Day 126 – 2 Samuel 12:1

Scripture Review

2 Samuel 12:1

"And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor."

(2 Samuel 12:1)

The first thing that stands out is, "the LORD sent Nathan." David had sent for Bathsheba. David had sent for Uriah. David had sent a letter to Joab. David had sent words back from the battlefield. But now the LORD sends. That is a different kind of sending. David had used sending to cover sin, but God uses sending to uncover sin.

Nathan had already been in David's life back in 2 Samuel 7. He was the prophet who first told David to do all that was in his heart when David wanted to build a house for the LORD, and then God sent Nathan back with a better word. David would not build God's house, but God would build David's house. Nathan now comes with confrontation. And Nathan does not begin by storming into the palace with a sword in his hand.

He begins with a story, "There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor." Simple, plain, and easy to understand. One city, two men, one rich, and one poor. I am thankful begin with thunder. Sometimes He begins with a little story that slips past our defenses and walks right into our heart.

David has been living under a cover up. Uriah is dead. Bathsheba is in David's house. A son has been born. From the outside, David may have looked like he had moved on. But the last verse of chapter 11 reminds me of why Nathan is here. "But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." God did not forget. God did not overlook it. God did not say, "David is a king, so we will let this pass." A heart after God may fall, but the LORD loves His own too much to leave them comfortable in sin.