Monday, April 9, 2007

You Are The Man!

2 Samuel 12

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 deserves to 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!

13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."

I am reading through the 3 year Bible because I know that I can't read it one year. Right now I am reading through the story of David and Bathsheba. What struck me most was David's repentant heart. How many of us when confronted with our sin try to hide it or even deny it. But David repented and fell before the Lord.

Because of his great sin the Lord took his son and even that he took with grace knowing the Lord is just.

19 David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked.
"Yes," they replied, "he is dead."

20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.

21 His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!"

22 He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

I feel like this passage is so rich with substance that I could probably chew on it for years. But two things that I take way are; when confronted by my sins, acknowledge them and repent and the second, God is just.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

i love that passage.

-mary