Revelations from the Word

Image: Camilla Monsen

The book of 2 Samuel tells the account of King David’s sordid affair with Bathsheeba. For a leader who was a ‘man after God’s own heart’ David’s actions were a complete abuse of power.

The story goes like this: David sees Bathsheeba bathing. He summons her. Sleeps with her. She falls pregnant. David then goes to unbridled lengths to cover his sin. First, he invites Bathsheeba’s husband home from war in the hopes that he sleeps with her. He doesn’t. He then has him over for dinner, intoxicates him, in the hopes that he sleeps with her… he doesn’t. And in a final effort to make right what he had wronged he breaks commandment number six. He orders that Bathsheeba’s husband, Uriah be put in the front line of battle. Uriah Dies. Problem solved.

A little while later God sends the profit Nathan to confront David. Nathan recounts a parable. He says, there was a rich man with many flocks and a poor man with only one lamb whom he loved very much. One day the rich man had a guest and instead of slaughtering his own, he stole the poor man’s one lamb and killed it for his guests. Upon hearing this David burned with anger saying, the rich man should die! Nathan responded - that rich man is you!

Three important things to note:

1.) God Sees!
I love the parable Nathan tells David. It puts David in the shoes of the abused. David looks at his sin from a different angle. Arguably, God’s angle. David feels the emotions of what God just witnessed. And he realises that even though he covered up his sin. God sees! What’s the point of hiding our sin from man when the Creator of the universe sees?

2.) Sin has inescapable consequences.
When God introduces himself to the Israelites he says, “But he does not leave the sin unpunished - punishing to the third and fourth generations.” The sin in our lives has inescapable consequences. Nathan pronounces those consequences.

3.) God is gracious.
The book of Deuteronomy states countless times how murder is punishable by death. In David’s response to Nathan’s parable, he say’s the rich man deserves to die. But God shows mercy to a man who pronounced his own verdict! God spares David’s life.

By Cyle