Minister: Rev. Olon M. Lindemood

September 17 and 18, 2011

2 Samuel 12: 2-9

(The passage begins at the end of chapter 11) 

But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord,

and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, ‘There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.

(Now verse 2 and following)

The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meagre fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveller to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.’ Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’

7 Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; ⁸I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. ⁹Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

Bible Basics are grounded in the stories of heroes and bible characters that have walked with God.  King David … the core of the Old Testament / the Hebrew scriptures might be called the Davidic monarchy!

Awakening the best parts of Scripture is one of our goals throughout this Old Testament series. Today the fun is in the amazing person of David.

Listen during this message for David’s life and our hope:

• The innocent power of David blessed him and he became King of Israel. 
• The power of David corrupted him and he sinned.
• The power of David humbled him and he repented.
• The power of David transformed him and he was redeemed.

How’s about you? 

• Powerful?
• Innocent?
• Corrupt?
• Humble?
• Transformed?
  • OR:
  • Sinner?
  • Blessed?
  • Repenting?
  • Redeemed?

Awe the POWER OF DAVID:

One commentator describes David as :  Shepherd, singer, soldier, Sovereign… And sinner to that and it might just work…

Another said:  David lived a strange complex of good and evil; while his public career moves on a highly dramatic plane – as ruler, law-giver, warrior, musician, father, king … he shines out as one of the greatest leaders of God’s chosen people…

We can read our scriptures… this is one of those sets of stories that in our bible we can find and read… (Did you bring your bible?  Have you located your bible at your home?) (friends… this is the time… please give it a go… find that bible and open it to 1 Samuel 17 … in just a few pages you can read about David and Goliath…

There is nothing better than the story of King Saul putting armor on this scrawny little boy to go out against the giant warrior… David says … no… prepares his sling shot … and five smooth stones… and takes on the Philistine as though he were a bear or a lion threatening David’s father Jesses’ sheep.

And this shepherd boy is suddenly a mighty warrior as he defeats Goliath!  The power of innocence blesses this little boy the youngest of 8 brothers!

David became king and found himself the king of Israel … the Monarch … the King that ruled over the united monarchy… the southern kingdom and the northern kingdom … David ruled during many many battles…  2 Samuel 11:1-4

(this is the stuff to read… 2 Samuel 11! ) …

11In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. ³David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, ‘This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’ ⁴So David sent messengers to fetch her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. ⁵The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, ‘I am pregnant.’

and his power / and stress /// placed him one day on the top of his palace…and not only did he commit adultery, he had Bathsheba’s husband Uriah the Hittite killed …

Friends do your remember the expression:

“Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely!”

The Power of David corrupted him and he sinned!

So … our story for today… The prophet Nathan comes to David … and tells the story that angers David… And the words … “You are that man!”  … humbles David… 2 Samuel 12: 13 – 18

¹⁰Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. ¹¹Thus says the Lord: I will raise up trouble against you from within your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes, and give them to your neighbour, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this very sun. ¹²For you did it secretly; but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.’ ¹³David said to Nathan, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’ Nathan said to David, ‘Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. ¹⁴Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord,^* the child that is born to you shall die.’ ¹⁵Then Nathan went to his house.

Bathsheba’s Child Dies

The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became very ill. ¹⁶David therefore pleaded with God for the child; David fasted, and went in and lay all night on the ground. ¹⁷The elders of his house stood beside him, urging him to rise from the ground; but he would not, nor did he eat food with them. ¹⁸On the seventh day the child died. And the servants of David were afraid to tell him that the child was dead; for they said, ‘While the child was still alive, we spoke to him, and he did not listen to us; how then can we tell him the child is dead? He may do himself some harm.’

David’s power … humbled him… crushed him… and he repented…

And that power … redeemed him… 2 Samuel 22: 1-4

David’s Song of Thanksgiving

22David spoke to the Lord the words of this song on the day when the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies, and from the hand of Saul. ²He said:
The Lord is my rock, my fortress, and my deliverer,
³ my God, my rock, in whom I take refuge,
my shield and the horn of my salvation,
my stronghold and my refuge,
my saviour; you save me from violence.
⁴ I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised,
and I am saved from my enemies.

We remember David as redeemed.

And we most certainly cherish his words:

1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

How’s about you? 

• Innocent?
• Corrupt?
• Humble?
• Transformed?
  • OR:
  • Sinner?
  • Blessed?
  • Repenting?
  • Redeemed

How about you… Powerful?  … How about you… in your relationship with God…?

How about you… who is the one … the Nathan … the prophet of the Lord who steps into your life and says… “you are the man!”  What ever loathing / hating / unjust behavior you see… Who says … You are that woman!  You are that student!  You are that child … You are that one who deserves the wrath of God…

Innocence lost …

Corruption complete…

Sinner confirmed…

And your soul whispers … I have failed … I am lost… am unworthy in the hands of my Lord…

“the Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want … he maketh me to lie down … in green pastures …

1 (A Psalm of David.) The LORD [is] my shepherd; I shall not want.

2 He maketh me to lie down in green pastures: he leadeth me beside the still waters.

3 He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name's sake.

4 Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil: for thou [art] with me; thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.

5 Thou preparest a table before me in the presence of mine enemies: thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.

6 Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life: and I will dwell in the house of the LORD for ever.

Oh we know … Yes we know the man … we know the David… powerful corrupt sinner… who humbly repents … finds blessing and redemption…

Is it any wonder that the foundation of our waiting … our messiah … our hope … our Emmanuel … our salvation is announced by an angel of the Lord: (remember the gospel Luke?)  ( let’s pray: …)

And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people.

11 For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

(I pray we have had a chance to hear the words of the Lord!)