Bible Study on 2 Samuel 12
Nathan Rebukes David
1 The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
4 "Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."
5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."
7 Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
11 "This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' "
13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, [
a] the son born to you will die."15 After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill. 16 David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. 17 The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.
18 On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate."
19 David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked.
"Yes," they replied, "he is dead."
20 Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the LORD and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate.
21 His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!"
22 He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The LORD may be gracious to me and let the child live.' 23 But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; 25 and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah. [b]
26 Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. 27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. 28 Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me."
29 So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. 30 He took the crown from the head of their king [c] -its weight was a talent [d] of gold, and it was set with precious stones-and it was placed on David's head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city 31 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. [e] He did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.
Footnotes:
Judgment Results Due To Unrighteous Action:
The prophet Nathan was specifically sent by God to confront David for his grievous sin. Nathan used a very dramatic story to drive home to point that would bring David to repentance. David had been caught up in his sin and didn’t see clearly, as he should have or else it would have never happened in the first place. But when we take our eyes off of the Lord and His Word and His known will for us, trouble comes quickly. That is why it is so important that we guard our hearts and that we are careful as to what we allow ourselves to be exposed to.
Nathan’s carefully worded account of the story, as given in this Scripture, is distinctly planned to arouse King David’s sympathy and anger over such a grave injustice. Here we see a poor man with only a precious lamb that he dearly loved and tenderly cared for on one hand. On the other hand, we see an extremely wealthy man with an over-abundance of wealth in flocks and herds. As such, the rich man shows a total and ruthless disregard for this poor man's feelings and rights in taking the one and only lamb, killing it for his guests [1-4].
David’s reaction was fast and accurate. He was instantly angered, declaring, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." Wham! Bam! Point well taken! Nathan’s point, obviously guided by God, Himself, through the prophet Nathan, strikes to the very heart of the matter!
And so Nathan’s response and rebuke sliced into David’s heart like a deep knife striking the very core of its target! For, as the Bible says, "Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
11 "This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' "
13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, [a] the son born to you will die."
Suddenly, David got the point! His heart must have jumped in shock as he realized that he was the man! He was guilty of gross sin! He had committed adultery! He had caused an innocent man who deeply loved his wife to die in battle, slain by the murderous command of David in an attempt to cover his sin.
Nathan’s statement makes it unquestionably clear. David’s sin against others is sin against God, Himself! It is impossible to separate the moral and the religious experiences.
David’s response was quick. His repentance was quick and complete. There was no holding back. He said,
"I have sinned against the Lord [13]" Thus we see that he really got the point that Nathan was emphasizing. There were no excuses. There was no attempt to cover it up. He had been totally exposed, which brought him to a realization as to the depths of his sin. He had come to realize that what a man (or woman, boy or girl) goes is offensive and effects others around and, most seriously, is a direct offense against the Lord, God, Himself! That was true then. It is equally true today.So, if you are listening to this message or reading this on the web site or one of the publications, and God is speaking to your heart regarding something that you need to deal with, then be honest Deal with it! And deal with it promptly, as David did, in open and honest admission and repentance. When the Holy Spirit reveals situations to us, we must act promptly when the situation is freshly impressed on our consciences, our hearts and our minds. So, is God speaking to you, today? Deal with it! David did. Why? Because even though he had gone astray and sinned, deep within his heart, he had a willingness to walk with God. For, deep within the depths of his own heart, David was still a man after God’s own heart. That is why he responded as he did when Nathan brought him through the necessary process that would bring him back to a right relationship with the Lord God.
David saw as to how his sin of adultery and crimes against Uriah were vile sins against God as they were contrary to God’s holy will and law. Nathan went on to assure David of God’s forgiveness. There was to be a severe price to pay in the loss of his newborn son. His son had been born out of adultery that had resulted in murder. It had given his enemies’ occasion to blaspheme [14]. Sinful acts that appear to be done in secret are usually revealed for what they are, sooner or later, and the consequences are destined to come down upon the offender.
God’s attitude toward sin is clearly seen. As a result of David’s action, the baby became sick [15]. David went to an inner room, fasting and praying day and night, prostrate on a dirt floor. Some time had gone by since the original sins that were committed as the child had come to full term and was born. But God’s judgment was to be swift and final. So, in spite of David’s crying out to God, day and night, the baby died on the 7th day. He saw his servants whispering, realizing that his infant son had died.
His servants had been reluctant to tell David of the baby’s death, fearing what David might do. But once David heard the news, he realized that there was nothing else that he could do. So he got up, cleansed himself, went to the Tabernacle to worship the Lord, and then went home to eat. His behavior was different than his servants had expected so they asked him about it. He simply related that while the child was still alive, there was a glimmer of hope that God might spare him. But once he knew that God had taken the child, it was over. Continued fasting could not bring him back. David simply stated that he would go to meet his son in eternity but the baby would not come to him. He was simply released to eternity.
24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The LORD loved him; 25 and because the LORD loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah. [
b]These verses reveal God’s grace and forgiveness, as evidenced in Solomon’s birth. What was done in the past has been dealt with. It’s time to move on. God’s own heart of love is revealed in His naming him Jedidiah, meaning, "loved of the Lord." He was to be greatly guided and used by the Lord in the future.
26 Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. 27 Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. 28 Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me."
29 So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. 30 He took the crown from the head of their king [
c] -its weight was a talent [d] of gold, and it was set with precious stones-and it was placed on David's head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city 31 and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. [e] He did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem.The closing paragraph of this chapter reverts back to the war against Ammon. Its start is recorded in 11:1. Joab had succeeded in capturing the royal city. This was the source of their water supply. With their water now gone, the Ammonites could not hold out long. Joab sent word to David that victory was at hand and that David should come so as to receive proper credit as the conquering king. To fail to do so would mean that Joab would have gotten the credit, which Joab stressed in urging David to come down to the battle quickly.
David showed up with reinforcements, capturing, plundering and destroying the capital, as well as the other cities of Ammom [29-31]. David proceeded to utilize the captives in various labor trades using saws, picks, axes and also making them produce bricks. With victory accomplished, David and his entire army returned home to Jerusalem.
Questions For Reflection and Direction:
As we pray today:
Please note:
You are welcome to share this message in your local churches, home fellowship Bible studies, etc., but I suggest that you personalize it. You do not have permission to publicize it to make money from it in any form. May God richly bless you as you minister for Him with rich spiritual rewards of seeing many souls saved and sanctified for all eternity! Please let me know whatever helpful results you may get from this!
With Warm Sincerity in Jesus’ Love,
Rev. Don Schink, Pastor-Evangelist
Sonlight Ministries
Tijeras, NM
Pastor Don's Ministry & Evangelism Outreach Page
Since January 17, 2005
Scripture quoted is from the: New International Version (NIV)
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