Sermons
Vander Kam on 2 Samuel 12:5-7,13-14
Sermons
Vander Kam on 2 Samuel 12:5-7,13-142 Samuel 12:5-7, 13-14 – "Then David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, 'As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. And he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion. . . . Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.' And Nathan said to David, 'The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child that is born to you shall surely die.'" (New American Standard Bible)
Beloved in the Lord, the historic event that has taken place here in the words of our text and also in these chapters is something that is of course, very well known to all of us. And it is so well known to us because of the fact that we read the Bible again and again at the table and then we also realize exactly what that history of the people of God has been. And it also becomes very evident that the Bible is not seeking to give us a biography of any of the saints of God; it does not dwell about an Abraham in such a way so that you now get a whole life's description of him; nor does it do that with David nor any of the other saints. It does not go over the difficulties that they had very lightly, but it holds them all up before the light, in order that it may also be teaching for the people of God throughout all the generations.
And that is the beauty also of the historical part of the Bible that therein we see that God is teaching us, teaching us by means of the examples that He has shown, by the historical light, so that we will also see ourselves in the light of a David, of an Abraham, and all the others. And these are the things beloved, that have not been overlooked, but they have been brought to the light so that we will also see very clearly that these were also the ones who have to say that they were saved by the grace of God, and it was not of themselves.
That's the way a David preaches to us, that's the way an Abraham preaches to us, and all the others. That it is not their own doing but that it is the grace of God that does it from beginning to end.
We speak to you tonight on, David's Reaction to His Guilt. Noticing in the first place, that it is a reaction of anger; secondly, how he has received the information; and finally, that it is a reaction of penitence.
This is the time as you know, that he has indeed sinned against Uriah, and that he has sinned against Bathsheba. And that it takes the one sin in order to cover the other. That is the only way in which he is going to be able to live. He has taken Bathsheba to wife and now he must kill Uriah because of the fact that otherwise it is going to come to light, and therefore that is the only way whereby he is going to be able to save himself in his own estimation. So that he is now placing Uriah in such a place in the army, in the forefront, where the most people are going to fall. That is the place where he tells Joab to put him. So that it is almost certain that he is going to fall in battle, and then nobody will ever know that he is the father of Bathsheba's child, that he has taken her to wife, and this is something that is going to be hidden from everybody, and as a result of that he will be able to go on with his life.
Now that is the kind of a picture beloved, that we have so many times of people, and of ourselves; we must admit it. That is the kind of a picture that we give of ourselves again and again, that we have committed the one sin to cover the other. That is the way we live through life, because we cannot allow these things to happen, that they come to the light because that would ruin us; ruin our reputation. And then if you're king of Israel, and then your reputation is ruined, this is the kind of a situation that he does not even want to behold.
And as a result, when Nathan comes to him, Nathan the prophet comes and he comes with that parable, and then David is immediately ready with his reply, and that is a reply of anger; and his anger is this, "that man is certainly to die, he deserves death." Anyone who would do such a dastardly deed, where he has in abundance and then he takes the ewe lamb of a person, that's the only thing he's got. And he takes that one and sacrifices that? That is a person who deserves to die. And besides that, he is also to restore four fold. Now it is the king of Israel speaking who is upholding the Law of God. The first part was not part of it.
No, it is not a life for a sheep, no, no. It is a penalty according to the sin. In Exodus 22 it made it very clear that "he who stole a sheep, or he who killed someone else's sheep would restore four fold." That was the law of restitution; and to that he also gives assent; he has to. But that he deserves to die, no, that is not required, that is not required for a sheep, that a man has to give his life. That is not required, but nevertheless, that is the anger that is speaking, and that is an anger that we are able to understand. Anyone who does such a deed, so low as well as being something which is sin, something which is totally unlawful, but also so low, so mean; he deserves to die.
Now, this anger is spoken of beloved, in such a way so that we will also be able to understand it properly, and that we will see that it is an anger that is objective. That is, that it is an anger that is so objective that it does not touch him. It doesn't touch him, it is objective; that is the way it ought to be done to a person, whoever it is, I don't know who it is; but to a person who would do that kind of a dastardly deed, this thing ought to be done. That's the way you and I talk too.
