Darkness will be exposed by the light

 2 Samuel 12:1-15

Has God ever sent a person to confront you about sin in your life?  I recall a time when a man who I did not know sat next to me at a men’s luncheon and in a very casual way said Bob, anytime there is trouble between a husband and wife it is always the man’s fault.  My first thought was, who has been talking to him, how would he know what I’ve been thinking?  I did not listen to his counsel, but it became clear that God had spoken to him about my thought life and the trouble I was heading for.  Today, we will look at Nathan the prophet of God coming to David to tell him a story of a wealthy man who has a traveler come to visit and though he has many sheep and cattle he goes and takes the only one from the poor man and has it prepared for his guest.  The lamb of the poor man was more like a member of the family than an asset, as was the rich man.

This is the account in Scripture; “And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

What is your reaction to this story, are you a little shocked by the actions of the rich man?  Listen to his reply; “Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

Be sure that what you do in darkness will be exposed by the light, for it's written, your sin will find you out.  David passed a hard judgment only to find out he had condemned him.  This is Nathan’s reply from the Lord; “Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.”

In Verse 15 the verdict has been spoken and Nathan goes home, and the son born to David by Bathsheba became sick.

From the Back Porch,

Bob Rice