ISSL Reflections February 6 2022 2 Samuel 12:1–9, 13–15 Post 2

IV.
Let’s continue our focus on David a bit more.

V.
2 Samuel 12:1-9 (New Revised Standard Version)

… and the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him, and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds; but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. He brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children; it used to eat of his meager fare, and drink from his cup, and lie in his bosom, and it was like a daughter to him. Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was loath to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him, but he took the poor man’s lamb, and prepared that for the guest who had come to him.” Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master’s house, and your master’s wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

2 Samuel 12:13-15 (New Revised Standard Version)

David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Nathan said to David, “Now the Lord has put away your sin; you shall not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die.” Then Nathan went to his house.

The Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became very ill.

VI.
What was David’s initial reaction to Nathan’s story?

“Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die; he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.’” (2 Samuel 12:5-6)

So a very strong and angry reaction to the rich man. He even says he “deserves to die … because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”

David apparently sees two “crimes” of the rich man. He steals the poor man’s lamb and “he had no pity.”

David is provoked to anger by the rich man’s action and absence of “pity.”

What in the character of the rich man does the absence of “pity” suggest to you?

How else might you name the rich man’s absence of “pity”?

What part does “pity” play in justice?

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}


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