2nd Samuel 12:7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus, saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 9 Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.
Like Achan, David also tried to cover up his sins. Achan hid the Babylonish garment, with the shekels of gold and silver in his tent, and David tries unsuccessfully, to drug Uriah, so that the adulterous deed could remain a secret, or so he thought. A whole year passes by, David marries Bathsheba, and everything seems to be kept under wraps until God sends Nathan to corner David.
When David is confronted by Nathan, he confesses his sin, when Achan is confronted by Joshua he confesses his sin, and thus the obvious looming question is “what’s the difference? Why, in one instance one is forgiven, and in another instance one’s confession is rejected?
Before folks get all riled up at what might seem to some as a disconnect in God’s justice and mercy, in sparing and forgiving David, while taking out Achan, we must remember those words God uttered in the case of Achan: “In the Morning”
2nd Samuel 12:13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
May The Lord add His blessing to the study of His word. God bless!