When they do these deeds, when they live that way, I tell you, I'd know what to do with them, wouldn't you! I'd know what to do with them. Because that is an anger that is cheap, very cheap. It doesn't strike me, it doesn't bother me, it doesn't touch me. Until it was said, "Thou art the man!" Or, if it were said, "That's what my son had done!" That would even make it worse.
Now the anger becomes something different of course. Then it is no longer that objective anger. An objective anger is very, very cheap. I wouldn't know what to do with all those who rebel in other places. I wouldn't know what to do with all those who live a life of degradation. I wouldn't know what to do with them, and you would not either; because it doesn't strike me, and my own are not involved. And consequently, it is cheap anger. And that's what David here vents. He vents that kind of anger because of the fact that, "I don't know who you're talking about." And anybody that would do such a thing, who has such an abundance that he is not able to count all the sheep that he has, and then has a poor neighbor who has just one animal and that he takes that. It is something that ought not to happen, but he deserves to die.
No, that's not the case. But at the same time we are able to understand the kind of an anger and that is the kind of an anger that is very familiar to us. Very familiar because we don't become angry with ourselves so quickly, but become very angry with those who transgress the law objectively. Those who are far removed from us, where it doesn't touch us; then we can be so provoked that they dare to do such things. And then we pronounce upon them the punishment of God and worse.
Now here it is also made clear to us, for example, in the words of our text, that that is not the case that his life is going to be taken for it. The thought that "a man for a ewe lamb," does not hold. And therefore his life is not going to be taken. But nevertheless, that anger can be understood. And we must also realize that he is king of Israel, and in that kingdom he is the king of the theocracy, that is, of God's rule. God rules His people through this king, and he has to see to it that the laws are observed. And consequently he is not dealing with it only in this way as an executive, but he is also dealing with it as a judge. And he has to, that's his position. And now he has to speak out on these things, and he does. And he speaks out on it very forcefully and says, "That man deserves to die, and his restitution is going to be four fold." And that is something of course, that is in keeping with the Word of God.
So here is a man who is here held up before us; what is the reaction when it's a matter of guilt? What is the reaction to that guilt? Well, these people make themselves guilty of rioting in various places; why don't you send the troops after them and clean them out! You mayn't do that. Why don't we take harsher measures against all homosexuals? Because you mayn't do that. Why don't we do this, and why don't we do that? And my anger is seething against the transgression of the law.
But it is objective, it's out there, it doesn't touch me, it doesn't touch my family. And then that anger can be very cruel, and that anger has no roots in the Word of God. That's the trouble. And those are the things that are here made known to us. That anger, that it arises, of course, you wouldn't expect anything else. But not to this extent. Not to the extent that you are now going to forfeit life for a sheep; that does not hold. And these are the lessons that he must also learn.
But that is his first reaction. A reaction of anger to anyone who would do such a thing. I can't imagine anyone doing such a loathing deed, such a dastardly deed. But if it happened, it's awful, he deserves to die.
Secondly, notice how he is informed. At this time beloved, we must remember, and we have read of that so many a time, that you have Nathan the prophet and later on Gad the seer, and there are others that are also spoken of in the Old Testament, the various prophets that there were. These were not the writing prophets, not the prophets like Isaiah and Jeremiah and Ezekiel and Daniel and others, but these were the prophets who only spoke for that particular time, and their sayings and their words have not been kept. But nevertheless, Nathan the prophet had a very important place in the kingdom of David, and also in others. He was a man of great influence; he came with the Word of God, and he came to teach the people, and he came to teach the king. And this man is placed in the kind of a position that he has to take his life in his own hands when he comes to the king and is to say to him, "Thou art the man!" But he comes to him in such a way so that he comes to him with a parable, and in that parable he now shows him what kind of a deed has been done in Israel. And to show to him that it is indeed of such a nature that his anger is going to rise, that he is going to be beside himself, until he finally knows who it is that did it. But Nathan comes with that parable.
