IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

Daily Bread

Nathan Tells David: “you Are the Man!”

Date: Sep. 25, 2024

Passage

2 Samuel 12:1-15 (ESV)

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.” 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.”

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. 10 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.’ 11 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. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” 13 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. 14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child who is born to you shall die.” 15 Then Nathan went to his house.

And the LORD afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick.

Daily Bread

Key Verse: 12:7-8

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.

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.

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.

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

Daily Bread

Follow Jesus’ Wisdom Each Day

2 Samuel 14:18-33

Key Verse: 14:24

And the king said, “Let him dwell apart in his own house; he is not to come into my presence.” So Absalom lived apart in his own house and did not come into the king’s presence.

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