You Are the Man!

Introduction

The title of the message is “You Are the Man!”, and we’ll be studying 2 Samuel 12:1-7a.

Theme: Who Am I in God’s Story?

By the end of the message, I want us to understand who we are in God’s story. The passage we will be studying has several layers. David, as you probably know the story goes, has committed adultery with Bathsheba and has murdered her husband Uriah to cover up his misdeeds. All goes according to plan for David, and it would seem he’s gotten away with it all. Those who know of what has happened (and surely there are other individuals involved in the coverup) would likely be intimidated and unwilling to confront the king of Israel. David marries Bathsheba and David is in the clear, right? Wrong. David cannot hide his sin from God. He cannot bully God into silence. What follows is God’s response, and as we read through the passage, let’s pay attention to the way God uses a story to convict David of his sin, and on different level, how he can use this same story to help us understand who He is and who we are in His story...

Main Text

2 Samuel 12:1-7a

About the Author

I love books. I love to read. As I contemplated this passage, I thought about how I could use the analogy of an author/story to analyze it, and on a larger scale, the way in which God is like an author and creation/history is a story he’s writing. In fact, many have pointed out that history, properly understood, is His story. And if that is the case, then each one of us is a character in this story.

So in order to properly understand this story and how we might fit in it, the first order of business is to learn about its author. Take a book and turn to the very end, or perhaps look somewhere on the back cover or on the book jacket on the inside of the back cover, and you might find a small section called “About the Author”. This section gives a quick paragraph bio about the person who wrote the book. So let’s find out about our author...

2 Samuel 12:1

As mentioned before, David’s sin did not go unnoticed by God. He is well aware of the adultery, of the murder. And so, God sends Nathan to David with a story, a parable. The verse says specifically Nathan is sent by God to David. Very clearly, God uses his people to encourage and, in this case, rebuke others. David, though the king of all of Israel, is no exception. In fact, no one is off limits when it comes to correction or rebuke. Let that message be heard by each of us. If God wishes to rebuke you by sending someone your way to confront you, you well ought to accept it. On the other hand, if God puts you in a position where you need to confront and rebuke a fellow believer, you also ought to accept that responsibility. I understand having to do such a thing is not exactly a fun way to spend an afternoon, but it is necessary. Let us be thankful for opportunities to receive correction from a fellow Christian. And let us also be thankful for opportunities to be used by God to deliver what should certainly be an uncomfortable message.

With that in mind, we turn to our “About the Author” section, as written by David.

Psalm 139:2-4, 13-16

God knows us thoroughly because He made us. He knows us better than we ourselves. Just considering that He knows our futures while we are clueless about our tomorrows proves the fact. Verse 4 says as much: Even before we speak a word, God knows what we are going to say. And He’s known since before time even began. He knows because He planned it from eternity past. He penned those words, as it were. He is the author.

But He’s better at being an author than Shakespeare or Charles Dickens. Obviously. Where as human authors can create a character is their minds and give “life” to them on paper with ink, our God can create a character in His mind and give physical, flesh-and-blood reality to him. Verses 13-15 give us just a little bit of insight with respect to this awesome and mysterious process. As a parent, it is mind-blowing how God forms this little person inside a mother, and suddenly, he or she is right there in your arms. And keeping you up at night. And verse 16 just fits in so nicely with what we’re talking about: God, like an author, has written the events of each day of our lives.

The Characters

A story usually begins by introducing us to the main characters. Throughout the story, long or short, we learn about the characters and are able to compile a list of characteristics about them. Sometimes, details about the characters are lacking or are intentionally vague. However, we can often fill in the blanks based on context and other elements of the story.

In the parable Nathan brings to King David, we are introduced to two characters. What is interesting about this is that, based on David’s reaction to the story, David may be under the impression that Nathan has brought to him a real case between two men in his kingdom. So David believes these characters to be two real men, which they aren’t. But on another level, the men are real men in the sense that they represent Uriah and David himself. So it’s a made-up story, but it’s not.

