Readings for today: 2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Chronicles 20, Psalm 51
”Nathan said to David, “You are the man!” 2 Samuel 12:7
Imagine you are Nathan. You are David’s closest advisor and friend. You’ve risen to power alongside him. You are the most trusted member of his court. You’ve watched him pile up victory after victory. You’ve seen his heart for the Lord firsthand. He’s confided in you. He counts on you. He trusts you with his most intimate thoughts and desires like when he came to you to ask advice on building God a house. Such a project would have been sealed his fame forever. It would have established his reputation as a mighty king. It was something every significant ancient near east monarch did at some point during their reign. And you sought the Lord for David. And you gave David the Lord’s answer which had to be disappointing on some level to him. So you are the man David relies upon to have the courage to speak the truth he doesn’t want to hear.
Now you watch as David falls. You grow anxious as David stays home during the season when kings normally head off to war. David is not meant for a life of ease. He is a man of action. And he’s missing the fight. He’s missing the challenge of leading his men into battle. Perhaps he even feels guilty or ashamed for not being on the frontlines. He prowls around the palace. He can’t sit still. His mood growing darker with each passing hour. One day he finds himself on the roof. Surveying all he has made. He’s vulnerable. He’s weak. He’s become blind to his own lusts and desires. Then he sees Bathsheba bathing. He sends for her. He rapes her. She gets pregnant. Ashamed, he takes matters into his own hands. Seeks to cover up his terrible sin. He calls Uriah home from the front. One of his mighty men. A man who has fought by his side through thick and thin. But Uriah refuses to sleep in his home. Refuses to enjoy the company of his wife while his fellow soldiers are sleeping in the fields. David’s shame only grows. He knows he should be following Uriah’s example. So he sends him back to the front. Premeditates his murder. All so he can steal his wife and escape judgment for his adultery. It’s a brutal, horrifying episode in David’s life.
You’ve watched all this come to pass and now you know what you have to do. You must confront David on his sin. You must call David to account. You must remind David that even kings are not above God’s law. This will mean taking your life into your hands. After all, David’s already killed one man who stood in his way. So you approach the throne. You approach the man you once considered a great king and even greater friend. You come before him in fear but also with courage. You know what needs to be said. You know it’s for the greater good. The greater good of David. The greater good of the nation of Israel. The greater good of all involved. The truth must come to light. Righteousness must have its day. David must be given the opportunity to repent. You know David well. You know the shame he must be feeling. And you know he will most likely over-compensate for his sin. So you tell him a story. About a rich man who unjustly robs a poor man. David in his righteous indignation calls the man to judgment. Nathan replies, “You are the man.”
I try to imagine the silence that must have settled over the court in that moment. You must have been able to hear a pin drop. David half off his throne in anger. Nathan standing calmly before him with his finger outstretched. The rest of the court holding their breath to see what will happen. David’s speechless so Nathan continues. Delivering the Word of the Lord with clarity, conviction, and power. With each word, you can almost see David shrink back into his seat. What he thought to keep secret has now been shouted from the mountaintop. Everyone now knows. The word is out. There’s no going back. David repents. Nathan delivers the final blow. Their child will die. And then goes home.
Would that we had a Nathan today! A godly man or woman willing to speak truth to power! Willing to speak God’s Word to presidents and governors. Congressmen and women. State legislators and local community officials. Where is the Nathan who refuses to play partisan games? Where is the Nathan who refuses to promote their own political agenda? Where is the Nathan who refuses to represent any party but God? Sadly far too many pastors, priests, and other religious leaders have been captured by the lure of political influence. They’ve sacrificed their integrity before God for a seat at the table. They go on cable news and justify their party’s social policy positions by cherry-picking Scripture. Rather than serving as court prophets, they become court jesters in their twisted attempts to prop up their particular candidate. It happens on both sides of the aisle.
I think the closest we’ve come to a Nathan is Billy Graham. He consulted with presidents over several decades with no fanfare. No photo ops. Just came and went and made himself available for counsel. No one will ever know the content of those conversations but I imagine most would agree that Billy spoke for the Lord in each and every situation. He pushed our presidents to become better leaders and even better people. He challenged them to seek the Lord’s wisdom and to follow the Lord’s ways. He cared for them just as Nathan cared for David. And we can do the same by praying fervently for all our leaders regardless of political affiliation. We can love them by seeking to serve them and care for them in whatever ways we can. We can send them messages of encouragement. We can resist the temptation to tear them down publicly. We can celebrate and support them when they make godly decisions. And if God does give us influence, we can make sure we do all we can to represent Christ in the halls of power where we’ve been called.
Readings for tomorrow: Psalms 32, 86, 102, 103, 122