YOU ARE THE MAN! - 2 SAMUEL 12

 

David And Nathan The Prophet

12:1-15

If we read the last verse of chapter 11 with the first verse of chapter 12, it reads: “But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. And the LORD sent Nathan to David” 

David may have thought he had gotten away with his sins, or at least put them behind him. But, he had not dealt with his sin, confessing and repenting. So, the Lord came to him through the prophet. 

The passage does not specifically how long David had gone without repentance, but if we interpret verse 14 to mean the child had already been born when Nathan came to David, it had been at least 8-9 months. That is a long time to be out of fellowship with God. 

So, God’s sending Nathan to David was an act of grace. God did not allow his servant remain in sin, but sent conviction to David via the prophet. Certainly, there was judgment. But, God cared about David’s sanctification and worked in David for it. He does the same for us, sometimes through the Holy Spirit bringing conviction of sin through God’s word. Sometimes it is by a person bringing a sin to your attention. 

God constantly works in us for our sanctification. (Philippians 1:6)

Nathan told David a parable about a rich man and a poor man. The rich man had many sheep. the poor man only had one and he loved her. But the rich man took it from the poor man to feed a guest at a feast.

David was incensed. He ordered the rich man to restore four times as much as he had taken. This was the law. (Exodus 22:1) He also said the rich man deserved to die for his actions. (5-6) This was the punishment for adultery under the Old Covenant law. (Leviticus 20:10-12; Deuteronomy 22:22)

Nathan famously replied: “You are the man!” (7) David had condemned himself. 

David had many wives and  concubines. God said he gave David everything. He made him king, delivered him from Saul, gave him Saul’s possessions and wives, and, if this were too little, He would have added much more to David. (7-9)

Uriah had only one wife. David had taken her just as the rich man had taken the poor man’s lamb. 

God described David’s sin as despising God and his word. (9-10) He also said David had utterly scorned him. Certainly, he had despised God’s word by ruthlessly violating the commandments against covetousness, adultery, and murder. He had also despised God’s words of promise and blessing by considering them insufficient.By despising God’s word, David despised God. (10)

To his credit, David admitted (confessed) his sin when confronted. (13) And  God put away, or forgave David’s sin. That is in accordance with what 1 John 1:9 tells us. But, God did impose consequences. He did not give David a pass even though he loved him and anointed him as king. 

The consequences were severe.

First, because David killed Uriah, David’s house would be continually subject to violence. That is what he means by “the sword shall never depart from your own house”. (10)

This was fulfilled repeatedly. David’s son Ammon raped his sister, Tamar. Then Absalom murdered Ammon. Absalom was later killed after rebelling against David. Solomon executed Adonijah, the oldest son, for attempting to take the throne. (1 Kings 2) In succeeding generations, more violence came to the house of David.

Second, because David took Uriah’s wife, another would take David’s wives and concubines. Although David did this in private, God would do this in public. This was fulfilled by Absalom during his revolt, when he had sex with David’s concubines in a tent on the roof of the king’s house. (2 Samuel 16:20-23)

Third, and finally, the child of David born to Bathsheba, would die. (15) David was excused from death, but a son of David died because of David’s sin. This pattern is repeated with Jesus. 

The Child Dies

12:15-23

The child soon became ill. David fasted and slept on the ground. He wept. The thought it possible that God might, in return, give him grace and let the child live. But, the child died as the Lord had said he would. 

When the child died, David got up from the ground, ate food, and cleaned himself up. His advisers were confused. David explained that once the child died, he could do nothing else to try and help him. 

But then David did a remarkable thing. He went to the place where the ark was kept and he worshiped God. He had accepted the consequences of his sin and the sovereignty of God to impose them. 

God did extend further grace to David, though. He gave him a son with Bathsheba. This was Solomon, who would succeed David on the throne. God gave him his own name, Jedidiah. It meant “beloved of the LORD”. God would love him and make him king. 

Takeaways

God cares about our sanctification and works with us for it. 

God forgives sin.

He may, however, allow us to experience the consequences of our sin.

This is God’s discipline of his sons - designed to make us holy. (Hebrews 12:3-17) I encourage you to read the passage in Hebrews. 

Godspeed.