REBUKE FROM NATHAN

REBUKE FROM NATHAN

When a rebuke from Nathan addressed David with his sin, David seemed to behave similar to a lot of us.  He appeared to be totally oblivious to how deep and how bad his sins had become.  Humans have a tendency to point fingers quickly when everyone else commits a sin. In complete contrast, we overlook our own sinful situations. It is easier to think of these secret sins as just being common human nature.

However, common human nature doesn’t justify sin. We like to think our own secret sins are just something that normally happens to everyone in day-to-day life.  Everything about reality gets downplayed in our minds. That is exactly how the enemey likes for us to think.

We tend to blindly excuse ourselves, or never take full examination of the actions that spring from our hearts.  This must have been where David was living on the day the rebuke from Nathan came to him.

PROPHETS HAVE HARD JOBS

I do want to notice the fact that Nathan approached David. It really should have been the other way around. Another human tendency is to look the other way and ignore another man’s sins.  Nathan probably didn’t really want to approach David.

Depending on the situation, sometimes this tendency to ignore the sins of others can actually be for the best. Actually, the faults of others isn’t usually any of our business.  A man’s sins are between him and God, right? After all, we can’t make another person feel regret. Nor can we offer forgiveness when they do.  That is God’s place. We are NOT God.

However, Nathan’s rebuke was right on target with God’s will. If you are going to bring up another’s sins, make sure you are within God’s will for that person at that time. Nathan was a prophet. Most of us are not prophets. More than that, Nathan was a prophet of The King. His discernment was keen and proven over the years. Nathan knew exactly how to listen to YHVH and obey His voice.

A HUGE RESPONSIBILITY

On first glance you might think Nathan’s rebuke was just Nathan being nosey. It might have looked as though he was sticking his nose into David’s business.  Not so.  Again, Nathan was a prophet.  Prophets have a responsibility to inform the King of anything they perceive to be threatening to the Kingdom.  When a King, no matter how beloved, is out of God’s will, he is a threat to the kingdom.

Not only was Nathan a prophet, but clearly the LORD had spoken to him. YHVH told Nathan to go to David. This is what mattered. There is no higher authority. It would have been wrong of Nathan to ignore this.  Further, it is doubtful that he wanted the task.

I can imagine Nathan agonizing over which words to use.  He might have spent hours in prayer asking for what kind of effective approach to use when he spoke to David. Consequently, I thought the approach Nathan used was very good.  He didn’t attack David as a person. The prophet merely opened the door for a conversation about the type of sin David had committed.  This seemed a very fatherly and compassionat approach.

NATHAN’S STORY

As a side-note, I think Nathan would be an excellent counselor for teens. Walking on egg-shells is not easy for anyone. Nathan did this well. He could approach a subject tenderly, without condemnation, yet make the point properly and exactly. This approach encourages active listening. David was at a place of needing to listen.

These are the words Nathan used in his conversation with The King, ““There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

“Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

REMEMBERING THE LAMB

Do you think the words about how the poor man loved the little ewe lamb could have reminded David of Passover? In those ancient times lambs were sacrificed as firstfruits offerings every Passover. The Passover lambs lived for several days with the family who would sacrifice it. The children played with the lamb. The lamb stayed with them in their homes. So many parallel thoughts here. Having been a shepherd in his youth, David knew many details about the spiritual significance of lambs. He must have understood that the lamb was sacrificed in the place of the Messiah to come. Nathan could have used an example of a puppy or a kitten, but no, he used a lamb.

Also, Nathan’s telling of this parable-type story reminds me of Jesus addressing his disciples.  The approach to the topic is one that immediately catches your attention, but doesn’t point any fingers.  This whole conversation is preceived simply as a story, or a parable. The teller’s design is to teach a concept. However, it does give the person listening a strong feeling of distinction between what is right and what is wrong. Was Nathan hoping for David’s usual keen discernment to kick in? At any rate, once a concept is laid out, it is easier for the person listening to internalize the message.

DAVID’S REPLY

David definitely felt the story.  He became angry when he heard of the rich man taking the poor man’s only lamb to serve as a meal when he had great provision of his own.  Something rose up in him and David reacted in anger.  His words back to Nathan were, “, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

This was just the reaction Nathan was looking to find from David.  At that point he looked sadly into David’s eyes and said, “You are the man!  This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:  ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

REALITY CHECK

Those words must have shot through David’s heart like the enemies arrows, but Nathan had even more to say, “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

The arrows in David’s heart must have twisted tighter.  Nathan knew. Worse, YHVH knew.  How could David have expected no one to find out?  God is always there.  David is well aware of this fact.  God always knows everything.  Why would YHVH hide a King’s sins from his prophets? 

Nathan’s eyes met David’s and David looked down to the ground.  Then he spoke those words no man of God ever wants to speak, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

This is one thing David could still get right. When you have sinned against God there is no excuse. You have sinned. Period. The only course left at that point is to repent. That is exactly what David did. He didn’t mull over the words of Nathan for awhile. He quickly fessed up, told the truth and repented.

