v.1-14
(1) The greed-limiting law
In the parable of Nathan, the rich man's problem was not that he did not have enough, but he took the lamb from the poor man v.1-4! The LORD pointed out that David took the wife of Uriah as "your own" v.10.
After the LORD listed all the things He had given David, at the end He added,
v.8b And if all that somehow seems insignificant, I would have given you so much more as well!
He should have felt satisfied, but David did not limit their greed and took things that did not belong to them.
He should have felt satisfied, but David did not limit their greed and took things that did not belong to them.
Normally, people did not do that because of the law, but the rich man/David acted as if there is no law!
Note, from the parable, Scriptures described how the poor man took good care of the lamb. Therefore,
David himself described the crime as, "cold-hearted" or "no pity" (ESV). However, whom David showed no pity was God, not just to Uriah. See below.
(2) David despised the law=David treated the LORD with contempt
Twice, the LORD said,
12:9 Why have you shown contempt for the word of the LORD by doing evil in my sight?
v.10b For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own!’
David's lawlessness was seen as his despise to the LORD. Violating God's law means we violate the LORD. We think that we are God and do not need to live under God.
Reflections: Are you satisfied with what the LORD gave you? We do not like to set boundaries of what we like to have. Perhaps not in action, but in our mind we like to think about things that did not belong to us. We think that no one will know, like David.
What David chose was to violate the Law and acted as if there is no law. When did we treat God like that and take up the position of the throne in our heart? When we violate God's law we violate God.
Audrey
2024
B:
1. the connection of 12:1 and 11:27
12:27 ...But what David had done upset the LORD. 12:1 So the LORD sent Nathan to David...
God was upset and so He sent Nathan to David, not just to announce the judgement, but let him know that he had sin, and why he deserved the judgement. God did not give us up when He sent someone to teach us. I should changed my view and not feeling offended when people pointed out my sins.
2. The sin of David according to
A. The nature of David's sin in David's term
v.4 he did not want to use one of his own sheep or cattle to feed the traveler
v.6 he committed this cold-hearted crime
did not want=cold-hearted in Hebrew=spare, compassion BDB
The rich man spared or feel sorry to use his own sheep, but he did not have compassion towards the poor man. David did not like to have his wives being taken, but he took Uriah's wife with his power. He violated the law of love your neighbor as yourself.
v.7 ‘I chose you to be king ...I rescued you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you...house...wives...I also gave you the house of Israel and Judah... I would have given you so much more as well
In other words, (1) David did not have gratitude towards God and kept His Word, (2) David was not satisfied of what he was given. He was the rich man and not being satisfied. Adultery=the sin of greediness; (3) David did not ask God if he needed more to become satisfied. Note, God said, "And if all that somehow seems insignificant..." God did not rule out the possibility of dissatisfaction. But if we ever hunger for more, the object we should ask is God, not to seek our own ways.
B. According to God:
4 verbs in this verse
9 Why have you shown contempt for the word of the LORD’s decrees by doing evil in my sight?
You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and
you have taken his wife to be your own wife!
You have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.
Note how the killing of U and the killing of him through the Ammonites were separated. They were counted as 2 separated sins. The killing and the cunning of doing so. Killing, adultery, and cunning were the 3 ways that D's contempt to God.
2. The reason for David's sin according to the LORD
v.9 Why have you shown contempt for the word of the LORD’s decrees by doing evil in my sight?
v.10 For you have despised me by taking the wife of Uriah the Hittite as your own
v. 14 because you have treated the LORD with such contempt
There is no ambiguity of the sins of murder and adultery in God's word. They are among the 10 commandments in Sinai. When we sin we show contempt to His word v.9 as well as to Him v.10, 14.
What is the sin of despising the LORD?
The 1st one who despised the LORD in 1 & 2 Samuel was Eli
1 Sam 2:30 ...For I will honor those who honor me, but those who despise me will be cursed!
It is the same as acts defiantly, and the penalty is death.
