2 Samuel 12:1-15 Grace & Fear of God

2 Samuel 12:1-15

Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 “The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. 3 “But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him. 4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”

5 Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. 6 He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion.”

7 Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. ’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun. ’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.” 15 So Nathan went to his house.

Background

David rose from obscurity to eminence when God chose him from amongst the shepherds and anointed him as king. The authority and blessings that was imparted so early in his life did not turn into reverence towards God and compassion towards others. David did evil when he murdered Uriah and stole the only woman he cherished and treasured. In today’s passage, we come to understand that the greater the grace and anointing imparted into our lives, the greater the expectation for holy living.

Observation

Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household – With the judgment that David delivers on the imaginary villain, he pronounces judgment upon himself. God levels against David the charge: Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight?… because you have despised Me. “Despise” means to disdain, to treat with contempt. In other words, David does not fear God and he takes His laws as inconsequential; the root of David’s iniquities arises from his contempt of God and His word. The severity of David’s sin is seen in the light of God’s goodness being spurned. God pronounces a series of two judgments: Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household;… I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. Absalom rebels against his father David and appropriates his wives by pitching a tent on the palace rooftop in plain sight. In addition, the fourfold payment is taken to refer to the untimely deaths of four of David’s offspring: the first son by Bathsheba, Amnon, Absalom and Adonijah.

I have sinned against the Lord – David has found within himself the propensity for righteousness and he repents without the need for further impetus. His remorse is met by immediate forgiveness which otherwise would have caused him his life: The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. Although David has judged the imaginary villain to be deserving of death, Nathan declares that such punishment will not be exacted by God. However, the range of David’s forgiveness cannot be extended to his first child by Bathsheba. The reason being the circumstances in which the child is conceived has given the enemies solid premise to demand for the child’s demise: because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.

Truth

1. The greater the favor and grace in a person’s life, the more severe the discipline if he sins. This principle plays out consistently throughout the Old and the New Testaments. The apostle Paul says,

Or do you think lightly of the riches of His kindness and tolerance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But because of your stubbornness and unrepentant heart you are storing up wrath for yourself in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God. Romans 2:4-5

It is God’s expectation that His kindness must be met with man’s realization of sin and repentance. However, it is man’s fleshly instinct to take kindness for weakness and to respond with contempt in the light of grace. The blessings and the kindness of God bring God near so that man can respond to Him in repentance. But for those who experience His grace and goodness, God will also mete out punishment when His words are despised. God is infinitely gracious; He is also perfectly righteous in His judgment. God says to David, “I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these!…” For David, God’s kindness did not cause him to fear God although God has given David much, and would give much more. But when grace is met with contempt, a more severe discipline will be exacted. Therefore, the greater the grace, the greater the expectation to live holy lives. Whenever we pray and God blesses abundantly, we should also expect discipline if we disobey Him. Man’s fitting response towards God’s abundant grace is greater fear and reverence towards Him.

2. The greater the anointing and authority given to a person, the greater the discipline if he disobeys. We also see this principle plays out consistently throughout the bible. Moses’ mistake of striking the stone instead of speaking to it seemed trivial, but it deprived him entrance into Canaan (see Numbers 20:11). Therefore, the greater the authority given to a man, the greater the accountability and judgment upon him. Sadly, for most people, power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. The presence of power distorts a man’s spirit causing him to oppress the helpless and brings out the worst in him. Hence, the apostle James discourages people from taking up positions of power,

Let not many of you become teachers, my brethren, knowing that as such we will incur a stricter judgment. James 3:1

Therefore, for those who aspire to higher office must also aspire to greater holiness. Such must hold themselves accountable to a group of mature believers and subject himself to their purview. This is to be expected as the greater the authority invested in a person, the greater the good as well as possible carnage. Deuteronomy 18:19-20 says concerning the authority invested in a prophet as well as the punishment should he disobey,

I will personally deal with anyone who will not listen to the messages the prophet proclaims on my behalf. But any prophet who falsely claims to speak in my name or who speaks in the name of another god must die.

As the prophet speaks, God speaks in proxy through him. However, if the prophet abuses his authority, God will take his life.

Concerning David, God speaks of His endorsement and anointing over his life, “It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul…” Greater authority and anointing will attract greater discipline. Although God has forgiven David for his sin, but because of his position as king, God must be consistent in judgment and send a clear message of deterrence for future leaders.

3. God’s forgiveness secures our position in heaven, but God reserves the right to discipline us for our good. God’s discipline over David seems harsh and ungracious but the principle for living extends beyond their generation into modern times. God’s forgiveness is evident in that David did not die from his sin. However, David’s domestic problems are about to cause him untold sorrows and the deaths of four sons. God’s discipline over David is effective in warning future leaders of the consequence of sin: sin does not pay and every sin secures a just and righteous retribution. I believe God did not manipulate Absalom into rebelling against his father David, nor did He induce Amnon to rape Absalom’s sister. But because of David’s sin, He allowed the devil free rein to tempt the sons of David. God deals with each individual depending on their position and their knowledge of God and His grace. A child will reap a mild discipline as compared to an adult. The prevalent doctrine pervading the churches teaches punishment as belonging only to the Old Covenant. As Jesus has taken all our punishment on the cross, there no longer requires believers to be punished for their sins. Jesus’ sacrifice has forever secured our forgiveness, but God will discipline those He loves for their good. Hebrews 12:10-11 emphasizes the certainty of God’s loving discipline for His sons,

For they (our earthly fathers) disciplined us for a short time as seemed best to them, but He (God) disciplines us for our good, so that we may share His holiness. All discipline for the moment seems not to be joyful, but sorrowful; yet to those who have been trained by it, afterwards it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness.

Application

1. Do you have a tendency to keeping seeking God’s hand of blessing without considering the way you live? Perhaps, the reason you are still not getting what you want is because of your lack of reverence towards God. It is time to stop seeking blessings because God knows that you desire them, but to focus on how you could live a life pleasing to Him.
2. Do you lack effectiveness in your work and ministry? Perhaps, the issue is not about the lack of skillset or training, but the lack of God’s anointing over your life. It is time to seek God’s face and to obey his instructions in the mundane things of life and He will pour his anointing upon you.

Dear Lord, forgive me for my ignorance and folly by supposing that your grace secures personal blessings without the fear of God. As I focus on living a life that is pleasing and God fearing, impart to me the Spirit’s anointing and endorsement so that I may bear fruit in all my endeavors. In Jesus’ name I pray. Amen.