From: stevek
Date: Sun Nov 16 13:36:39 MST 2003
Subject: 1 Samuel 12

I'm challenged by the lesson in 1 Samuel 12 about the manner in which I respond to the consequences of my own sin - or to the manner in which I respond to life's "stuff" in general. A year passes between chapter 11, in which David kills Uriah and takes his wife as his own bride, and chapter 12 when he is confronted by his friend with the crime. We could assume that during that year, David was feeling pretty sure of himself, that he had gotten away with the murder and adultery. But looking at two Psalms which were written during that time we see that he was living in conviction during. Psalm 32/we sing it/when I kept silent (the year's time in limbo from God) my bones wasted away - Your hand was heavy on me - my strength was sapped. Then, Psalm 51/we sing this one, too/have mercy on me - cleanse me from my sin - against You, You only have I sinned - let the bones You've crushed rejoice. David is not partying through the year, but is anguishing in guilt over his spiritual condition. If we are a people after God's own heart, shouldn't that be our response to our own sin? Verse 1 of chapter 12 - Then, the Lord sent Nathan...God sent a friend, at a time divinely appointed, to be the one to confront David with his condition. Nathan wanted to insure that David took ownership of the issue in a deep personal way, so he described it in parable (sound like someone you know in the New Testament?) Verse 5 - when David had heard the story, which by the way he didn't realize was parabolic, he "burned with anger." Don't our own sins look darker to us when we see them in other people's lives? Possibly that's because we see them through the dim light of the log in our own eye that we're looking through. But the method Nathan used to bring David to seeing his own sin was powerful in the king. What did the Lord want from him in response? Verse 13 - David confesses "I have sinned against the Lord." How long did it take God to respond? Still in verse 13, Nathan replies "The Lord has taken away your sin." God isn't about rubbing our noses in our own inadequacies and failures - but is about forgiveness as soon as we bring a contrite and repentant heart before Him. Are there consequences for our misdeeds? Sure. David lost the child Bathsheeba bore for them. What was his response to that? Did he blame God/sulk/go off into a deep depression/run back into sin and blow off his relationship with the Lord? Verse 20 - He worshipped. David was confronted by his sin by a brother who had the sensitivity to bring the issue to his attention in a way that did not offend, but instead brought conviction. We need to be brothers and sisters like that. We need to hold our brothers and sisters accountable when the Lord directs us, as He did with Nathan - not as unguided missles aimed at 'fixing' someone else/but only under the direction and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. We need to bring counsel in love, realizing that 'all have sinned' and we do not stand superior to anyone before God. And when the word is properly received, we need to assure our brother/sister that God restores us into right relationship when we bring the sacrifice of a broken heart before Him. David had the integrity to receive the word and absorb the consequences meted out without throwing in the towel in his relationship with God. In the book of Job, God gives a pretty good account of Himself and His right to sift certain conditions into and out of our lives. Remember in humility that we're the lump of clay being spun on the Potter's wheel. He's forming/we're His art. As David did, we need to respond to His creating and re-creating with worship, even, and maybe especially when that process involves our growing through the consequences of sin in our lives.

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