2 Samuel 12:1-7, 9, 13-14 Nathan’s Story

In scriptures read by our worship leaders and in sermons for two months now, we’ve been going over the story of David. It’s a story that has a bit of everything, all the human emotions, every human tendency, our human failures and triumphs.

We’ve seen David first as a shepherd boy, athletic and beautiful; came to know him as a musician, and then as a warrior; as the most popular figure in all the land, loved by the people, loved by the king, and the prince and princess. We have heard God say, “This is my chosen one!” We have seen where the biblical writer over and over repeats that the Lord was with David, and in every battle and confrontation, gave him victory. And even though he was not the son of the king, at last he acceded to the throne. His life sounds like a fairy tale: the poor country boy who becomes a king.

And ever since chapter 16 of First Samuel, that first page of what we have called the “David Novel,” David has “overfilled” the story- he practically explodes out of the pages. In the first verses David is secretly anointed, introduced to the king and begins to play and sing for him- and then has to run for his life from

Saul’s anger and jealousy; in the next chapter, the young David comes to the front lines to visit his brothers in the trenches, and there he mocks the battle-tested soldiers as they quake in terror at hearing Goliath’s daily challenge. And it doesn’t surprise us when David goes out to fight the Philistine champion, and kills him. So that all the cities, then, celebrate his victory. Each page is all about David and his exploits; and we see his vigor and his character, that he is tireless, true, wise. The force of his personality drives the narrative forward, so even the greatest man of the age, the priest and prophet Samuel, retreats immediately into the background; and in the extended sections about Saul, still the current king, he is now merely a supporting player, because behind the scenes lurks David- God’s new chosen one.

And the women. Boy, does David ever excite the female population! Think back to the parade after the battle against Goliath, when the author points out it was the women who filled the streets to praise David and sing and dance for him.

He had at least four wives before he met Bathsheba; and at the end of chapter 11, and after David had her husband, killed, he brought Bathsheba into the palace and married her, too. (And there will be others.) And now, she has given birth to his illegitimate son. This is the context for the prophet Nathan’s visit to the king.

Here is King David, according to the story so far, undefeated in battle, all his ambitions fully met. And so far, utterly honorable in all his actions. To this point, he has certainly earned all his biblical headlines. But then that one afternoon, he sees the beautiful Bathsheba, and must think that, indeed, he does deserve it all.

Call it vanity, arrogance, pride, hubris; it is an attitude summed up perfectly in

David’s message to Joab, the general who carried out the king’s orders to put Uriah in the line of fire. It absolutely describes power’s flippant scorn for the poor.

After Uriah is dead, David says, “Don’t let it bother you; somebody is always going to die, after all, and then somebody else will die- it happens. Just get back to work.” Uriah was in the way and had to be shunted aside; he didn’t even matter- just collateral damage.

It is David’s story, and it’s like he has written it himself, so glowing and hopeful is the course of his history. Until now. Now, someone else has taken the biblical spotlight. Someone strong and willing to speak out against power, and willing to rage with God’s authority at the haughty conceit of the powerful. Now is Nathan’s time, and Nathan’s story. And the reason the sermon has this title is not simply to highlight this parable he tells David, but to emphasize that there is another major player in David’s story. It is Nathan, signifying God’s presence;

Nathan, the man with the courage to stand up; the man who prophesies to the nation for long years- even beyond David’s death; and is a leading agent and proponent for Solomon to succeed his father as king. Nathan is an important figure, in the court and in the land; and as the speaker of God’s word, of judgment and of forgiveness.

It is Nathan’s story, because it is God’s story, because Nathan speaks God’s word. In all the passages we have read about David, all the times we’ve seen that phrase, “the Lord was with him,” we can know that it was God who allowed

David’s story; it was God’s Spirit that directed David. But we know now that

David was never given carte blanche, was never permitted to act with impunity.

So that here, God takes him to task. This amazingly wicked deed, this defiant disregard for another person’s life, God calls David to account for it and punishes him. It is God in charge of David’s story, and for all the blessings of David’s life, and the seeming ease of all his accomplishments, we know now, and David is reminded, those occur only within the scope of God’s plan for his life and God’s plan for the life of the nation. David is king, we now realize, only for the sake of the people.

So here is Nathan, God’s man, standing up to the king, accusing him, “You are the man!” and pronouncing God’s judgment against the most powerful man in the country. I think in this is God’s word to us this morning. A word for every morning, and for every gathering of God’s people: it is the demand laid upon us to speak for the lost lambs and the unimportant people left by the wayside, or even killed, because they were in the way. The word for us from this scripture is God’s command that we be brave, not only as we face life’s challenges, but bravery, in order to face up against injustice, against any tyrant, congressman, king, president,

CEO, and proclaim, “You are the man!” To understand, and to force the powerful to understand, that God’s blessings to us are given only within the scope of God giving blessings to our neighbors. Our purpose is to be God’s men and women for others. The message of scripture, the gospel of Jesus, the story of God on every page of the Bible, is the imperative sharing of blessings for the good of all.

One day in July of 1969, Richard Nixon proclaimed, inspired by Neil Armstrong’s footprints on the moon, “This is the greatest event since creation.” Only to have

Billy Graham calmly assert, “Mr. President, don’t forget about Christmas and

Easter.” I’m not sure that counts as reproof, but it might remind us that sometimes it is religion’s task to stand “over against” government when it is wrong; to correct leaders when they forget that the meaning of their position is to legislate, and to police and to administer justice for the sake of others. And Nathan is our example. David’s star is dented and tarnished by this episode of Uriah and Bathsheba.

But his answer to Nathan’s rebuke shows us his better nature, and shows us why

God had selected him in the first place. When David admits to his evil act and says, “I have sinned,” and silently bears his punishment. It seems clear that both

David and Nathan are meant to be encouragers to us as God’s people. As we try to live out the good news of God’s love for the world, we are strengthened by an example of faithful courage; and we may be built up by God’s word that calls out untruth and wickedness and pride, and by the power of that word that reaches the deepest place in human hearts and brings them to repentance; and we can be reassured by the enormity of God’s forgiveness, that profound, merciful attribute of God, that is ready always for each of us.