Monday Devo
Scripture:
2 Samuel 12
So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 2 The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. 3 The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”
5 David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! 6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man!
So the Lord sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: “There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 2 The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. 3 The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 4 One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man’s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.”
5 David was furious. “As surely as the Lord lives,” he vowed, “any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! 6 He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.”
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are that man!
Commentary:
12:1–31 David started by breaking the tenth commandment (coveting, Ex. 20:17), then the seventh (adultery, Ex. 20:14), and then the sixth (murder, Ex. 20:13), while the Lord silently watched his behavior. Here at last the Lord calls him to account for standing above the law. Psalm 51 was composed in response to this occasion. Nathan apparently asks David to intervene in a legal matter. The “parable” (2 Sam. 12:1–4) is similar to the plea of the wise woman of Tekoa in ch. 14 and that of the prophet in 1 Kings 20:35–43. In all these cases, it is pointed out to the king that his own actions do not match his judgments.
12:4 That the Lord has special concern for the poor is a major theme in the Bible, and as his representative, the king and other judges were supposed to protect against abuse by the powerful (Ex. 23:6; Lev. 19:15; Prov. 31:9; Isa. 3:14; etc.). The rich man took the poor man’s lamb, just as David “took” Bathsheba (see 2 Sam. 11:4).
12:5–6 David has a true concern for justice when he is not blinded by his own passion (cf. his ready acceptance of Abigail’s words in 1 Sam. 25:32–33). For fourfold, see Ex. 22:1.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 560.
12:4 That the Lord has special concern for the poor is a major theme in the Bible, and as his representative, the king and other judges were supposed to protect against abuse by the powerful (Ex. 23:6; Lev. 19:15; Prov. 31:9; Isa. 3:14; etc.). The rich man took the poor man’s lamb, just as David “took” Bathsheba (see 2 Sam. 11:4).
12:5–6 David has a true concern for justice when he is not blinded by his own passion (cf. his ready acceptance of Abigail’s words in 1 Sam. 25:32–33). For fourfold, see Ex. 22:1.
Crossway Bibles, The ESV Study Bible (Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles, 2008), 560.
Questions:
- This past weekend at The City, we studied Psalm 51 where David was crying out to God to have mercy on him. What led up to this moment of repentance was 2 Samuel 11 and 12, when David messed up big time. Chapter 11 ends with the fact that God was displeased with what David had done. When Nathan confronted David, he used a parable. David could instantly see it, and yet he was somehow blind to his own transgressions. And we are the exact same way. Why is it, do you think, that we can easily spot the sin in others but be slow to see it in ourselves? What is the danger in this blindness?
- Part of keeping a healthy and intimate relationship with God is making sure we are dealing with sin issues in our lives. As a Christian, is your sin forgiven? Yes. As a Christian, can sin in your life create distance between you and God and cause a break in intimacy? Yes. Is there any unconfessed sin in your life that might be creating relational distance between you and Him? Spend some time in confession today. Ask God to show you things that need addressing.
Pray:
- That the Holy Spirit would convict you when you sin.
- That you would make a daily habit of confession before God.
This Week's City 7:
Try to commit to memory!
4. Can a person be good enough to go to heaven? No. Because Jesus rose from the dead, proving He is God, I believe a person is saved by grace alone through faith alone in Christ alone.
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
(John 1:12, 14:6; Acts 4:12; Romans 4:1-25, 5:1-2, 6-11, 6:23, 10:1-4, 10:9; Galatians 3:26; Ephesians 2:1-9; 1 Timothy 2:5-6; Titus 3:4-7)
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