Welcome to Wednesday, July 28th!
This episode of The 7-Minute Cross Talk Bible Study is titled:
Found Out!
For this Bible Study, we are considering the words of this week’s Old Testament Lesson - 2 Samuel 11:26-12:13.
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Scripture Quotations: New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (La Habra, CA: The Lockman Foundation, 1995).
This podcast is a ministry outreach of Our Savior's Lutheran in Argyle, Minnesota - United States.
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Welcome to the Wednesday, July 28th Cross Talk 7-Minute Bible Study.
This is Pastor Warren Swanson.
Today's study is titled:
Found Out
Would you please pause the audio and download and print the 7-Minute Work Sheet before continuing?
The link is located right below this audio player.
For this Wednesday Bible Study, we consider the words of this week's Old Testament Lesson: 2 Samuel 11:26 - 12:13.
Hopefully, these studies encourage you to engage in a deeper analysis of the current passage. But, more importantly, I hope these studies deepen your love for the Word of God.
Let's begin:
Last week's Old Testament Lesson illustrated the sin of David with Bathsheba.
The lesson ended with the people believing that King David was a hero for marrying the pregnant Bathsheba since her husband had been killed in battle.
2 Samuel 11:26-12:13 NAS95
Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. [27] When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD. [12:1] 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." [7] Nathan then said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. [8] 'I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! [9] 'Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. [10] 'Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' [11] "Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. [12] 'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.'" [13] Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die.
Sadly, we have experienced times when we think we have successfully hidden our sin. So when David heard Uriah was dead, he must have breathed a sigh of relief.
It doesn't take much of an imagination to reconstruct what David must have felt. Perhaps, he had not had a good night's sleep since it all started. But, on the other hand, maybe, he slept like a baby that night.
David even encouraged his general, Joab, not to give a second thought to what had been done.
2 Samuel 11:25 NAS95
Then David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall say to Joab, 'Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and overthrow it'; and so encourage him."
After Bathsheba mourned for a month or so, King David married her. As far as the king's subjects knew, the baby was the result of relations with her husband. As I earlier noted, the people thought King David was a hero for marrying the pregnant Bathsheba after her husband had been killed in battle.
However, God knew the truth about what David had done.
2 Samuel 11:27 NAS95
When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.
The evil that David committed was horrendous. Not only had he committed adultery, engaged in monstrous deception to cover his sin – but he also took the life of Uriah and the soldiers who fought alongside him.
Throughout David's career, it seems that the prophet Nathan had been his advisor. Finally, after some months have passed, God informs Nathan of what David has done, and he is sent to confront David over his adultery and murder of Uriah.
When we sin, God pursues us and seeks to bring us to repentance. David, it seems, is perfectly content to allow this sin to pass into oblivion. He refuses to humble himself and confess his sin.
Like so many times in Scripture, a story conveys the point. So Nathan does not come charging into the king's presence, accusing him of his sin. Instead, he tells him a story about how someone who could afford to kill one of his many sheep for a guest takes the poor man's only sheep.
David thought that Nathan was relating a real-life incident.
2 Samuel 12:5-6 NAS95
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."
David wants this rich man to forfeit his life. He also indicates what the restitution ought to be.
Can you imagine his surprise and horror at the following words that come out of Nathan's mouth?
2 Samuel 12:7-9 NAS95
Nathan then said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel, 'It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. [8] 'I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! [9] 'Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.
I imagine Nathan pointing his finger at David, and on behest of God Himself, accusing David of these awful crimes.
God had given everything to David. He had made him king, and blessed him with protection, wealth, and privilege. God even says that if that was not enough He would have given David even more.
David had despised God's Word by committing these sins.
Nathan then spells out God's judgment.
2 Samuel 12:10-14 NAS95
'Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' [11] "Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. [12] 'Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.'" [13] Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. [14] "However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die."
David’s child would die, several other sons would alsodie, one son would rape his sister, and another son would seek his throne. Finally, his son Absalom would commit public adultery with David's wives.
Psalm 51 records David's heartfelt confession and repentance. God forgives him and accepts him back. However, the consequences will be severe for the rest of his life.
When we sin, God does not doom us to hell. Instead, he reaches out for us, attempting to lead us to repentance.
But note this fact: just as David had to reap what he had sown, so we too will have to bear the judgment for our sin. If we sin, the hand of God's judgment will fall upon us.
God will discipline us to bring us back into His service. As true believers in the Lord, we are rebuked and punished by the Lord when we sin.
If there is some sin hanging over your head, confess it to the Lord; repent of your sin, asking God to forgive and restore you.
He is waiting to do so.
Let's Pray,
Gracious Heavenly Father,
Help us to never harbor sin in our heart.
May we understand that You are waiting to forgive us of our sins as we confess and repent of them.
We thank You for the forgiveness of our sins; for the provision of a Savior.
In the Name of Jesus,
Amen!
