The Price to Pay

It is when we realize that we don’t have to let our mistakes hold us back but we confess our sins to one another and to God that we can find forgiveness and the ability to move forward.

This is the first step we have to take. We have to accept that the sin in our life is holding us back and that we need to turn to God and his grace is enough for us.

This is where we pick up though. David is still stuck in his sin and he is trying to get out of it but God has a plan.

Turn with me to

2 Samuel 12:1–4 NIV

1 The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. 4 “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

Nathan’s Story

Nathan knew what we talked about last week. We like stories. They help us to share truth and to help break down the defenses that we so often have so we can hear the truth better.

Nathan is doing exactly this. He is disarming David’s defenses so that the truth could be heard.

David need this.

Let’s breakdown the important things in the story that we need to know just in case you didn’t make the connections.

The Rich Man = David

The Poor Man = Uriah

The small Ewe Lamb = Bathsheba

Notice the personal tones that come with the description of the Ewe lamb. This is to help emphasize and connect the personal nature and relationship shared that Bathsheba had with her husband. It makes her more than just another object but something to be beloved.

How does David respond to the story? Let’s find out

2 Samuel 12:5–6 NIV

5 David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! 6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

David’s Anger

David hears this story and he misses the connection and he burst out in Anger.

Nathan did a good job. He had David convinced of the great injustice that was done in the story. the ain and hurt that was caused by the very way that this poor man was treated by the rich man is unbelievable.

Nathan wanted nothing less.

One more note that we need to store away for later comes from verse 6.

2 Samuel 12:6 NIV

6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

Just keep that in the back of your mind for a little bit because it is going to come back into play in a little bit.

David though is fallen for Nathan’s plan hook line and sinker and his response show us that.

2 Samuel 12:7–12 NIV

7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 11 “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’ ”

God’s Judgement

God used Nathan to speak his judgement on David and it is a strong word. It is a word that is justly deserved. God reminds David first.

He is God’s Anointed

David was selecged as the anointed king of Israel. He was chosen, and God had blessed him and kept him from the hands of his enemies. He had great power and authority.

In fact God tells him if it wasn’t enough he would have given him even more.

David had no reason to commit this sin. He had plenty and was unjustified in his action.

He took his power and he abused it for his own gain.

God Reminds him

God doesn’t want David to forget what he had done. He draws him back tot he knowledge that he struck down Uriah with the sword.

He took his wife to be his own. Even worse. He despised the Lord and his instruction.

David is facing the hard truth of what he has done. God isn’t being kind here he is being direct.

How many of us like getting told what we have done wrong?

What no one likes hearing the wrongs they have done?

In fact many of us get an attitude of being offended and hurt and walk away from those relationships.

It is important to note there is a right way and wrong way to do this but even when it is done right we don’t like to hear it.

God is giving David what he needed which is a smack upside the head and directly calling him out not only because it is what David needed but because as the Anointed one of God he should know better.

The Consequences of Sin

We think that it is hard to hear the truth of our sin and how we have wronged God and others. The really hard part is the consequence of our actions.

This is the part that we often don’t want to accept. We just want the grace but not the pain that comes from the result of our sin.

We can’t ever forget though that sin comes with consequences.

The consequences for David is that his house was going to face the sword. God decided to use the sword against David since he used the sword against Uriah.

From here on David’s house was marked by Incest, murder, and insurrection. The price of sin is Steep and David was going to pay it.

The Confession

David thankfully like we said last week eventually came to the point that he recognized that he had done wrong. He came to take responsibility for his mistakes and confessed to God his wrong.

2 Samuel 12:13–14 NIV

13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. 14 But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

God took his sins away but he was going to face the price and he would have to accept whatever may come.

In fact we see the first price that David had to pay. The son born of Bathsheba would die.

Remember in verse 6.

2 Samuel 12:6 NIV

6 He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

The command of David. In fact, David set his own price on his own head just like he sent Uriah to the battle front with his own death sentence. David paid that price of four times over.

Bathsheba’s Baby

Amnon

Absalom

Adonijah

All four sons lost to death shortly after these events. The price was steep.

Accepting the Price

David faced the pain and hardship that came as a result of his sin. He confessed and grace was given.

Yet, when we apply this to us today we don’t like to hear this part.

God’s grace is there for us and he is willing to give it to us but that doesn’t mean we are exempt from the price.

Think of it this way.

God can forgive the thief for stealing, but that doesn’t mean they don’t face incarceration.

God can forgive the Liar, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have to deal with the hurt relationships.

God can forgive the addict, but that doesn’t mean they don’t have to deal with the fallout of their addiction.

God can forgive but we live in a world of natural consequences. This can be a hard to deal with.

We are called to receive and accept both the forgiveness of sins and the price of our sin.

Galatians 6:7–10 NIV

7 Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. 8 Whoever sows to please their flesh, from the flesh will reap destruction; whoever sows to please the Spirit, from the Spirit will reap eternal life. 9 Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. 10 Therefore, as we have opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of believers.

Reap what we Sow

I have heard this first verse a lot in the last few weeks since the Olympics opening ceremonies. I Always find it interesting when we only quote one small potion of the verse and remove it from the context.

Yes, we can’t deceive God just like David couldn’t. He can’t be mocked in that way. Yet, God allows the natural consequences to play out.

God isn’t seeking out people to punish he just allows the natural consequences to play out in our lives.

Yet, even in these moments that we face the consequences of what we have sown we need to be reminded that we have opportunity to do good.

WE have opportunity to sow into the spirit.

We have opportunity to grow in our faith.

Yes it is hard and it won’t be an easy path but if we trust in God he can transform by his grace and we can be a new creation.

Look at David. He was a sinner and he fell short, yet he was still known as a man after God’s heart.

Peter, Denied christ three times and he built his church.

Saul, persecuted Christians and became one of the greatest missionaries the world had ever seen.

God can use us but the first step is to ask for forgiveness and then do everything in our power to pursue God and to not get bogged down by the fact we will face hardship form the sins of who we once were.