Wisdom From Old Testament Stories Sýnishorn

Nathan Rebukes David 

The biblical story of King David in 2 Samuel 11 is full of shock, controversy, and sin. As we read, we can see the catastrophe a mile away and find ourselves wanting to shout, “Hey, David, don’t look at her! She’s married! This isn’t going to turn out well!” But, all we can do is watch the story unfold and see that so many lives were ruined because of one man’s selfish act. David’s encounter with Bathsheba could’ve been prevented had he been in the right place at the right time. 

When we’re steeped in our sin, it’s often hard for us to recognize we’re there because we’re so deep in it. And that’s exactly where our spiritual enemy wants us to remain. He is the father and author of all lies, so why wouldn’t he want us to remain living in them? This is where having the right people in our lives is important. 

King David had a godly man named Nathan in his life. Nathan was a prophet and spoke truth to David. He saw the situation with Bathsheba unfold and recognized that David was completely deceived. Nathan had to do something to get his attention, so he told him a story (2 Samuel 12:2-4). As Nathan shared, David burned with anger and wanted to make the man pay for his actions. And in that moment, Nathan responded, “You are that man!” He continued on and several verses later, David replied, “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13).

The beautiful part in this ugly story is that David didn’t get defensive at Nathan’s rebuke. He didn’t make excuses, nor did he act like it wasn’t a big deal. Nathan brought the sin to David’s awareness, he recognized his sin, and he repented before his God. 

We all get into situations we shouldn’t be in. Sometimes, we get lazy spiritually and morally and find ourselves on a path we should’ve never been on. Other times, we dive headfirst into sin and enjoy each and every minute of it. Regardless of how we get into sin, we often do things we never thought we’d do. It’s important that we not live in sin. And the best way to avoid this is to have the right people in our lives. 

Friends who aren’t afraid to call out our sin.
Friends who will help us make honorable choices.
Friends who pray for us and with us.
Friends who don’t always agree with us.
Friends who support our marriage and family. 
Friends who challenge us to become more like Jesus.

We need godly influences in our lives because there’s such a shortage of them. Society is full of the wrong influences, so we need to make sure that the people who speak the loudest in our lives are people with strong, godly character and a moral compass that is grounded in God’s Word.