Saturday, March 22, 2014

God Puts David on Trial (2 Samuel 12:1-6)


9/21/2010 9:10:33 AM

 

SPIRITUAL DIARY

 

My Worship Time                                                                                          Focus:  The trial

 

Bible Reading & Meditation                                                 Reference:  2Sam. 12:1-6

 

            Message of the verses:  “1 ¶  Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, "There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. 2  "The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. 3  "But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nourished; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, and was like a daughter to him. 4  "Now a traveler came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him." 5  Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. 6  "He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion."

 

            This SD begins the forth main point from Warren Wiersbe’s commentary on 2Samuel and this is from the fifth chapter in his commentary.  He has entitled this forth point “The Confessing,” and this is the first of four sub-points to be covered.

            I believe that this may be the second time the prophet is mentioned as he came on the scene in 2Samuel chapter seven where David had had the desire to build a temple for the Lord and Nathan responded at first with telling David to do so but then came back with the Word from the Lord not to do it, but let his son do it.

            Now Nathan must tell David a story that will show him that he had committed a great sin that was deserving of death along with his pregnant wife and he uses an illustration that if very familiar to David that of a sheep probably reminding David of his days as a shepherd of sheep.  In this story there is a rich man who represents David, a poor man who represents Uriah, and a guest who represents sin.  I think that all of these representations are very clear with possibility the reprehensive of sin.  I want to turn to the very first chapter in the Bible and something that happened near the beginning to help illustrate why sin can first be a guest and then can be a master.  “6 ¶  Then the LORD said to Cain, ‘Why are you angry? And why has your countenance fallen? 7  ‘If you do well, will not your countenance be lifted up? And if you do not do well, sin is crouching at the door; and its desire is for you, but you must master it.’”  I think the Lord is saying to Cain that if you don’t master sin it will master you. “6 ¶  GOD spoke to Cain: "Why this tantrum? Why the sulking? 7  If you do well, won’t you be accepted? And if you don’t do well, sin is lying in wait for you, ready to pounce; it’s out to get you, you’ve got to master it.’”  (Message)

            The Lord gave Nathan the right words to say to David and David will respond in the correct manner, as the Word of God had great effect with David’s sin unlike what it did in the life of Cain who became the first murderer on planet earth. 

 

            Spiritual meaning for my life today:  As I could not sleep for a while last night I picked up the book that I have been reading “Hand Me Another Brick” by Charles Swindoll and got to a chapter called “The Fine Art of Insight.”  In this chapter he writes about the difference between input and insight and this is what is seen or will be seen with David, for David was listening to Nathan and was receiving insight from the Word of the Lord, while Cain was only getting input from the Word of the Lord and it did not affect him.

            I have a great desire to read and understand and have insight into the Word of God, and I want it to affect me in such a way that it will do the work in my life that God wants it to do.  At times I truly fight with myself on how I show people things that I have learned from the Word of God as I want to bring glory to the Lord for what He has taught me and at times I lose this fight and it seems to me that I have brought glory to me, and this just causes me a great deal of pain for I know that this is sinful and wrong.  This puts me in the seventh chapter of Romans where I am doing what I don’t want to do and not doing what I want to do, “24 Wretched man that I am! Who will set me free from the body of this death? 25 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, on the one hand I myself with my mind am serving the law of God, but on the other, with my flesh the law of sin.”

 

My Steps of Faith for Today:

 

1.      In all I do I want to give glory to the Lord.

2.      Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.

3.      Continue to learn contentment.

 

9/21/2010 10:03:46 AM

No comments:

Post a Comment