Num 15: 30 “ ‘But the person who acts defiantly... insults the LORD. That person must be cut off from among his people. 31 Because he has despised the LORD’s message and has broken his commandment, that person must be completely cut off. His iniquity will be on him.’ ”
3. The result of David's sin
As stated in his own words in v.5-6, he deserved to die and to retribute 4 times. God made him paid back v.10-12. But because David admitted that he have sinned against God his sin was forgiven and he was not going to die v.13, but his son will certainly die.
Side notes: Polygamy
v.8 I gave you your master’s house, and put your master’s wives into your arms.
Who are the wives of David's master? One of them is Ahinoam. Not sure who are the others??
(EBC 1 Sam 25:43) The only other Ahinoam mentioned in the Bible is the wife of Saul (14:50), and it has therefore been plausibly suggested that, before David took Abigail to become his wife, he had already asserted his right to the throne of Israel by marrying Queen Ahinoam—a tactic perhaps hinted at in Nathan’s speech to David.
Summary:
When a person acts defiantly or show contempt to the LORD he deserves to die. In other words, our purpose to live is to follow God's word. In particular, to not to commit adultery, or being greedy, we need to live with love to our neighbor, with gratitude towards God, and to identify God as our source of satisfaction.
When we fell on the penalty of death, we have no choice. David might want to chose to die for his son, but he had no say in choosing what penalty he would get.
R:
1. We will never have this concept of equating our defiant sin with contempt to the LORD and with death. If yes, we will never sin again. No one will dare to die just to satisfy our flesh. We always think somehow we can cover it up and will be able to get way from it, or we willfully and conveniently forget the consequence of our sin. That's me. Pray that I will not chose to forget the consequence of my sin.
2. To avoid that I need to live with a purpose to follow God's word. If reading God's word is not my priority then obeying it will hardly be my priority. Of course, just by reading will not guarantee obeying.
3. I may not have the desire to commit adultery, but I do not do well in theses areas: to live with love to our neighbor, with gratitude towards God, and to identify God as our source of satisfaction.
v.15-31
(1) David was forgiven by God, but his sins affected the life of his child
12:13 Then David exclaimed to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD!” Nathan replied to David, “Yes, and the LORD has forgiven your sin. You are not going to die. 12:14 Nonetheless, because you have treated the LORD with such contempt in this matter, the son who has been born to you will certainly die.”
v.15b The LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill.
David knew very well that his sins affected his child and therefore he prayed, fasted and lied on the ground v.16 and he persisted to do so v.17.
David knew very well that his sins affected his child and therefore he prayed, fasted and lied on the ground v.16 and he persisted to do so v.17.
Reflection: Do you have a feeling that we are being affected by others in the pandemic? If you do not like that feeling, think about how we also affected other people. Do your sins affect your family? Do your husband or children pick up the sinful behavior from you? David took responsibility by praying earnestly and persistently for his child. How about you?
(2) The relationship between David and God was restored. It was evidently in the naming of the second child and in the triumphant of the battle.
After the death of the child, David had no problem worshiping God.
v.20b He went to the house of the LORD and worshiped
v.24b Now the LORD loved the child 12:25 and sent word through Nathan the prophet that he should be named Jedidiah for the LORD’s sake
Reflection: David was forgiven in v.13, but his contempt to the LORD had consequence-the death of his child v.14. However, we saw that right after that the relationship of David and God restored back to normal. He went to the temple and worshipped God and God loved his second child. They were at peace to each other. Afterwards, God blessed him and gave him victory.
Thank God for grace and kindness. So vast was His heart and He did not just forgive us, but treat us like we are righteous. Are you ready to give this kind of grace and kindness to others?
Audrey
2024
B:
1. God had already told David that his son will certainly die (inf ab+imperfect), and that's what started to take place.
v. 1 ...The LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and the child became very ill.
