“David and Nathan” – 2 Samuel 12:1-14

On a hot summer day in south Florida, a little boy decided to go for a swim in the old swimming hole behind his house. In a hurry to dive into the cool water, he ran out the back door, leaving behind shoes, socks, and shirt as he went.

He flew into the water, not realizing that as he swam toward the middle of the lake, an alligator was swimming toward the shore.
His father working in the yard saw the two as they got closer and closer together. In utter fear, he ran toward the water, yelling to his son as loudly as he could.

Hearing his voice, the little boy became alarmed and made a U-turn to swim to his father. It was too late. Just as he reached his father, the alligator reached him. From the dock, the father grabbed his little boy by the arms just
as the alligator snatched his legs. That began an incredible tug-of-war between the two. The alligator was much stronger than the father, but the father was much too passionate to let go. A farmer happened to drive by, heard his screams, raced from his truck, took aim and shot the alligator.

Remarkably, after weeks and weeks in the hospital, the little boy survived.
His legs were extremely scarred by the vicious attack of the animal. And, on his arms, were deep scratches where his father’s fingernails dug into his flesh in his effort to hang on to the son he loved.

The newspaper reporter who interviewed the boy after the trauma, asked if he would show him his scars. The boy lifted his pant legs. And then, with obvious pride, he said to the reporter, "But look at my arms. I have great scars on my arms, too. I have them because my Dad wouldn’t let go."  (David Austin)

Some of us have scars because, like that little boy, our Father didn’t let go.  I have lots of scars on my body.  Some are from surgeries and some are from being stupid but I have one scar that reminds me every time I see it that my Heavenly Father didn’t let go.  This little scar right between my eyes is there because…well, let’s just say I was at the wrong place at the wrong time doing the wrong thing.

There are consequences for our sins.  We saw that last week when we looked at David and Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11 and sometimes those sins leave scars on our minds, heart, psyche and even our body.  We get scars because sometimes we are stupid and sometimes they are because our Father won’t let go and sometimes, like this one, it is because, like David in 2 Samuel 12…we are that man.

The prophet Nathan came to David nearly a year after his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah and told him those words.  He said, “You are that man.”  Let’s see why in 2 Samuel 12:1-14.  While you are turning there I will sum up in one sentence what happened in the last chapter.  David also was not where he was supposed to be and gave in to temptation, taking Bathsheba, killing her husband and others and it says in the last verse that the thing David had done displeased the Lord.

Maybe you can relate.  While most of us have never done exactly what David did, we can still relate to displeasing God.  That’s what sin is.  Sin is anything that displeases God and we are all sinners and when we sin, it puts a barrier between us and Holy God.  All the good things God has for us, His mercy, His grace, wisdom, blessings, protection, provision and guidance are on hold to some extent until that barrier is gone. 

Isaiah 59:2 says, "But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hid His face from you, so that He does not hear."  That’s a place you don’t want to be but we all sin so what do we do?

Let’s learn from David’s conversation with the prophet Nathan and from what David does and how he does it.  Look at 2 Samuel 12:1-14.  Let’s read. 

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.  ⁴ “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”  ⁵ David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! ⁶ He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”  ⁷ Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. ⁹ Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’  ¹¹ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. ¹² You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”  ¹³ Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”  Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. ¹⁴ But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

*Pick up hammer*

As I look around here today I can’t help but notice how good God has been to us as a church.  We have been here almost four years in these beautiful surroundings.  Not only do we have the best view off the back patio but we are blessed to have these two beautiful buildings and grounds.  It’s pretty but not too formal.  It’s just the right size.  It’s perfect for us.

We have comfy pews, a good audio / visual system and I love this pulpit.  Did you know this pulpit was once much bigger than it is now but it was cut down several inches so I could see over it?  Seriously.  As a preacher, I am fascinated by pulpits and I love this one.  It’s just right.  It’s pretty but not ornate and gives me plenty of room for notes, Bible, snacks, whatever I need.  God has blessed us with everything we need and so much more.

