Correction is Difficult

O. T. #708  "Correction is Difficult"
March 4, 2016
2 Samuel 12-Part 2
Then Nathan said to David, "You are that man!"  2 Samuel 12:7

LET IT GLOW

Correction is not pleasant to receive or give, but correction is difficult either way. If we have lived long enough, we have experienced it ourselves, with our children, and with and workers. David experiences it in today's lesson.

There was no one to say, "David, you are in sin." That is until God told the prophet Nathan to go and tell him. That would have been an extremely difficult assignment. He had to stand before the most powerful man in Israel and tell him what he was refusing to admit-the truth.

The Lord must have given Nathan the illustrative story which applied to David's circumstances, for he began his confrontation with it.
What was the story about?

• It contrasted to men, one rich and one poor.
• The rich man owned many sheep and cattle.
• However, the poor man only owned one little lamb he bought.
• This lamb was raise up with his children, ate from the man's plate and drank from his cup. (verse 2)
• The poor man cuddled it in his arms like his baby daughter. (verse 3)
• One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man, so he needed to kill an animal for their dinner. Instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, the rich man took the poor man's lamb, killed it, and prepared it for his guest.

As David intently listened to Nathan, he became furious. Maybe he thought that scenario occurred in Jerusalem. This moved David with compassion for the poor man who lost his lamb.

Are folks so blinded by their pride that they cannot see themselves in Nathan's story? Are they too busy, cold, or heartless to see beyond our own nose to see the needs of others? They take from others what they should not. If these do not apply to you, please do not take offense. It's just that we need to see things as they are, not as they appear. People can have their priorities mixed up, can't they? Lust and temptation win out so many times, tearing apart marriages and families.
Are we treating our own family better or worse than we treat others in the world? They should be treated the best, since they love us the most.

LET IT GROW

How did David respond to Nathan's story?

• He said that a man who would do such a thing deserved to die. (verse 5)
• He said the rich man should repay the poor man with four lambs. (verse 6, NLT)

David sentenced himself with those words! Confrontation is the best solution for a person hiding a secret sin. Although, it takes a loving and caring friend to do it successfully so they admit their sin and not become defensive, resulting in repentance to God.

You are that man David!

Don't you know David's heart sunk to his feet when he heard those words. The truth is, David  stole Uriah's wife and murdered Uriah.
His sense of justice was still alive and well, but he lost the ability to see his on sin. (D. Jeremiah)

In other words, Nathan was saying, "You're the one who said to that stranger called lust, "I'll take someone else's lamb, and I'll satisfy my desires with her." (Swindoll)

According to the Mosaic Law, both adultery (Lev. 20:10) and murder (Lev. 24:17) required punishment by death. In pronouncing this judgment on the rich man in the story, David unwittingly condemned himself to death.  (MacArthur)

What David had done displeased the Lord (11:27). The literal rendering of displeased the LORD is:
"was evil in the eyes of the LORD." (MacArthur)

The Lord's perspective matters the most. It is painful when the Lord takes us to the woodshed. We will see what happens to David as a result of his trip to the woodshed by God. It can be a good lesson for us and others.

LET IT GO

Learn from others mistakes.

Listen when I need to be corrected.

Keep a soft heart and repent.