But he chose to pray, fast, go, spend the night lying on the ground. It did not mean that David did not believe in God's words.
v.22 ...I fasted and wept because I thought, ‘Perhaps the LORD will show pity and the child will live
In David's mind, even when God said certainly, there is still a possibility for the pity/grace of God.
2. Most repeated phrase: the child died. But the anticipated reaction and David's actual action puzzled the elders or the servants. David's explanation had very much to do with his perspective to God and to death.
19 ...“Yes, he’s dead.” 20 So David got up from the ground, bathed, put on oil, and changed his clothes. He went to the house of the LORD and worshiped.
23 But now he is dead. Why should I fast? Am I able to bring him back at this point? I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!’ ”
On one hand, the death of the child means God had already decided. There is no point to ask God to change His plan any more. What is left is to worship Him or to accept the result.
(EBC) After entering the “house of the LORD” (the tabernacle; see 1 Sam 1:7 and comment) to worship him, apparently resigned (surrender) to divine judgment against himself and his child
Side note:
Some people may believed what David said, "I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!’ ” in v.23 means reunion of the innocent child and believers parents in heaven.
Some people may believed what David said, "I will go to him, but he cannot return to me!’ ” in v.23 means reunion of the innocent child and believers parents in heaven.
(EBC) David’s only option for a reunion with his son is to “go to him” (cf. similarly Coats, “2 Samuel 12:1–7a,” p. 173)
However, the verb, "go to" has no hint about reunion. It is a common word to use for dead. It is an inevitable path of all mankind.
(BDB) II. Fig.; the most common uses follow; in most the origin in a literal meaning is evident: † 1. pass away, die; in phrases denoting or implying death...lo, I am going to-day the way of all the earth cf. 1 K 2:2...so of mankind דּוֹר הֹלֵךְ וְדוֹר בָּא Ec 1:4
R:
Do not give up to minister to anyone until they die. What a father tried to do with his child is to not giving up hope for God's pity. Isnt this what I suppose to do for my sheep? Yes, there is a time that I need to accept and surrender to God's plan, but not until they die.
v.24-31
B:
1. In v.10-12, 14 God pronounced a series of punishment to David. The first one, death of his 1st son with Bathsheba happened in v.15-23. What one would have expected will be the next punishment. But, not that in v.24-25. God gave grace to David and he got an unexpected gift from God. A son. And God especially sent the prophet to tell them that God loves him and gave him a name to reflect that. v.25.
2. Second, God gave David victory in a war that he supposed to participate but did not. Joab basically, gave David a undeserved credit. Note the verb, capture.
26 So Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal city
27...have captured the water supply of the city
28 So now...capture it. Otherwise I will capture...and it will be named for me.
By capturing the crucial water supply Joab knew that he would capture it, but he asked David to come to capture it so that it would be named after him.
With the capture, David got a great deal of plunder together with labors v.29-31.
The sequences about the war in 12:1 developed after the incident of David's gravest sin. Again, the punishment of his sins seemed to be put on hold until these good news brought up first (until ch 13). Why?
R:
God was not done with David as He promised in ch 7. Yes, He would discipline D, but not leaving him. He gave D hope in the middle of his punishments. He did not let it all out at once to destroy D. God is a merciful God. He did not treated us according to our sins, but with mercy and love.
Q:
1. the LORD sent Nathan. God knows our sins and initiate the action in response to sin (disclose, teaching, and punishment).
2. v.9-10, 14 David had showed contempt for God's word of His command by doing evil in His sight.
v.4-5 greed, not satisficed with God, v.2-3 did not love his neighbor as himself
3. he confessed his sin v.13, and asked for mercy v.22, at the end, he accepted the punishment v.20
4. I will try to defend my self and recall what hard work I have done and not deserved that. It was because I did not like correction, bc of my pride, and wrong emphasis of my work.
5. He was forgiven, and did not need to die, but he still have the punishment. the first one is the death of his child with B.
6. Sickness, pray, God may give mercy in the midst of judgment. Death, accept the fact.
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