Teach us to pray=9

We left off last week with Joab confirming to David that Uriah had died in battle. David then married Bathsheba and she bore him a son. But, God was not pleased.

2 Samuel 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. 12:2  "The rich man had a great many flocks and herds. 12:3  "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. 

The Lord sent Nathan with a message for David. David had a very profound sense of right and wrong, as well as fairness. What was the real message?

12:4  "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." 

Rich men, no matter how rich, often don’t want to part with their riches even as they work to gain more. They become blinded to their own desires. But, they still can see the splinter in the eyes of others.

12:5  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. 12:6  "He must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion." 

A man deserves to die for a lamb? This is similar to David’s anger toward Nabal for refusing to share food with him. Death to all who violate David’s sense of justice! However, this was not the real story that Nathan had to deliver.

More next Saturday.