Now again, you are to look at that parable also very much in the way in which you look at the parables of our Lord. Every detail of that parable cannot be pressed; there is no second party that comes in order that he may be fed, no wayfarer that comes to his house. But nevertheless he has to have that lamb, and he has to have that for a meal. And now, instead of taking one out of his own herd, he takes the one that is left of that poor man. That is the parable.
He comes to him in this way; but thereby he has entrapped him, and the Bible always says that, the Word always says that, it always entraps you; you can't get out of it. You want to so bad, but you can't; it entraps. Nathan has entrapped David in such a way so that there is no way of getting out of it. He comes to him and says in this parable, "there's this rich man and this poor man, and then he takes from this poor man everything that he's got in order to satisfy his own needs." Well, then the anger is this, "Thou art the man!"
Now he has walked into it completely, he has been entrapped. He has fallen into this trap in such a way so that there is no way of getting out of it. He has come to him in this way and there is no other way in which David is going to react than by means of anger. He certainly cannot approve of this. But when he then says, "Thou art the man;" now that takes courage for him to say that. Remember that this king of Israel has the power over life and death. This is the king who has such powers in the kingdom that he is able as a judge of the people to judge according to his own standards, as well as the standards of the Word of God. He is able to judge him immediately and as you see later on with some of the prophets, how they were treated, as a Jeremiah for example; that they did not fear to treat even the men of God in such a way, they had never heard that warning of the Lord, "and do my prophets no harm." They had never heard that, but a Jehoiakim throws Jeremiah into a pit so that he may not hear the accusations.
David is a child of God; he doesn't do that. But he hears him and now when Nathan says, "Thou art the man," how can that be, how can that be? What does he have in mind? But that is the way the Word of God must come. "Thou art the man!" That it speaks in generalities does nobody any good. It has to speak to the individual; it has to come as a hammer blow to each one. And that it says concerning each one, "Thou art the man!" Not that Nathan is going to say to David, "you've got such a person in your kingdom!" No, "You are the one who has done this! You are the one who is guilty!" This is the awful, awful way in which it comes to him. But there is no way out, he knows the man is right, he knows that he is speaking the truth, and that hurts. If there is any way of getting out of it; well, then you use every means at your disposal, but when there is no way, when you know that you are entrapped and that your own words have entrapped you, now his own judgment is hanging over his own head. "That man deserves to die." What have I said? To restore fourfold, well, all right; but "That man deserves to die?" I heard it out of my own mouth. He said, "You are the man!"
This is the message that comes; he comes to him in such a way so that it is clarion clear, clear as a bell. There is nothing here that David has to wonder about. No, it is clear as crystal. He is the one who has sinned, he is the one who is guilty of this, he is as guilty as this rich man who took the poor man's ewe lamb. And he has now pronounced judgment, and he has said such a man deserves to die. Have I signed my own death warrant? Have I sentenced myself to death? That is the reaction. This man has come to him and he says I may be king over Israel. "You owe it to me," says the Lord. He is not speaking for himself; David knows it; he is speaking for his God. He is only the ambassador. He comes with the Word, and David may not lay hands on the messenger; no, he only comes with the message. He says, "Thou art the man!" and that hurts. That hurts deeply, but that is also the only way in which it is going to be brought home; and it is brought home!
It is brought home in such a way as it had never been done before. As it has seldom been done later. When David stands before this awful, this monumental sin that he has committed, of adultery and murder, and then thinks that he can get away with it, that he can hide it. He can't! Nathan the prophet is to tell David this parable, see once whether he then recognizes himself, and if he doesn't, you tell him who it is. And Nathan does; he says, "You are the man!"
And finally, notice also that there is a reaction of penitence. And this is the beauty, beloved, that we find in this whole episode. And that is the only beautiful thing in it. It is a very sordid tale that comes to us, very sordid. It is one of the low points in the life of this man of God, that he has fallen to such an extent. Has fallen so low that surely you and I have been spared this. But nevertheless, this man of God has fallen so low that he has fallen into the trap of the evil one, and that now, being in the trap of the evil one, he has sought to kill him.
