Day 58: 2 Samuel 12:1-12

“Why then have you despised the command of the Lord by doing what I consider evil?” (v. 9).

This chapter is difficult and painful. The scene unfolds with Nathan sent to confront David’s sin. We can take a lesson from this already. We need to be careful not to confront for any other reason than sin. Galatians 6:1 records one of the reasons: “Watch yourself, or you also may be tempted.”

Nathan was God’s man for this job, but he still needed the Lord’s protection and leadership as he confronted the powerful, persuasive king. He probably dreaded his appointment like the plague, but he was obedient to the will of God.

When the prophet Nathan confronted David, he used a method any good preacher might have used. He used an illustration familiar to his hearer, and then drove the illustration home with the Word of God. Nathan’s rebuke was God’s way of saying to David, in effect, “I anointed you, delivered you, gave you Saul’s kingdom and all that belonged to him. If you had needed more, I would have given it. But you didn’t ask me for things I longed to give to you. Instead you took something that wasn’t yours.”

Nathan’s method struck an immediate chord with David. David was ready to fine the man in Nathan’s story “four times over” and kill him—until he found out he was the man!

What was God trying to accomplish? I believe He wanted David to recognize the grace of God in the midst of the grave consequences of his sin. God wanted David to recognize that he deserved to die. Bathsheba also deserved death, according to Hebrew law. So did Joab for setting up another person’s death. God allowed David to sit as judge over his own life and pronounce a death sentence on himself so his heavenly Father could grant him the undeserved gift of life. No doubt, David never forgot that moment.

God was teaching the way to the Messiah through His chosen king. Through David’s victories, God taught something of Himself. Now, through David’s failures, God would teach the very foundation of all salvation—God will forgive the sinner, but He will still judge the sin. Because of David’s sin, God said “the sword will never depart from your house” (v. 10). Ominous and predictive words indeed.