2 Samuel 12:1

Not many details are given. One man is rich, and one is poor. Some might believe the rich man is rich because he is good and has been blessed by God, whereas the poor man is poor because he is evil and has been cursed by God. Wealth becomes a moral issue. Or perhaps it’s the other way around. It’s been my experience that the rich are often portrayed as greedy, selfish, and overall evil. Either way, we see another example of this in Luke’s gospel.

Luke 16:19-20, 18:10

This parable’s structure is similar to the one Nathan tells David. We start with a rich man and a poor man. Jesus’ listeners likely believed what was discussed earlier regarding the men’s morality. If you know how the story goes, Jesus defies the all expectations by placing Lazarus in heaven and the rich man in hell. The plot twist in the parable, in a similar way to Nathan’s parable, points an accusing finger at the audience.

In another parable found in Luke, we again find similarities. This time, it’s a Pharisee and a tax collector. Based on these two designations alone, much is extracted. The Pharisee is supposed to be the moral religious man who has earned God’s favor with his good behavior. The tax collector, in contrast, is supposed to be morally corrupt (which he is!) and well deserving of condemnation. As the men approach God in prayer, however, Jesus shocks the crowd when He boldly states that the tax collector is the one who went home justified. As we continue to analyze Nathan’s parable, we’ll see a similar turn of events.

1 Samuel 13:14, 16:7, 12

Now let us consider what sort of character David himself is. The Bible introduces David as a man after God’s own heart. This is in contrast to Saul, who has been rejected by God for his disobedience. David Guzik outlines the kind of character that could be described a a man after God’s own heart. Note: As David demonstrates, being a man after God’s own heart does not mean that one does these things perfectly. Obviously, if anyone could perfectly demonstrate such character, Jesus need not have come to die for our sins. As we consider this list, we ought to strive to seek the heart of God in our lives in these specific ways. And at the same time, we should acknowledge that fall short and are in need of a Savior.

David honored God, while Saul honored himself.

For David, God was King. For Saul, Saul was king, and as we read on to discover, would go to great lengths to protect his crown.

When David was confronted with sin (as we will see later), his first reaction is repentance. When Saul was confronted, he defended himself or made excuses. This tactic of Saul’s reminds me of Adam’s in the garden when confronted by God. Rather than begging for forgiveness, Adam blames Eve and, at the same time, also blames God. If we’re being honest, how many times do we try to justify, rationalize, or defend rather than repenting of our sin?

As Samuel goes to anointed the next king of Israel, he is reminded of the kind of character God is looking for. Saul’s appearance was impressive, as his height is noted when being introduced to the people. However, his size was of no use when later facing a literal giant. Of all the men, Saul was probably the man who matched up best with Goliath, size-wise. However, the giant was taken down not by a man of impressive stature, but a boy of immeasureable faith in God. As the verse indicates, God is not interested in outward appearance so much as He is in what’s on the inside. A person’s character. To employ a common idiom that happens to fit quite well with our theme, God does not judge a book by its cover.

After hearing so much about David, here he finally is. In verse 12, David steps in. His physical appearance is mentioned in passing, but it’s his character that’s important. And it’s what sets him apart in God’s eyes as the man chosen to be king. Samuel wastes no time in anointing the young man.

Psalm 89:20-21

And not only has God anointed David, He also promises to establish and strenghten him. As we turn the page on David, let us consider the following: What sort of character am I? Would an author describe me as a man after God’s heart?

The Antagonist

The antagonist of a story is the source of conflict or opposition. The antagonist can be a force of nature (such as a storm or some other natural disaster), or it can be a situation in which “I’m my own worst enemy”, some sort of internal conflict. However, very often we find that the antagonist of a story is a villain.

2 Samuel 12:4

In Nathan’s parable, it very quickly becomes evident that the rich man is the antagonist. He cold-heartedly takes the poor man’s precious lamb from him to kill and eat. Definitely a bad guy move. His actions are dispicable, and David doesn’t hide his disgust. I’m not a pet person, but I assume some of you might understand the poor man’s situation. The passage indicates that the lamb was more than just another farm animal, but a beloved family pet. Which makes what the rich man did all the more heinous. On top of that is the fact that the rich man, being rich, had the means to provide a lamb without having to take one from another man.

