ISSL Reflections February 6 2022 2 Samuel 12:1–9, 13–15 Post 3

VII.
Where do you find the strongest emotions of the people in this passage? What in the passage brings the strongest emotions for you?

VIII.
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.

IX.
What do you think? Where might emotions be the strongest; either in the account given here or in your reaction to the account? David’s anger at the rich man? Nathan’s words to David, “You are the man”? David’s confession that he has sinned? Nathan’s report that “the Lord has put away your sin? Or, Nathan’s claim that “because you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child that is born to you shall die.” Or even, “The Lord struck the child … and it became very ill.”

Where do you think David experiences the deepest emotional response? His anger at the rich man in the story? His confession? Or his hearing that his child shall die?

I have to confess that Nathan’s announcement that the child shall die draws me deepest into the account and brings out the most emotional response for me. And it makes me angry!

While it is true that the innocent suffer for the sins of others it makes me no less angry.

That is especially the case here, since last week the Scripture passage we read reported,

Parents shall not be put to death for their children, nor shall children be put to death for their parents; only for their own crimes may persons be put to death. (Deuteronomy 24:16)

I offer no attempt to harmonize these two passages, only the observation that any time the innocent suffer for the failures of others, we should be angry, we should call out such injustice and we should put voice, and feet and hands to our anger to redress injustice.

charles
{ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est}


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