Once Upon A Time…

2 Samuel 12:1-5

Verse 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!”

With Bathsheba as his wife, the new baby to enjoy and it having been months ago that the incident happened with Uriah, David seems to have settled into life as usual. It was late fall and therefore the harvest was likely done and they were prepping for winter. The events from the spring were merely a memory the king would rather forget. But God hadn’t forgotten and while David and Bathsheba think they have dodged a bullet in regards to their sin, God is about to spill the beans.

God tells the prophet Nathan to go to David and confront him. Being a prophet wasn’t easy especially when you were told to go confront a powerful man but men of great influence have a need for truth as much as the lowly servant. Nathan went in with a plan which will help the king listen better and see his sin in a way that hits home more than simply pointing out the sin.

Using the same method Jesus would use years later, Nathan starts telling a parable about a poor man who had a sheep that he dearly loved. David could probably relate remembering sheep he had back in the fields of Bethlehem. He may have had some special friends among the flock which would curl up with him much as we enjoy the comfort of our pets. This helped the story settle into David’s heart.

Notice that the poor man’s lamb was dear to him. He was not neglectful of the little creature, he even let it eat from his plate and drink from his cup. This female lamb was one of the family not only sleeping in the house but in bed with the man. This all speaks to the heart this man had for his little lamb. The rich man on the other hand had no relationship with his sheep, they were merely possessions to him.

The poor man was known for his love of his lamb or the rich man probably wouldn’t have known about it. The care and meals the poor man’s lamb received would have made it more feast worthy but that wasn’t the plan was for this beloved animal. But the rich man has a traveler come and he goes into the poor man’s home and takes the lamb forcefully from the family. No, the story doesn’t say that, but we know that the lamb was kept in the house and there was no way the family would have willingly handed it over to made into a meal.

The story does the trick and David is furious and ready to put the man to death. He was about to get a rude awakening!

Making It Personal

When have you had a wise friend point something out to you about your life? Did you get mad at them for speaking up about it? Have you ever tried to lovingly show a friend a sin in their life?

Making It Personal Kids

Who has pointed out something you were doing wrong? Did you want to hear that it was wrong? Have you ever tried to help a friend stop doing bad things?

Closing Prayer

Father, thank You for the kind and loving way You point out our sins to us. Help us become angry about the sin in our lives so we can repent and learn to live as You would have us live. In Jesus’ name, amen.