Genesis 3:1

The original Bible bad guy, the first antagonist, of course is the serpent in the garden. The serpent, who as we know is Satan, tempts Eve to disobey God by questioning the truth of God’s word. (“Did God really say?”) He then goes on to outright contradict God’s word. (“You won’t really die.”) This pattern of deception hasn’t changed much since the beginning. Today, we observe the devil’s scheme at work in our world. The truth of God’s word is questioned and contradicted: “Does the Bible really speak on this or that issue? Perhaps we have misunderstood what seems to be clearly written. Maybe the Bible is out of date. Surely, Moses and Paul couldn’t have known about things that affect our world today. Doesn’t science prove that the Bible is wrong in some places?” The serpent continues to be the antagonist in God’s story, the enemy of God and all His people.

Exodus 1:8

Another Bible bad guy is pharoah. He has enslaved God’s people and refuses to even acknowledge the Lord. In his first encounter with Moses, he famously asks “Who is the Lord that I should obey Him?” He would soon find out exactly who this God is.

Mark 14:10

When we think of a villains in the Bible, no list is complete without mentioning Judas, the false disciple who would betray Jesus. It would be hard to top Judas in terms of the evil the perpetrated in handing the sinless Son of God over to his enemies to be murdered on a cross.

1 Samuel 17:4-7

Returning to the story of David, we encounter Goliath. As David points out, Goliath stood against and defied the armies of the living God. As big and bad as Goliath is, as intimidating as he is, as much as he scares to death Israel’s mighiest men, he is nothing compared to our God. David knew this, and Goliath’s antagonism of Israel would end the day David stepped up to him. It’s a story we know well, but we miss the point when we try to see ourselves as David and Goliath as the problems in our lives. Rather, we need to understand the David and Goliath story as part of a larger ongoing story about God and His victory over evil and His love for His people.

Psalm 5:4-6

As David would write, God’s opposition to evil and those who participate in evil is not in the least ambiguous. He hates and will ultimately destroy sin.

The Protagonist

The protagonist of a story is the main character. Usually, the protagonist is a good guy and is often thought of as the hero of the story. The protagonist is the one who, by the story’s end, defeats the villain or resolves conflict.

2 Samuel 12:5

As mentioned earlier, David’s reaction to Nathan’s parable seems to indicate that David thought the rich man and the poor man were real people. Appalled by the rich man, David tries the be the hero and right the wrong. He sentences the rich man to death and then requires him to pay restitution. I’m not entirely sure how David expected a dead man to pay back what he took, which goes to show how angry this fictional rich man has made David. The law of Moses stated that a man who steals or kills another man’s sheep is required to repay the victim four sheep. David, however, wants the man dead. What the rich man supposedly did, according to God’s law, did not deserve death. On the other hand, David committed two crimes which both deserved the death penalty. David, as we will discuss later, thinks he’s the hero, but he would later find out that he is not.

Judges 15:14-15

As we look at just a few of the so-called heroes of the Bible, we might notice a pattern. These men, though used by God mightily, are flawed in a variety of ways. Take Samson. Here is an unbelievably strong man who does amazing things. Like I’ve said to the kids in children’s church, he’s the Incredible Hulk with long hair minus the green skin. The guy is a superhero and a favorite character of many. However, the story in Judges reveals a deeply flawed man. He’s selfish. He’s disobedient. He’s arrogant. He’s a hot-head. Yet God used him to accomplish his purposes.

1 Kings 18:37-39

Then we have Elijah. Most of us know the story of the showdown on Mt. Carmel, where God showed Himself to be the true God in His victory over Baal. Elijah bravely stood his ground against 450 prophets of Baal, even mocking their god’s inability to answer them. Not too long after the big win, however, Elijah’s confidence is shaken by threats to his life, and he turns to run away. It would seem he had forgotten the way in which God has kept him and blessed to that point. Elijah demonstrates just how small and fragile our faith can be sometimes.

