
Scriptural text: 2 Samuel 12:1-9, 13-15
Lesson Context:
It’s the spring of the year, David’s army was out in battle. With a good general as Joab directing his army, David stays at home in Jerusalem at his palace. One day while home, David seemed to have been enjoying a nap on the roof. After waking, he began to walk around the roof (2 Samuel 11:2). David’s palace was strategically built in Jerusalem in Mount Zion. David’s rooftop was the second highest point in the city. What David saw was Bathsheba performing a ritual for purification. King David’s notice of Bathsheba quickly turned to lust. King David ended up sleeping with her which resulted in a pregnancy. David’s attempt to cover up his sin resulted in the killing of Uriah (Bathsheba’s husband). After Uriah’s death, David took Bathsheba as his own wife. Now, David is guilty of adultery and murder.
Tale of Two Men (2 Samuel 12:1-6):
Contrasting Fortunes (vv. 1-3).
The thing that David did displeased the Lord. The Lord did not send David’s enemies to invade him, terrors to take hold on him, and the messengers of death to arrest him. No, God sent a prophet to him-Nathan, his faithful friend and confidant, to instruct and counsel him. David did not send for Nathan, but God sent Nathan to David. Nathan was obedient to the heavenly vision, and went on God’s errand to David. Nathan fetched a conference with a parable, which seemed to David as a complaint made to him by Nathan against one of his subjects that had wronged his poor neighbor, in order to him redressing the injury and punishing the injurious. The rich man had many flocks and herds; the poor man had one lamb only. The rich man having an occasion to entertain a friend with, took the poor man’s lamb by violence from him and made use of that (verse 4), either out of covetousness, because he grudged to make use of his own. (2) In this he showed him the evil of the sin he had been guilty of by defiling Bathsheba. He had many wives and concubines, whom he kept at a distance, as rich men keep their flocks in their fields.
Angry Verdict (vv.5-6).
By this parable, he drew from David a sentence against himself. For David supposing it to be a case in fact, and not doubting the truth of it when he had it from Nathan himself, gave judgment immediately against the offender the offender, and confirmed it with an oath.
Tale of the King (2 Samuel 12:7-9):
The Guilty One (v. 7a).
Nathan now speaks, not as a petitioner for a poor man, but as an ambassador from the great God, with whom is no respect of persons. Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.
References: Matthew Henry Commentary, Standard Lesson Commentary, KJV