2 Samuel 12
God gave the prophet Nathan is given a rather tricky message to deliver to David.
The message starts with what is the first parable found in the Bible.
I guess parable may not be a word in common usage, it is really a story or illustration with a hidden deeper meaning, there is something about a story that has the power to break through prejudice and engage the listener, particularly if a lecture is unlikely to make the impact!
The story goes - there was a rich man and a poor man living as neighbours, the poor man and his family had virtually nothing of value apart from one ewe lamb. This lamb was their best hope for the future and they treasured it. The rich man was very rich possessing many sheep and cattle.
One day a guest came to stay with the rich man, but instead of killing one of his herd or flock to make a meal, he took the poor man's lamb.
On hearing this tale, David was outraged "the man who did this must die, paying for the lamb 4 times over since he was so pitiless
Nathan then presses the message - "You are that man, God bought you to the position you now hold, giving you all of Israel and Judah, and if that had not been enough even more. Why did you do evil in God's eyes by striking down Uriah the Hittite - you killed him with the sword of the Ammonites, even if you did not wield it yourself.
Now the sword will not depart from your house, because you despised God and took Uriah's wife to be your own.
Trouble will come on David from within his own family, David bedded Bathsheba in secret at night, but one of his family would make a show of bedding David's wives and concubines in full daylight.
David was distraught - I have sinned against the Lord.
In fact the full prayer of David is recorded in full in the book of Psalms (Psalm 51)
Nathan assured David that God had forgiven David, and would not strike David down.
However the child conceived in an act of contempt of God would not live.
David and Bathsheba's son fell ill and David fasted and wept weeping so much that when the boy died a week later, they were afraid to tell David, but he guessed.
On hearing the news, David got up, washed and ate "While the boy lived, I fasted and wept because God could change his mind, but there is no point now, I will join him one day but he will not come back to me".
David comforted Bathsheba and they had another son, David and Bathsheba called him Solomon, God told Nathan that the boy should be called Jedidah (Which means loved by God). So the vengeful God that the likes of Richard Dawkins et al go banging on about actually shows particular love the brother of the boy who died having been conceived in an act of contempt for God.
Meanwhile Joab has been continuing the campaign against the Ammonites and has captured the water supply for their capital city Rabbah. Joab requests that David come with reinforcements otherwise he will take the city and name it after himself!
So David mobilised the whole army and attacked and captures Rabbah, taking the crown from the king - the crown weighed approximately 34 kg and was inset with jewels.
34 kilos - that is so heavy that wearing this thing must have been really bad - the current imperial crown of the UK I am informed weighs just under 1 kg
David and the army captures all the Ammonite towns effectively enslaving the people to manual labour and making bricks.
The campaign over, the army went back to Jerusalem.
God gave the prophet Nathan is given a rather tricky message to deliver to David.
The message starts with what is the first parable found in the Bible.
I guess parable may not be a word in common usage, it is really a story or illustration with a hidden deeper meaning, there is something about a story that has the power to break through prejudice and engage the listener, particularly if a lecture is unlikely to make the impact!
The story goes - there was a rich man and a poor man living as neighbours, the poor man and his family had virtually nothing of value apart from one ewe lamb. This lamb was their best hope for the future and they treasured it. The rich man was very rich possessing many sheep and cattle.
One day a guest came to stay with the rich man, but instead of killing one of his herd or flock to make a meal, he took the poor man's lamb.
On hearing this tale, David was outraged "the man who did this must die, paying for the lamb 4 times over since he was so pitiless
Nathan then presses the message - "You are that man, God bought you to the position you now hold, giving you all of Israel and Judah, and if that had not been enough even more. Why did you do evil in God's eyes by striking down Uriah the Hittite - you killed him with the sword of the Ammonites, even if you did not wield it yourself.
Now the sword will not depart from your house, because you despised God and took Uriah's wife to be your own.
Trouble will come on David from within his own family, David bedded Bathsheba in secret at night, but one of his family would make a show of bedding David's wives and concubines in full daylight.
David was distraught - I have sinned against the Lord.
In fact the full prayer of David is recorded in full in the book of Psalms (Psalm 51)
Nathan assured David that God had forgiven David, and would not strike David down.
However the child conceived in an act of contempt of God would not live.
David and Bathsheba's son fell ill and David fasted and wept weeping so much that when the boy died a week later, they were afraid to tell David, but he guessed.
On hearing the news, David got up, washed and ate "While the boy lived, I fasted and wept because God could change his mind, but there is no point now, I will join him one day but he will not come back to me".
David comforted Bathsheba and they had another son, David and Bathsheba called him Solomon, God told Nathan that the boy should be called Jedidah (Which means loved by God). So the vengeful God that the likes of Richard Dawkins et al go banging on about actually shows particular love the brother of the boy who died having been conceived in an act of contempt for God.
Meanwhile Joab has been continuing the campaign against the Ammonites and has captured the water supply for their capital city Rabbah. Joab requests that David come with reinforcements otherwise he will take the city and name it after himself!
So David mobilised the whole army and attacked and captures Rabbah, taking the crown from the king - the crown weighed approximately 34 kg and was inset with jewels.
34 kilos - that is so heavy that wearing this thing must have been really bad - the current imperial crown of the UK I am informed weighs just under 1 kg
David and the army captures all the Ammonite towns effectively enslaving the people to manual labour and making bricks.
The campaign over, the army went back to Jerusalem.
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