Sermon Tone Analysis
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The Sin Situation
I want to begin this morning by discussing what is, I think, a fundamental problem with the way that we think about sin.
If you’re like most people - if you’re anything like me - then when you take time to think about your own sin, there’s a real chance you’re thinking about your sin wrongly.
And if I’m right, then that’s a problem.
Because Christians are called to fight their own sin every single day.
And if you’re thinking wrongly about your sin, you’re probably losing.
Here’s what I mean.
Let’s say, for example, that you’re in a hurry, and it’s a particularly stressful day.
At 5:14 you hop into your car and hit the freeway.
And, because it’s rush hour and because we live in the city, there’s probably traffic.
So maybe you’re a half mile from home when a cherry red BMW skyrockets six inches from the passenger side, flying by on the right shoulder.
It’s scary and it’s infuriating, because here you are abiding by the rules like a good citizen, even though you’ve got places to be too, when all of the sudden here’s this guy — and he couldn’t care less.
There he is, breaking the rules, actively telling Joe Everybody that he’s more important than they are, and that isn’t fair.
And in a moment of unrestrained anger, you roll down your window and you flip that guy off.
Maybe you yell curses in his direction.
Now, on your best day, that fit of rage would itch at you.
On your best day, you’d see it for what it was - you’d call it sin and you’d attempt to understand the nature of the situation that led to your sin.
And this is where things typically go sideways.
What’s relevant in this situation is not that you were stressed.
What’s relevant in this situation is not the pattern of behavior that led to your aggressive instincts on the road.
What’s relevant in this situation isn’t the frustration you’ve experienced because you didn’t get what you wanted, or the carelessness or shortsightedness that fostered your rage.
There is only, truly, one relevant factor to explore.
And that is this:
Against whom have you sinned?
Against whom have you sinned?
Now, if you’re anything like me then 89% of the time your gut response is that guy in the cherry red BMW.
And if that were your response, you’d be wrong.
You and I have failed to understand the nature of the sin situation.
It’s a lot simpler than we think.
And it’s also broader and heavier.
And the situation of sin, rightly understood, will not allow you to see your actions as anything less than audacious.
Today we’re going to explore the situation of sin from God’s perspective.
That is, from the right perspective.
Today God is going to teach us about the audacity of our own sin.
But he won’t leave us there.
This is a story full of hope in the midst of consequences.
So let’s get to it.
Turn with me to 2 Samuel 12.
You have despised me.
Okay.
Maybe best at this point to take a deep breath and exhale slowly.
Because what we’ve just read is heavy, and if it isn’t weighing on you, it ought to.
Sometimes the Scriptures place us in dark valleys like this one to teach us important truths.
A lot of people avoid passages like this, because they’re hard to read and even harder to think about.
But if you’re willing to dwell in the valley, you’ll be better prepared for the Kingdom.
And that’s what we’re going to do this morning.
And look, it’s okay that this story is heavy.
Now, I know that this may seem like a relatively simple story, but there’s actually a ton going on in this chapter.
So I want to look back and take it in parts.
Now, I know that this may seem like a relatively simple story, but there’s actually a ton going on in this chapter.
So I want to look back and take it in parts.
The Audacity of Sin
The chapter begins with David seated upon his throne, pretending as if all is well.
But we know what the people of Israel don’t know.
We know that not long ago David saw a woman bathing.
And though he knew she was the bride of his dear friend, the daughter of an honored warrior, the granddaughter of his closest advisor, David sent for her, and he took her, and then he sent her away.
And that would’ve been the end of it.
Except God in his mercy doesn’t let things like this stay quiet.
Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, is now pregnant with David’s child.
And this is when David begins to panic.
He desperately attempts to engineer a situation that would conceal his sin.
Every effort fails, and finally in his darkest hour David sends Uriah away to his death on the front lines of battle, carrying his own notice of execution.
That’s where our passage picks up.
David makes a widow and then marries her, so that no one will know his guilt.
He should have known better.
Reflect for a moment on the irony of David’s secrets.
Here he is, smugly seated on his throne, the same poet whose imagination crafted the lyrics of the ancient songs of Scripture:
He should have known better.
This is David, the poet, whose spirit crafted the words of the ancient songs of Scripture:
Psalm 139:7-
How does this man believe he can hide anything?
He can’t.
The LORD has seen all, and he is angry.
So God sends Nathan, the prophet of the LORD, to tell David a story.
Now close your eyes and listen again to his words.
Okay, now first of all I want to make a note here that should govern your interpretation of this scene.
I want to note that nothing in the text, nothing in Nathan’s words or in David’s words or in God’s words — nothing suggests that Nathan is exaggerating David’s actions.
Nothing suggests that this analogy is hyperbolic.
Nothing here suggests that Nathan’s parable isn’t a perfect representation of the audacity, of the sheer wicked audacity of David’s sin.
This is not a caricature.
This is a story designed to teach David precisely how hateful he has become.
This is a story to teach David precisely how despicable his actions really were.
And that’s important to remember, because the story that Nathan tells is awful.
The poor man — could you imagine a sweeter portrait?
He’s so grateful for this lamb.
The lamb is all he has.
He sleeps alongside this lamb and he treats her like a daughter.
And this rich guy had everything he could ever want.
He wouldn’t have even felt the loss of a lamb from one of his many flocks.
Did you catch that?
Not very many sheep and cattle — very many flocks and herds.
This guy had enough wealth that a good portion of it could go missing and he wouldn’t have flinched even for a moment.
And yet.
When need arises, he takes the one precious lamb of his poor neighbor.
You should hate this guy, because he’s wicked.
This is a bad guy, the worst sort of guy.
And you should feel that.
And David certainly feels that.
Listen to his response,
2 Samuel
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