Advent December 22, 2006
Third Friday: The Pet Lamb
The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.
"David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.
"Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
"This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'"
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die."
2 Samuel 12:1-13
King David was known as "a man after God's own heart." But that is hard to believe when you read of this scene between the prophet Nathan and David. Nathan accused him of murder and adultery. Does that sound like a man who resembles God's character?
The story is a powerful allegory. A poor man had raised a pet lamb from infancy. He was very attached to the lamb. The rich man had herds of cattle and a load of sheep, kept by hired shepherds. They held no value to the rich man, except the price for which he could sell them.
When a houseguest came to visit, the rich man stole the poor man's precious pet lamb and proudly served it to the houseguest, all the while thinking about how shrewd he was to not have had to sacrifice one of his animals.
David did that very act. Out of hundreds of women to choose from he sought a married woman---Bathsheba. While her husband was away at war, David got Bathsheba pregnant. David was caught. Instead of acting with integrity, he had the husband killed at the front. He then married Bathsheba. As the child was born around the time Nathan came to David, we know David had lived with this sin for many months, probably over a year.
What is the point of this story? Perhaps it is to show us that we all sin---even those of us who have a heart after God. It is part of who we are; no one is immune. It is how we respond that matters.
David could have had the prophet Nathan killed for stating something he didn't want to hear. However, David instantly replied, "I have sinned against the Lord." He recognized his sin and he repented. This is what made David "a man after God's own heart."
Reflect and discuss: How do you respond when you are confronted? Do you listen and say you are sorry, or do you get defensive? When you sin, do you distance yourself from God, or do you run to Him for forgiveness? Ask God to give you a "heart like His own."
For younger children: Have your children each hold a favorite stuffed animal while you talk about the story. Suddenly, take each animal away. Ask your children how they felt after losing the animal. Talk about how important it is for them to share their many blessings and possessions willingly with others. Pray with them and ask God to give them generous hearts.
The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.
"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.
"David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.
"Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'
"This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'"
Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD."
Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die."
2 Samuel 12:1-13
King David was known as "a man after God's own heart." But that is hard to believe when you read of this scene between the prophet Nathan and David. Nathan accused him of murder and adultery. Does that sound like a man who resembles God's character?
The story is a powerful allegory. A poor man had raised a pet lamb from infancy. He was very attached to the lamb. The rich man had herds of cattle and a load of sheep, kept by hired shepherds. They held no value to the rich man, except the price for which he could sell them.
When a houseguest came to visit, the rich man stole the poor man's precious pet lamb and proudly served it to the houseguest, all the while thinking about how shrewd he was to not have had to sacrifice one of his animals.
David did that very act. Out of hundreds of women to choose from he sought a married woman---Bathsheba. While her husband was away at war, David got Bathsheba pregnant. David was caught. Instead of acting with integrity, he had the husband killed at the front. He then married Bathsheba. As the child was born around the time Nathan came to David, we know David had lived with this sin for many months, probably over a year.
What is the point of this story? Perhaps it is to show us that we all sin---even those of us who have a heart after God. It is part of who we are; no one is immune. It is how we respond that matters.
David could have had the prophet Nathan killed for stating something he didn't want to hear. However, David instantly replied, "I have sinned against the Lord." He recognized his sin and he repented. This is what made David "a man after God's own heart."
Reflect and discuss: How do you respond when you are confronted? Do you listen and say you are sorry, or do you get defensive? When you sin, do you distance yourself from God, or do you run to Him for forgiveness? Ask God to give you a "heart like His own."
For younger children: Have your children each hold a favorite stuffed animal while you talk about the story. Suddenly, take each animal away. Ask your children how they felt after losing the animal. Talk about how important it is for them to share their many blessings and possessions willingly with others. Pray with them and ask God to give them generous hearts.
posted by Pete Houpt @ 10:00 AM
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