October 8, 2021
Please use the comment section on this page to share insights from today’s reading OR your own personal Bible reading.
Reading along with us in 2 Samuel? Here’s today’s reading:
2 Samuel 12 (NIV)
Nathan Rebukes David
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...........Continue Reading
As expected punishment does come to David. I love the way Nathan gets David to see his sin through the parable…so many times it is easy to see sin in someone else’s life and we find excuses or justification for the sin in our own and this parable ending with “You are this man” was the realization David needed not because he didn’t know he has sinned but because he was able to temporarily justify it in his mind.
While there is punishment in the death of David’s son, there is also so much forgiveness in this chapter. God gives them a second son and David is restored into battle where he should have been all along.
David learned a hard lesson and vengeance belongs to the Lord.
2 Samuel 12
This is such an important chapter that shows that God does not take sin lightly and yet shows grace to us as well. It also shows that we need others at times to help us see our sin for what it is because of our tendency to rationalize and justify it. What a great picture Nathan provides for David and it is neat to see that God is the one who sends him to David to give it. It is funny that we can see sin and circumstances one way, but when we see it cast in a different light, the scales of deception come off. How hard and yet important it was for David (and us for that matter) to hear “you are the man”. How important it is for us to see the judgement that David receives for what he has done…what you have done in secret, I will judge publicly….ouch! And it will come in spades to David as we read the rest of this book.
But then God is merciful and gracious. He restores David and takes sin away as well. David and Bathsheba have another son and God loves Him special…even gives him a special name to prove it. And Joab shows himself a good friend here. He gets David back in the game if you will by throwing the gauntlet down and challenging him to get back in battle. Yup, it’s a guy thing that the ladies might understand as well….
I saw some things here that I hadn’t really noticed before.
“However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.” We live our lives for Christ, not just because of what He has done for us, not to acquire salvation, but also because our hypocrisy gives ammunition to the enemy.
And he said, “While the child was alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who can tell whether the Lord will be gracious to me, that the child may live?’ Even though Nathan told David what God intended to do about his son, David still held out for the potential grace that God might extend. I think this shows that God does indeed, if He so wills, change His mind.
“Then David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in to her and lay with her. So she bore a son, and he called his name Solomon. Now the Lord loved him, 25 and He sent word by the hand of Nathan the prophet: So he called his name Jedidiah, because of the Lord.”
It seems that God did change His mind in that He was not happy that David took Bathsheba as his wife, He still forgave David, blessed them with another son, and beyond that, loved and blessed that son.
Hey Amy, I’m thinking not so much changing His mind but expressing the two sides to His addressing sin in our lives….discipline on one hand and grace on the other.
Yes, that makes sense.