Be a Nathan to your David

In the book of 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12, there’s the story of King David lusting after and committing adultery with another man’s wife. We know that story. One evening David saw Bathsheba the wife of Uriah bathing on a rooftop. David desired her, plotted to have her, committed adultery with her, and got her pregnant. Of course we know this led to David setting up the husband Uriah to be killed. 

Now as the king it seemed everyone was afraid to tell David he was wrong. But there was one. His name was Nathan. He was a prophet and he was David‘s friend. Like me, he couldn’t keep his mouth shut and he confronted David about this terrible thing he had done. 

I can imagine the conversation going something like this, because I’ve had many such a conversation and I’ve been likewise spoken to: David you are a king and maybe you feel you could do what you like and get away with it but I’m your friend, I am a prophet and I have to call you out. You are a representative of God before the nation. How could you do such a thing? It is wrong David, it is wrong. You are wrong. You have to confess to God. How can you make this right? 

Let’s go to 2 Samuel chapter 12 verses 1-14 and I’m reading from the New King James Version of the Bible and see how Nathan used a clever parable to confront David about his sin with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband Uriah.

And that sparked a revelation for me. Because sometimes I am too frank and honest and you know sometimes you’ve got to go around the Mulberry bush to get to some people. They think you are too abrasive and so we’ve got to learn ways to do what we need to do.

So Nathan used this clever parable in  2 Samuel 12: 1-14: 

”Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.” Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people of Ammon. 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.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’ ” So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.”“

Now some people would take this scripture reading literally, but I want you to think of Nathan as yourself whether you’re a male or female, and I also want you to think of David as yourself whether male or female. I want you to do a role play. 

This confrontation would’ve led to some people being ostracized, for how dare you call out the king! 

You know some people don’t like to admit that they’re wrong. I was there. Past tense.

But in similar circumstances, some people would’ve used the opportunity to manipulate the situation and turn it around to accuse Nathan of doing something wrong to take the attention off themselves. Some people would get real defensive and create an argument, which is a way to deflect the conversation away from the correction being given. 

But thanks be to God that there are some people who would recognize the error of their ways, even though it may not be immediate and they would like David repent and turn.

Family, on this Christian journey, it is  important for us to have accountability partners. We can’t be ones to always be calling out others and no one can talk to us about what we are doing wrong. Life doesn’t work like that. As God sent you for me there is somebody that He sent for you too and you better believe that.

Unfortunately some people and I’m addressing us as Christians me included, some people think that they are untouchable because they are called Bishop, Apostle, Pastor, Minister, Evangelist, Elder or some other fancy title. We forget that all of us as humans fall short of God‘s glory.

In Romans chapter 3 verses 23-26 the apostle Paul emphasize the universal nature of sin and the need for redemption through faith in Jesus Christ.

He said, ”for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, being justified freely by His grace through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus, whom God set forth as a propitiation by His blood, through faith, to demonstrate His righteousness, because in His forbearance God had passed over the sins that were previously committed, to demonstrate at the present time His righteousness, that He might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus.“

All of us, Family, must accept that at some point we fall short of God‘s expectations for us. We have a duty to our brothers and sisters when we see them doing wrong but know that someone will be bold enough to correct you too, and you cannot despise that. You are not too high and mighty that everyone has to tiptoe around you and agree with you in your wrong. We must be our brother’s keeper.

We often refer to the statement in the book of Genesis made by Cain after he killed his brother Abel. Let’s read it in context Genesis chapter 4 verses 1-9:

”Now Adam knew Eve his wife, and she conceived and bore Cain, and said, “I have acquired a man from the Lord.” Then she bore again, this time his brother Abel. Now Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground. And in the process of time it came to pass that Cain brought an offering of the fruit of the ground to the Lord. Abel also brought of the firstborn of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord respected Abel and his offering, but He did not respect Cain and his offering. And Cain was very angry, and his countenance fell. So the Lord said to Cain, “Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin lies at the door. And its desire is for you, but you should rule over it.” Now Cain talked with Abel his brother; and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother and killed him. Then the Lord said to Cain, “Where is Abel your brother?” He said, “I do not know. Am I my brother’s keeper?”“

 Like many of us today Family, when we are confronted about doing or saying something wrong, we ask a rhetorical question, we answer a question with a question to evade responsibility and judgment.

