The Lord Disciplines Those Whom He Loves 

2 Samuel 11:26-12:13a

Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. 27 When the timeofmourning was over, David sent and brought her to hishouse and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David haddone was evil in the sight of the Lord.1 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said, "There were two men inone city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 "The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.3

"But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb Which he bought and nourished;

And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat of his breadand drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him. 4 "Now atraveler came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his ownherd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man's ewelamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him." 5 Then David's anger burnedgreatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. 6 "And he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing and had no compassion."

7 Nathan then said to David, "You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, It is I whoanointedh you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 Ialso gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you thehouse of Israel and Judah; and if thathadbeentoo little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evilin His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wifeto be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 `Nowtherefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Meand have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' 11 "Thus says the Lord, `Behold,I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wivesbefore your eyes, and give themto your companion, and he shall lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun." 13 Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord."

Chapters 11 and 12 of II Samuel cover Yahweh's exposing of David's sin. The secret adulterous encounter with Bathsheba and the calculated cover up of his sin through the murder of her husband are exposed by the prophet Nathan in an innovative and creative manner that shocks David into his senses, leading to his repentance. However, theses two chapters are not just about the Lord exposing deeds done in darkness, it about the Lord's faithfulness to punish those that he loves when we sin greatly against Him. This discipline of the Lord is meant to keep our feet firmly on the paths of life and righteousness.

As we turn to our text King David is probably feeling relieved that his plan to cover his sin with Bathsheba has been a grand success. After sleeping with his military champion's wife, getting her pregnant, then arranging the murder of her husband Uriah, David probably feels that his troubles are over. He has successfully covered up two capital crimes, adultery and murder, that are punishable by death, according to the Law of Leviticus. Thus our text asserts:

Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. 27 When the timeofmourning was over, David sent and brought her to hishouse and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David haddone was evil in the sight of the Lord.

Bathsheba mourns the death of her husband, seven days of more. After this time of mourning, David marries her and she bears him a son. However, the Lord is greatly displeased with David, for the evil his has caused. The word for Hebrew in this context is raa referring to that which is low in quality, bringing inevitable injury and personal calamity. Yes, David has caused much injury to Bathsheba, her reputation and her family. The king has destroyed her family and murdered her husband. So it is when we engage in acts of evil towards one another, we injure one another destroying our bonds of peace and unity.

As our text continues, the Lord sends Nathan the prophet to expose David's sin and shock him back into reality and repentance. Nathan, like our Lord Jesus uses the power of the parable to minister to the King:

Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said, "There were two men inone city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 "The rich man had a great many flocks and herds.3

"But the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nourished;

Now a traveler came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his ownherd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man's ewelamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him."

Nathan, as a prophet, a seer of Yahweh knows the events that have transpired, the secret sins of David that lie buried in the shadows. He tells a tale that he knows will awaken the righteousness of King David's seared conscience, and awaken him to his sin. By the grace of God the plan works. Thus, David exclaims:

Then David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the Lord lives, surely the man who hasdone this deserves to die. 6 "And he must make restitution for the lamb fourfold,because he did this thing and had no compassion."

Although he has sinned against God, the acute sense of righteousness of the king is awakened and he pronounces a judgement on the rich man in the story "he deserves to die." Nathan then indicts the King for his capital crimes:

"You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, It is I whoanointedh you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 Ialso gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you thehouse of Israel and Judah; and if thathadbeentoo little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evilin His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wifeto be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon.

Nathan asserts that King David is the man in the story, pricking David's conscience. Through Nathan, Yahweh reminds King David of His mighty hand in raising David from a shepherd boy to become the sovereign of Israel. As customary among Near Eastern sovereigns, David inherited King Saul's wives and haram. David had more than most men. If this was insufficient, Yahweh would have given him more. Yet, David despised the word of the Lord, the Torah, the Law of God in his evil actions. David's sin is hatred and disrespect of the law, the order of God in the world. David arrogantly raise up his head, loftily and disdainfully towards the Law and therefore Yahweh himself. So it when we willfully disobey God's law, we despise the word of the Lord!

As we return to our text, Nathan the prophet announces Yahweh's discipline, His punishment for King David's sin:

`Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Meand have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.' 11 "Thus says the Lord, `Behold,I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wivesbefore your eyes, and give themto your companion. Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the Lord."

The Lord's punishment of the king is severe. David eventually saw the fulfilment of this prophecy as his son Absalom rose up against him in an unsuccessful bid to steal the throne from his father. It was almost the end of the king, but through the leadership of Joab, David's loyal army prevailed. This, comports well with Hebrew 12, that asserts God disciplines those that He loves:

"My son, do not make light of the Lord's discipline,
and do not lose heart when he rebukes you,
6 because the Lord disciplines the one he loves,
and he chastens everyone he accepts as his son."[a]

7 Endure hardship as discipline; God is treating you as his children. For what children are not disciplined by their father? 8 If you are not disciplined-and everyone undergoes discipline-then you are not legitimate, not true sons and daughters at all. 9 Moreover, we have all had human fathers who disciplined us and we respected them for it. How much more should we submit to the Father of spirits and live."

When we willfully rebel and sin against the word of the Lord, we should be surprised that out loving Lord disciplines us, punishes us to bring us to repentance and transformation. The Lord doesn't discipline us because He is mean spirited or delights in our suffering. These disciplines are designed to draw us back to him, to perfect holiness in us that we might be conformed into the image of Christ in the world. Like King David, we must remember that although God forgives our sins, He still disciplines us in His love to transform us forevermore.