, not beside him. Where his shame had once driven her away, now his repentance called her close.

[Bathsheba]

Play it again for me. For my heart.

[Narrator]

David plucked the strings again. He sang his psalm a second time, not as a confession, but as a covenant, a song of sorrow and healing, of contrition and renewal. And Bathsheba listened with her head bowed, her fingers tracing the hem of his robe, her heart breaking open and beginning slowly to mend. Time passed. Their grief did not vanish, but it gave way to something else, something gentler, forged in fire. Love. Unity. Not born of desire, but of understanding, of sorrow and shared guilt. In time, Bathsheba bore David another son, a child born not of secrecy, but of grace. They named him Solomon.

[Yael Eckstein]

This story, it undoes me. I'm a mother, and I can't hear it without feeling breathless. My arms ache when I imagine Batsheva clutching that baby. My chest tightens when I picture David alone in the courtyard, face in the dust, praying for a miracle that never arrived, arrives. We read this as a story about kings and prophets. But beneath all the grandeur is a nursery that goes quiet. And I want to rage. I want to say, why Take that Child, I want to protest on Bathsheba's behalf, to storm the gates of heaven with my questions. Every grieving parent has whispered in the dark, and yet even in my ache, I hear the whisper of something deeper. But first, let's back up. David sinned. And because of this, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront the king of Israel for his sin. And to frame his meeting with the king, Nathan chooses to tell a story about a rich man who, despite having everything he could ever desire, stole a poor neighbor's only sheep to provide a feast for a guest. David heard this story, and he was enraged. David ordered that the poor man be repaid quadruple for what the rich man had taken from him. And King David said that the rich man must die. That is when Nathan dropped the bombshell. You are the man, the prophet told the king. Rebuked and wrong. All David could reply was, I have sinned against the Lord. David was heartbroken, not just because of the punishment he had earned, but because of the damage that he'd done to his relationship with God. David had reached the lowest point in his life. And then he did something remarkable. He used rock bottom as a springboard to propel himself upward. David turned his heartbreak into Psalm 51, which he penned in response. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart. You, God will not despise, David wrote. He understood the value of a broken spirit and a broken heart. And the psalm continues, you do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it. You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. Here, David declares that a broken spirit is even greater than an offering brought to the holy Temple. Now, to fully appreciate what David was saying, we need to understand the sacrifice. In Jewish worship during Bible times, sacrifice coupled with sincere repentance cleansed the Jewish people of sin. It brought joy to their hearts and it inspired their souls. So what David is saying in this psalm is that a broken spirit is an even greater way to achieve what the sacrifice does. A broken spirit can lead to forgiveness and restore our relationship with God. A broken heart, when given over to God, can bring us even closer to him than we were before. So the message for us is not to despair over our sadness or our brokenness. Instead, let's embrace those feelings and, like David, use them to raise ourselves up even higher. And after all of this, God forgave David. The prophet Nathan said so with his own lips when he told the king, the Lord has taken away your sin. But still the child died.

[Narrator]

Why?

[Yael Eckstein]

Because if David had walked away from this untouched. If the consequences had vanished with the confession, what kind of man would he have become? He was already unraveling, already numb to the weight of blood, already soothing his conscience. Another year, another hidden sin, another loyal friend sent to die. God spared David from that. And God did so with his mercy. That made it so. David could never pretend it didn't matter. Think back to that story of the Tower of Babel. The people wanted to build a tower that would scrape the sky. They longed for permanence, for fame, for divinity. And so God scattered them. He divided their tongues. He destroyed their plans. It felt like judgment, but it was mercy. Because if they had reached the heavens on their own terms, they would have sealed their fate with pride, never realizing how far they'd wander from the garden. So God stopped them before they became unredeemable, before their unity hardened into defiance. And in today's story, we see that same mercy. David's house would bear the stain of his sin. But David's soul. His soul would come back. And David would begin again. From that beginning came Solomon. Wisdom born from sorrow. C.S. lewis once said, we can ignore even pleasure, but pain insists upon being attended to. God whispers in our pleasures, speaks in our conscience, but shouts in our pain. David heard that shout. Sometimes that painful shout is the only thing that will turn our faces towards heaven again, isn't it? Within the agony of today's Bible story, there is return. Within its judgment, there is healing. Teshuvah. Repentance changes a person, just as it changed David. Jewish tradition has suggested that this episode from David's life is a model for repentance in our own lives. No matter how grievously we've sinned, if we sincerely repent and change our ways, then the gates of forgiveness are always open. So if you've walked into a season like David's, take heart. God hasn't left you. The silence may feel cruel, but it could be the space he's clearing for your return. And when that return and that holy healing comes, sing it out loud like David. With blessings from the Holy Land.

[Paul Coltofianu]

You can listen to the Chosen People with Yael Eckstein ad free by downloading and subscribing to the pray.com app today. This prey.com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Catena, Max Bard, Zach Schellewager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of the Chosen People with Jael Eckstein. Edited by Alberto Avila Narrated by Paul Coltofianu Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotton, Aaron Salvato Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwald, Sylvia zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Jr. Rosanna Pilcher and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith. Written by Aaron Salvato, Bree Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin Van Etten, Caleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Pray.com productions on the Pray.com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed the Chosen People with Yael Eckstein, please rate and leave a review.

[Yael Eckstein]

This is an iHeart podcast.