"1 And the LORD sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, "There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor.
2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds,
3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.
4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."
5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die,
6 and 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 delivered you out of the hand of Saul.
8 And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more.
9 Why 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.
10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised ME and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.'
11 Thus says the LORD, 'Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun.
12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.'"
13 David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die."
There are many words that have been, and could be, written about the scriptures above. Most everyone who knows scripture understands King David had chosen the brief passion with Bathsheba over his relationship with the LORD. Now David was a "man after GOD's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14) and yet he made such an egregious decision! How in the world could that be the case?
According to 2 Samuel 11:27b GOD was "displeased" that David had made such a bad decision. That scripture states "....But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD." King David had been chosen to be King as a young shepherd boy, and now he was choosing passion and pleasure over obedience to the LORD. It would appear GOD would have rejected King David as King, much as HE rejected Saul, David's predecessor. Yet King David also had Uriah, Bathsheba's husband and a dedicated servant of the King, placed in a position where he would be killed and out of the picture so King David could try to cover up his sin. The child who was conceived in sin died and David mourned.
However, in 2 Samuel 12:24 Solomon was conceived by Bathsheba by King David and scripture states near the end of that verse "...and he called his name Solomon. AND THE LORD LOVED HIM"! GOD used King David's bad choices for HIS glory. In Matthew 1 , the lineage of JESUS CHRIST is given, and in verse 6 it is recorded "and Jesse the father of David the king. And David was the father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah,"! Now how would you like your legacy to be that you are a predecessor to GOD INCARNATE, but you were used to be that predecessor with another man's wife?! GOD has a tendency to use HIS servants weakest moments to do HIS greatest works.
"YOU ARE THE MAN" is generally thought of as an admiration statement. In the case, it was not something that elevated King David. Although King David's heart was in the right place, he allowed his actions to lead him into sinning against GOD. GOD continues to use imperfect people to accomplish HIS Plan. Although I am not close to being without sin, I pray that I will be used by GOD to accomplish HIS Plan and to be told "YOU ARE THE MAN " who GOD used to change your world!
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