Matthew 26:35, 51

Peter talked a lot of game. He boldly declare his allegiance to Jesus, even if it came to the point of death. This declaration come just after Jesus told him he’d deny Jesus three times. “No, Jesus, I’ll never do that!” Fastforward to the arrest of Jesus. Peter, seeing a large crowd headed his way (a crowd which included armed soldiers), pulls out his sword and is ready to fight. Peter must have believed he could take the entire crowd on because he starts swing his weapon, trying to decapitate one from among the many. Later, Peter is much less bold as Jesus’ prediction come to pass and Peter denies that he knows Jesus.

1 Samuel 17:48-49; 18:6-7

When David called for the rich man’s death, perhaps he had in mind his glory days. We’ve already talked about how David defeated the giant. David’s heroics wouldn’t end there. He built for himself a reputation as a mighty warrior, a hero to his people. His popularity and favor among those people grew greater and greater to the point that it provoked the jealosy of Saul. Much of the books of 1 and 2 Samuel tell of David’s deeds. The books also detail some of his great failings.

2 Samuel 22:34-36

David would write to give glory to God for his success against the enemy. When God blesses us with victory in our lives, the tendency is to overlook the flaws we all have and focus exclusively on those victories. However, the Bible warns us somberly:

1 Corinthians 10:12

David, on the top of his game, would have done well to heed such a warning. In the same way, let us heed this warning.

Plot Twist

Stories with a plot twist are my favorite. You think things are going in one direction, then something crazy and unexpected happens catches you by complete surprise, and the course of the story heads in a completely different direction. Maybe it’s a doublecross by a character you thought the whole time was a good guy. Or maybe it’s the revelation of a secret that changes everything. In Nathan’s parable, the plot twist happens after the story itself ends.

2 Samuel 12:7

David thought he was the hero, but (plot twist) he is actually the villain of the story. David is the bad guy. He’s the adulterer and murderer. He’s the one who deserves death. When the plot twist happens, David realizes his guilt. He doesn’t take a page from Adam’s book, though; he doesn’t blame the woman. Rather, David immediately repents. He takes full responsibility for his actions.

David would go on to write Psalm 51 on the occasion of Nathan confronting him with his sin.

Psalm 51:1-4, 10-11

David understands he has sinned grievously and petitions God for forgiveness. No matter who you are: king, hero, whatever, God is the only One who can cleanse a man of his sin. David knows that he needs a good cleansing from God. David’s sincere repentance serves as example to us.

In verse 4, David quite appropriately acknowledges his sin is first and foremost against God. Yes, he has sinned against others, namely Uriah and Bathsheba. However, he would have missed the point if he had not confessed his breaking of God’s moral law. He feels as if he hasbetrayed the God who loves him and has so richly blessed him. God had lavished upon David blessing upon blessing and would have given him more if he had asked. Yet David chose to ignore God’s blessing on attain something for himself. Let us hear that. When we sin, we betray the God who loves us and has so richly blessed us. And let us likewise confess our guilt and to go the Lord in repentance.

Romans 3:10-12, 8:6-7

Paul reminds us of the universiality of sin. All of us are in the same boat. Many preachers refer to sin as “brokeness” or “weakness”, like we’re all just trying our best and make mistakes here and there. However, biblically sin is rebellion against God. We are criminals, and apart for God’s grace, we would not even seek the means by which we might be pardoned.

Later on in Romans, Paul reiterates the fact that we are enemies of God. There exists within man an opposition to the things of God. Make no mistake; it’s not an ignorance, like a young child who just doesn’t know better. Rather, the Bible is clear that the law of God is written on the heart of man and that God’s power and presence is obvious to us all. Man is without excuse.

Ephesians 2:1-4

Paul tells us that we are dead in sin, disobedient, under the power of the devil, and deserving of God’s wrath. There should be no confusion at this point that no man can be the hero of God’s story. Not Samson, not Elijah, not Peter, and certainly not David.

