What transpired next? The transgressing husband recognized his wrongdoing, humbled himself, was filled with deep sorrow, confessed his transgressions, and mourned his iniquity. His heart turned in repentance as he sought forgiveness, stripping away his royal adornments, casting aside his golden garments, rich purple robes, and crown. He underwent a transformation in both heart and appearance: he renounced his royalty and its trappings, donning the attire typical of a repentant wanderer, where desolation became his shield.
He suffered through fasting, endured thirst that left him parched, wept abundantly, and isolated himself in solitude. Thus, this king, renowned and revered, whose sanctity surpassed his earthly authority, whose esteemed merits were unmatched, found himself unable to evade the consequence of his actions, even though his plea for forgiveness was heartfelt. The result of his profound sorrow was that he was spared from eternal condemnation. Yet, total absolution eluded him in this life. What did the prophet communicate to the contrite? "Because you have given your enemies reason to blaspheme the Lord through this act, the child born to you shall die." Beyond the deep anguish of losing his son, God aimed for the grieving father to grasp the full weight of his punishment, understanding that the grief he bore was rooted in the very crime that led to the demise of his beloved child, conceived in sin and taken by the consequence of that sin.
THEOSIS