How often have you watched those who seem to have the world by the tail? This is an idiom used for those who appear to be highly successful, contented, and happy in life. In today’s lesson, David the King of Israel has worked a plan that has gained him a wife and a son. The end result of Davids’s sin and deceit will come, but at this time David feels all is well. He is living his life as the King of Israel and preparing for another child. In a matter of minutes, his world changes. In II Samuel chapter 12 we find Nathan the prophet of God coming to see David. God is about to get his attention!
In verses 1-4, Nathan tells David of a rich man and a poor man. The rich man had great wealth, huge flocks, and herds and he was living a good life. The poor man had one little lamb. He cherished the one lamb, he tenderly took care of it, his children loved it and it became like family to him and his family. Then one day the rich man took the poor man’s lamb and killed it to feed a traveler. As David listened to Nathan’s story, anger begin to swell up within him. How could a man who had so much, take from one who had so little? In verse 5, David has had all he can stand and pronounces a death sentence on this man.
II Samuel 12:1-6 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveler unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD lives, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
While David had many admirable qualities and loved God, he failed to see how serious his own sin was. He did not see the effect his sin had on his testimony of his God. In his eyes, the world would not know this baby was his. He had brought Bathsheba to be his wife after her husband had been killed in battle and now, he would raise the child as his own. Instead of repenting David covered his sin, but he forgot that God knows all, and God uses his baby to get his attention. In verse 7, Nathan reveals to David that he is the guilty one! I’m sure during this time God’s prophet, Nathan, wept over David’s choices. He reminds David that God had anointed him king over Israel, delivered him from death by the sword of Saul, gave him the kingdom to rule over it, and now he has taken what belonged to another man. In verse 8, God says if that were not enough, He would have given him more. He didn’t need to yield to his sinful desires.
II Samuel 12:7-11 “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; And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. 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. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus, saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbor, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.”
God pronounces his judgment on David’s sin. What David schemed to cover up, God will now reveal. In verse 14, through Nathan God tells David the life of this baby that was conceived in sin will die. God would not take David’s life, but David would suffer at the death of his child.
II Samuel 12:12-14 “For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. 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. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.”
God got David’s attention. He loved David enough to get his attention before it was too late. David’s sin was a reproach on God, and it gave occasion for the enemies of God to mock and not believe that God was real. David repented and went on to be a great king, but the scars of his sin would always be with him.
The consequences of our sin will come, no matter how discrete we may think we are, no matter how insignificant we think our sins are, there will be consequences. God is a loving God, but He is also a holy God. He allows us to suffer the consequences and carry the scars because He is seeking to bring us to himself. When a child runs in the street a father doesn’t spank him because he hates him, he does it because he loves him. He is trying to save his life from the destruction of an oncoming car. God is always seeking to draw us closer to Himself because He is seeking what is best for us. There is a verse in Numbers 32:23 that I taught my boys while they were very young, in hopes that it would warn them that their disobedience to God would be known. “Be sure your sin will find you out.”
Numbers 32:23 “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the LORD: and be sure your sin will find you out.”
