1 God Moments: God Confronts David Through Nathan II Sam. 12:1-14; Ps. 51 God moments. That’s what we’re talking about during Lent- times when we experience God in special ways. In the introduction to last week’s sermon, Lou confessed that he doesn’t really like God moments because they have the potential to knock him out of his comfort zone and makes him feel disoriented! Well, I think most of us would prefer to remain in our comfort zones, but this morning’s biblical God Moment shows us yet another way that God can rock our boats when he reveals himself to us. The story involves one of the most revered characters of the Old Testament, King David. He rose from obscurity to become Israel’s second king. He was an immensely popular ruler who greatly expanded and secured Israel’s borders and developed it into a real nation, an international power to be reckoned with. It seemed like David could do no wrong. That is, until we come to II Samuel 11. We’re not sure who the source was for this story, but the level of detail suggests that it came from deep inside the royal court. Clearly, someone leaked bigtime! The story is a too-familiar one involving the abuse of power, adultery, and a horrific cover-up. You may recall that David was at home in Jerusalem, while his troops were out fighting on his behalf. He spied Bathsheba and decided that he must have her. He doesn’t care that she is 2 married to one of his own loyal soldiers! As king, he can have whatever and whoever he wants. This was not a mutual love affair as it is often portrayed by Hollywood. David sent someone to get her and she came, and he had sex with her. That’s it. She returned home and sometime later sent word that she was pregnant. David’s world was turned upside down. As powerful as he was, this news would reflect very badly on him. So, the cover-up began. He concocts a scheme to bring Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, home from the war, hoping he will have relations with her and believe the child is his. Uriah refuses to cooperate while his men are living out in the open field, even when David gets him drunk. So, David has Uriah carry sealed orders back to his commander, orders for his own death. The commander is ordered to put Uriah at the point of the fiercest fighting and then to pull back from him, leaving him alone and vulnerable. The commander does what he is told to do, and Uriah is killed. When Bathsheba learns that her husband is dead, she grieves for him, and then David brings her into his house as his wife, and she gives birth to a son. Problem solved! It appears that David has managed to conceal these horribly evil acts. But the author of II Samuel adds this telling phrase to the story, “…but the thing that David had done displeased the Lord…” (II Sam. 11:27b) David assumed that he had gotten away with it, forgetting that he was not above 3 God and God’s law. He was wrong. And he was about to experience his own very uncomfortable God Moment. and the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2The rich man had very many flocks and herds; 3but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. 4Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” (II Sam. 12:1-4) Nathan was a prophet. He spoke for God, who sent him to speak to David. I’m sure Nathan was very nervous about this. It’s always uncomfortable and potentially dangerous to speak truth to power, but that’s what Nathan was called to do. He begins with a little parable about a rich man who abuses his power by taking the only lamb from a man and his family to feed his own guest. Why would he do this when he had plenty of sheep in his own flocks he could have used? He did it because he could, clearly having no compassion, no concern for others. Listen to David’s reaction to the story. 4 5Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; 6he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” (II Sam. 12:5-6) There is good news in David’s reaction to the story. It shows that he still has a soul, that he can still be moved by injustice and unfairness, that his wealth and power have not completely choked out his heart. I’m sure Nathan was greatly relieved at this point, as the story was doing its intended work! All that is left is for Nathan to bring the hammer down, and he does! 7Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; 8I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. 9Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.10Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. 11Thus says the LORD: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbor, 5 and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. 12For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.” (II Sam. 12:7-12) “You are the man!” Clearly, David didn’t see this coming. I think you could have knocked him over with a feather! God reminds David that all he has- his victories, his kingdoms, his wealth- all he has is a gift from God himself, and that God would have given him even more if he needed it! In return, David has despised God and his Word by the way he acted. He has not only caused harm to Bathsheba and Uriah and the others conscripted into the sordid affair, he has despised God’s Word by breaking the commands against coveting, adultery, and murder! David thought he had gotten away with it, but he hadn’t. And, there will be dire consequences for David and his family. Before we move on, I’d like to point out something I noted a couple weeks ago during another sermon, that this story makes very clear once again. It is critical to have checks on power, whether those checks take the form of a prophet, the news media, other branches of government, or even pastors preaching prophetically from the pulpit! Part of the genius of the system of American government and of Presbyterian government are these built-in checks on power! David needed them. We have always needed them; and we need them today. 6 OK. Back to David’s painful God Moment. 13David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan said to David, “Now the LORD has put away your sin; you shall not die. (II Sam. 12:13) David admits his sin without excuse, but it doesn’t always happen that way! I’m reminded of a scene in the movie “The Blues Brothers,” when Joliet Jake is confronted by his former fiancée, played by Carrie Fisher, who he left at the altar. She is angry and armed with a huge gun. Jake, played by John Belushi, is in danger of losing his life! She accuses him of betraying her, her family, and the 300 guests who showed up at their wedding. Jake replies, “No, I didn’t! I ran out of gas. I had a flat tire. I didn’t have money for cab fare. My tux didn’t come back from the cleaners. An old friend came in from out of town. Someone stole my car. There was an earthquake, a terrible flood, locusts! It wasn’t my fault!!!” I think this is the classic human response when we’re confronted with our wrong-doing. We make excuses. Maybe we do it with a little more subtlety than Joliet Jake, but we struggle to really own what we’ve done.