And yet the mercy of God goes out to him and says, "Thou art the man!" so that he may be brought up short, that he may be brought up short in order that he may realize what the situation is. It's out! It's known! The sin is known! He can't hide it! He has to be careful now. Now he has to realize that something has to be done. And then notice what he says: and David says to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord." This is something, that I have not sinned against Bathsheba, not that I have sinned against Uriah, but as he has spoken of it in Psalm 51, for example, which he writes at the time that this occurred, and also Psalm 32 of which we will sing at the close of the service tonight, which he also penned at that time very likely; but in Psalm 51 he says, "Against Thee, Thee only have I sinned and done that which is evil in Thy sight." It is a sin against the Holy One, it is a sin against God. Sinning against a fellow man is bad, that's a sorry situation, but it doesn't begin to compare to the sin against God Himself. And this; "I have sinned against Thee! I have sinned!"
This is an immediate expression; as soon as Nathan has spoken the words, "Thou art the man," his reaction is, "I have sinned." It is now known, there is no use to try to hide it anymore; you can't. You cannot hide things from the living God, from the all-seeing eye. You have tried it, I have tried it; it doesn't work, does it! No, He sees everything. And therefore, as soon as the word is spoken, "Thou art the man," he says, "I have sinned, and I have sinned against the Lord!" That is where he has to be.
That's the place where it has to bring us. That there's a realization of sin and that there is now the confession of it, because immediately it begins. Notice, and Nathan said to David, "The Lord also has taken away your sin, you shall not die." He had immediately concluded that a man who has done this dastardly deed is worthy of death. "No," says Nathan, "you are not going to die." That would not be fair, that would not be according to the Law. He is not going to die, no, not at all. "He has taken away your sin, you shall not die." He has taken your sin away, already. Notice beloved, that sin, no matter how great, is nevertheless taken away immediately upon confession. And without confession it is not taken away. Let me repeat: Without confession it is not taken away!
He speaks of that in Psalm 32: "While I kept guilty silence my strength was spent with grief, Thy hand was heavy on me, my soul found no relief. But when I owned my trespass, my sin hid not from Thee, when I confessed transgression, then Thou forgavest me." Yah; I have sinned; your sin has also been forgiven, you will not die. How marvelous, that regardless of the enormity of our sin, that it is forgiven, forgiven by the Maker of heaven and earth, the Judge of heaven and earth. This is something we must realize and make our own, this is something that we have to embrace, that there is forgiveness for those who confess.
And at the same time he goes on however, "because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die." It leaves scars; sin is gone, but scars are still there; we can't get rid of those.
My father said to me once of a very rebellious boy who finally came to his senses, and his father said, "you know every time that you committed one of these evils I drove a nail into this board. Now, he says, upon confession and upon betterment I pulled them out, and finally they are all out. But, yah, there are all those holes. Yah, exactly; the scars. The nails are gone, but the scars are still there. And this child whom he wants so badly, is going to die. But, that's not enough though! He has said "four fold!" That's what Exodus 22 also says; four fold. He loses four children as a result of his dastardly deed. How much must a man pay! Sin is expensive; sin is awful. Absalom dies, Amon dies, and yet one more; Adonijah, as well as this child of Bathsheba; four! In his lifetime, that he has to look into the graves of four of his children, and with every one he could say, "That is my fault! I have sinned!" And your sins are taken away, it is forgiven, but how then can we say with those of whom the apostle Paul speaks in Romans to say "Shall we then sin that grace may abound?" Ah, who can even think so! Of course not! We are scared to sin, and we better be scared to sin. It scars, those scars are deep, and those scars stay.
But this man is forgiven. My sins are forgiven, and that is the greatest wonder of grace that we have ever had, and that we have been received as His child. But the scars remain. Amen.
Father, we give Thee thanks for the blessings Thou hast bestowed, for the Word wherein Thou dost teach us. Wherein Thou dost teach us the beauties of Thy truth, of the glorious Gospel of salvation Thou hast revealed. Father, apply Thou it unto our hearts. Bless us further in the days of the week to come, that we may then also come together in this week to offer thanks to Thee for all Thy bounties bestowed on us. In Jesus' Name we pray. Amen.
Scripture taken from the NEW AMERICAN STANDARD BIBLE, © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
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