NATHAN TELLS DAVID: “YOU ARE THE MAN!”
2 Samuel 12:1-15
Then Nathan said to David, “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. (7-8)
chapter 12
1. The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor.
2. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle,
3. 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.
4. "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."
5. David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this must die!
6. He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."
7. Then Nathan said to David, "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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. 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.’
11. "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.
12. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’"
13. Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.
14. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the LORD, the son born to you will die."
15. After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
1. More than an obedient friend like Joab, we need a friend like Nathan, sent by God. Pastor Nathan knew his friend David – what would move his heart. His sermon was unadorned and simple but elicited the right response in David: outrage that a person so privileged would take advantage of his neighbor so callously. When we hear about others, we too often respond with David’s religious indignation.
2. But Nathan brings the story from one of religious indignation to personal accountability: “You are the man!” God’s word isn’t history, doctrines, and principles; it is about people – you and me – who I am and what I have done; who you are and what you have done. We need a Nathan to speak truth to us in love (Eph 4:15), so we realize God’s word is speaking to us, to our sin – to help us see God’s broken heart over our condition, and how we despised God’s gifts and his words, as David did.
3. David’s words, “I have sinned against the LORD,” are not fatalistic. As we read in Psalm 51, they are the proper response to God’s rebuke. Only when we know we are sinners does repentance give hope of forgiveness! God forgave David. He would still have to suffer the consequences of his actions; the boy would die.
Prayer: Father, you desire a broken and contrite heart. Strip away my religious indignation and lead me to sincere repentance before you today.
One Word: Restore the joy of my salvation today