DAVID’S REBUKE FROM GOD

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

Can you imagine the horror David felt in that moment? The scriptures tell us after Nathan left the palace, the Lord struck this child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 

I could not help but notice how the words of this scripture of 2 Samuel 12 were worded.  They did not say “David’s wife had borne” when they spoke of this child.  The phrase “Uriah’s wife” was used instead.  This made the matter so plain.  All knew why the Lord was angry with David.

This shows me that God is truly God. His judgements are fair and just. While all of our sympathies are directed toward the guilty David, the LORD is concerned for his humble, obedient servant named Uriah. Ignoring the voice of God and committing sins against your brother will never go unpunished. God’s timing will come around. No person is exempt.

SIMILAR TO PHARAOH, YET DIFFERENT

In this case of David’s son falling ill because of his father’s sins, I cannot help but remember Pharaoh. He too lost a son because of a hard heart which did not consider God’s will and God’s ways. There was one huge difference between David and Pharaoh. David repented. Pharaoh did not.

Even when we are forgiven, sin always brings consequences. However, our actions and our attitude do play a role in how hard those consequences eventually play out. God is always a righteous judge. Yet, some judges can be strict or lenient, depending on the guilt of the person being judged.

Meanwhile, as his son lay ill, David pleaded with God for the child.  He fasted.  This King of Israel spent the next seven days and nights lying in sackcloth on the ground.  All of his elders tried to get him to stand up, but David refused.  He would not take meals with them.  David was broken. His soul was in anguish, and he was sick from the hurt of his own sins.  Every waking moment was spent pleading for the life of this son, but after seven days, the boy died.

DAVID’S NEXT STEPS

Everyone was afraid to tell David.  They were afraid of him doing something desperate.  However, David noticed how they were whispering among themselves and he asked, “Is the child dead?”  They confirmed his fears.

Then, David got up from the ground.  After days of lying in ashes on the ground he washed, put on lotion and clean clothes.  Next, David went outside and walked into the Tabernacle of David and worshiped God Almighty.  David knew something we all should take to heart. God is good. All the time.

AN ASTONISHED STAFF

After he worshiped, David returned to his palace and requested food to eat. His attendants were amazed at this.  They asked, “Why are you acting this way?  While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!”

David’s answer was, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept.  I thought, ‘Who knows?  The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.’  But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting?  Can I bring him back again?  I will go to him, but he will not return to me.”

It seems David had accepted the LORD’S will. This now broken, humbled King was trying to return to the place he had come from. His awareness of God had greatly increased. The importance of his Kingship seemed less and less. All that mattered from this point forward was God’s will. David realized his wrong and he turned away from it. Like a humble child before a giant, he began to pick up all the pieces that were left.

David spent the rest of his time comforting Bathsheba.  He went to her and made love to her.  She conceived again and gave birth to a son.  They named their son Solomon.  The Lord loved Solomon.  Because the Lord loved Solomon, He sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.  Jedidiah means “loved by the Lord.”

A CONCLUDING THOUGHT

There is so much to consider from this story. Momentarily, a great King forgot his King. This was the problem of David. One huge sin took away years of kingly accomplishments. It only takes one. One sin can break a man. Thankfully, as with David, when we repent God repairs our brokeness. He is the God of the brokenhearted.

Another concluding thought is that the child borne to Bathsheba would have been the first son born from David’s loins after God had promised to make him a House. This child should have been the greatest heir, but because of the sins of David, he became the least of all David’s heirs. The House of David could not be ruled by one conceived in such circumstances. It wasn’t about the child, the child was totally innocent. No, it was about the sins of the father of the child. God blessed Solomon instead.

THINGS TO CONSIDER:

VERSE: You may be sure that your sin will find you out. (Numbers 32:23b)

PRAYER: Father, sometimes we make horrible human mistakes without even thinking of the consequences to The Kingdom of Heaven, or the other people around us. When this happens, send us a Nathan. Give us the will to repent and to come clean before You, just as David finally did. Help us to understand the power of fasting before you. Give us the wisdom to know our limits and the strength to not be tempted to sin again.

Help us to stand and be strong again, as happened with David. But, not until we have confessed and mourned before Your throne. Not until we are determined to turn from the evil ways we followed in the past. Thank you for being such a merciful God. You could have taken David’s life, but you chose mercy, grace and love toward him. You blotted his sins from Your book. This child’s life was required for his sins, however, we know one day David will see this son again. They will walk with You forever and have the opportunity to rule together with You in eternity. Thank you God for always knowing the beginning from the end. May your perfect will always be our choice. Amen.

MUSIC TO COMFORT YOUR SOUL: https://youtu.be/2vK82hSH820?si=M47YZLYb11EdKh5_ CASTING CROWNS: The Song of a Broken Heart.