The problem is that He has also given us free will and while I appreciate that, free will means we often times take the beautiful things God has given us and we turn them into something ugly, sometimes we even destroy them, all because we choose to sin.  That’s what David did. 

God said, “I have given you this and that.  I have protected you and I have provided for you and if you needed more, I would have given it.”  Look at verse 9.  Nathan says, “Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes?”

Every time we sin – big sin, little sin – every time we sin, we despise the word of the Lord.  He has told us what to do and what not to do and displeasing God – sinning – is despising His word and when we despise His word…it always does damage to the beautiful things God has given us.

*Hammer a nail in the front of the pulpit*

It always does damage to the beautiful things God has given us.  How would you feel if you gave your child a valuable gift and they despised it?  Would it really matter how much it cost you?  If you took the time and effort and expense to get your child just the perfect gift for them; a new watch, a phone, a book, or a puppy and they callously drove a nail into it, how would you feel?

Sin always does damage to the beautiful things God has given us.  Yes, even the little sins (as we like to think of them).  Little sins still leave a mark.  They leave a scar.  God told David, the man after God’s own heart, the king of God’s chosen people that I am going to bring calamity on you.  Do you see that in verse 11?

To those of you who think God only “allows” bad things but never causes them, how do you explain this verse?  This is why I say often times that God scares me and it’s not that I cower in fear of Him all the time but it is more than just respect.  He scares me because I see what He is capable of and I don’t ever want to displease Him because of that, if nothing else.

David decrees that the man in Nathan’s parable must pay back four times the amount of what he stole, which is Leviticle law.  It’s what the Old Testament said was the proper judgment.  It is also exactly what David paid for taking the precious lamb, the wife of Uriah to be his own.  Not only did the son of Bathsheba die just a few days later but David also lost three other sons as well.

David’s precious sons Absalom, Amnon and Adonijah all were killed in the prime of their lives.  When God said in verse 10 that the sword will never depart from your house, He meant it.  David paid four-fold!  David also ultimately lost his wives just as God said.  The benefits of obeying God are greater than we can ever know but the consequences of disobeying Him can be worse than we can imagine as well.

The good news is that God waits patiently to forgive us.  1 John 1:9 says, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.”  One good thing I see David do is found in verse 13.  David says, “I have sinned against the Lord.”  Period.  He doesn’t try to explain or justify his actions.  He just admits it.  There is no pride, no excuses, only repentance.

For over nine months, David had been trying to live a lie, suffering from a lack of peace and a lack of God’s fellowship but now he confesses his sin and God forgives him.  God takes away the sin just like taking the nail out of this pulpit.  But there are still consequences, still a scar, still an ugliness in God’s beautiful gift that doesn’t have to be there.

Can you imagine the relief David felt when he repented and received forgiveness?  You don’t have to imagine.  David wrote all about it in Psalm 51.  Turn there and let’s read some of that.

Have mercy on me, O God,
    according to your unfailing love;
according to your great compassion
    blot out my transgressions.
² Wash away all my iniquity
    and cleanse me from my sin.

³ For I know my transgressions,
    and my sin is always before me.
⁴ Against you, you only, have I sinned
    and done what is evil in your sight;
so you are right in your verdict
    and justified when you judge.

¹⁰ Create in me a pure heart, O God,
    and renew a steadfast spirit within me.
¹¹ Do not cast me from your presence
    or take your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore to me the joy of your salvation
    and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

¹⁶ You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;
    you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.
¹⁷ My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit;
    a broken and contrite heart
    you, God, will not despise.

Romans 3:23 says that we are all sinners.  Romans 6:23 says that because of our sin we deserve eternal death.  That’s bad news.  Sin always does damage to the beautiful things God has given us even as believers.  But the Good News is that John 3:16 says that God sent His Son Jesus to die for us in our place to pay for those sins and even when we do sin, God is faithful to forgive us.  All we have to do is ask.  Do that right now.  No excuses.  Don’t try to justify it.  Just admit it and accept His forgiveness and allow Him to restore the beauty and peace in your life.