But Family, indeed as Christians, we cannot continue to condone the wrongs of our spiritual leaders and church brothers and sisters or family members or coworkers or our friends. We cannot continue to look the other way because of who they are or who they think they are, their status in life or because we want to remain in their good graces. 

I know I have lost friendships and I correct that because I didn’t lose they lost. So I would say God separated me from some people who think that they are untouchable because they speak in tongues, or can quote scriptures off the top of their heads or at the drop of our hat. 

By now we know that there are some hypocrites in the body of Christ who go around misrepresenting God. 

And just so you know I’m not the one calling them hypocrites, we go to the Word of God Matthew chapter 7 verse 15 - ”“Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves.“

And 2 Peter chapter 2 verse one says, ”But there were also false prophets among the people, even as there will be false teachers among you, who will secretly bring in destructive heresies, even denying the Lord who bought them, and bring on themselves swift destruction.“

That’s the word of the Lord.

And what is so demonic Family, is that these people who are always calling out others and forgetting to correct themselves and take correction, are often the most guilty. They are wrong and strong. And they have a large following because their family members and friends rally behind them and they are afraid to correct them. And anyone who dares to be a Nathan gets labeled as being crazy and the one with the problem.

I know I have been called a wolf in sheep’s clothing, and when you look at that person‘s life as much as I can see, they are wolves themselves.

But one of these days it will be too late for us who think we are untouchable.

There is that warning in Matthew chapter 7 verses 21-23.

 ”“Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven. Many will say to Me in that day, ‘Lord, Lord, have we not prophesied in Your name, cast out demons in Your name, and done many wonders in Your name?’ And then I will declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from Me, you who practice lawlessness!’“

What an indictment!

Family, we all have to make sure we live the life that God wants us to live no matter who we are.

Gossiping has to go, lying has to go, cheating has to go, undermining has to go, stealing has to go, no more adultery and fornication, seeds of discord has to go. Every evil activity must be eradicated in order for us to enter the kingdom of God.

And when I wrote that sentence, every evil activity must be eradicated in order to enter the kingdom of God, I had to run to the Bible, because I’m like well God I’m not perfect. I’m striving. What if you come right now? Will I see Your Face?

I found 1 Corinthians chapter 6 verses 9 to 11 which says 

”Do you not know that the unrighteous will not inherit the kingdom of God? Do not be deceived. Neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor homosexuals, nor sodomites, nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners will inherit the kingdom of God. And such were some of you. But you were washed, but you were sanctified, but you were justified in the name of the Lord Jesus and by the Spirit of our God.“

Thank God there is yet hope for me. Thank God there is yet hope for you. Thank God there is yet hope for those of our family members whom we are praying for, our coworkers, our church brothers and sisters whom we are praying for. 

Thank God there is hope. 

Will you be a Nathan today family? 

Will I be Nathan today and stand up and call out the wrongs of the people around us?

And I must mention as I close, that I used the Nathan and David story as an example. I was not being gender specific. So sisters let us put ourselves in the situation and apply wisdom. There must be an end to slackness in the body of Christ and it must start with me. It must start with you. Why? Because time is running out, time is running out. 

I want to be a Nathan to my David and I want someone to be my Nathan as well. Because we’ve got to be able to call out one another so that we can be corrected in the ways of the Lord. 

We don’t call out one another because we are judge and jury. We call out one another to help a brother and help a sister along the way.

Be a Nathan to your David. Will you be bold enough today to do that?

aub - 20 February 2024

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