But God: Possibly the sweetest two-word phrase in the Bible. Even though everything we just read about our sin and hostility toward God is completely true, God yet has mercy. In steps the real hero of the story to bring about the resolution...

Resolution

Everybody likes a happy ending. I want the conflict to be resolved, for the good guy to win and for the bad guy to get what he deserves. The problem is, in this situation, I’m the bad guy. If I get what I deserve, uh-oh.

John 19:5

The true hero of the story is Jesus. When Nathan reveals David to be “the man”, it is to point out his sin. When Jesus is declared to be “the man”, it has quite a different meaning. Pilate, who spoke these words, was ignorant, however, to the fact that “the man” would take David’s sin (and my sin and your sin) to the cross for the purpose of rescuing us from the fate we deserve. “The man” who knew no sin would become sin so that we might become the righteousness of God. The following verses shows us how our Savior turns the bad guy into a good guy...

Colossians 1:21-22

This passage is similar in sentiment to Ephesians 2. Pauls tells us who we were, who we used to be, and contrasts that with who we are now in Christ. No long hostile in mind, no longer evil-doers, we have been reconciled and are considered by God to be holy and blameless. We have done nothing to earn this change in status; Christ has earned it on our behalf.

1 Corinthians 6:9-11

We used to belong to a category of people who would not be allowed to participate in God’s kingdom. But Jesus rescues us, and we are no longer identified by sin. Instead our identity is in Christ. Such were some of you, emphasis on the word “were”.

2 Samuel 12:13

Going back to David, good news for him! He would go on to write...

Psalm 32:1-2

The Bible tells us that God has cast our sin from us as far as the east is from the west and will remember them no more. When we understand the severity of our sin before a holy God, we begin to appreciate the truth of these verses to ever increasing depths. God forgave David of murder

1 Timothy 1:15

Jesus came into the world to save sinners. Here Paul identifies himself as the foremost of all sinners. Sure, Paul did some bad things prior to his conversion. He played a large role in the persecution of the early church. He was responsible for the imprisonment and deaths of several Christians. Yes, bad indeed… but the worst sinner of all? Paul’s view of his own sinfulness is instructive for us. I’m sure each one of us could name several people who are worst sinners than we are. None of us are bad guys on the level of someone like Hitler. However, Paul makes the point that we are intimate with our own sinfulness in a way we can never be with another’s. Only I know my own thoughts, the ongoings of my heart. This is where David was blinded for a time. He overlooked his own sinfulness as he declared the fictional rich man guilty and deserving of death. May we evaluate our own hearts as a first steps before anything else.

Romans 7:24-25

Yes, we are wretched. And who can save us? None other than Jesus. Let us give thanks along with Paul to God for sending Christ Jesus to be our Savior.

1 Corinthians 11:1

Paul, the wretched chief of sinners, encourages us to imitate him. There’s a caveat, though. We should only imitate Paul, or any other hero of the faith, only so far as that man or woman is imitating Jesus. Any person we might look up to ought to direct our gaze higher, toward King Jesus sitting on the throne of Heaven. Anyone who fails to do that is not worth imitating to any extent.

Book Review

In conclusion, as we read through the pages of Scripture, we might identify with the so-called “heroes of the Bible”, like David. There’s a tendency to put ourselves in young David’s place, and we are motivated to muster up the courage to face the fears and problems in our lives. We are often told that we can defeat the metaphorical Goliaths in our lives, just like David did on the battlefield. However, such an approach to Scripture, though perhaps popular in churches these days, is wrongheaded. We miss the point if we think ourselves the hero rather than the villain. I may be in this story God has written, but the story is not about me. The story is about Jesus, the hero. And in this story, Jesus turns the villain. Jesus rescues the villain from the fate he deserves. And the best thing about this story is that it never ends. The Bible tells us that those who believe in Jesus will never perish but have eternal life. One more book analogy: Revelation speaks of the Lamb’s book of life. We who have our names written in that book by the Author of creation, the Author of history, the Author of salvation will experience the next chapter: no more death or disease or darkness, sin or suffering or sickness, and the dwelling place of God will be with man. Let’s pray...