Sound Doctrine

Jeff Johnson: God makes the first step towards David. David didn't come to God. I didn't seek God. I wasn't going after God. I was deep in depression and bummed out and trying to drown my hurt with drugs. Until somebody came and knocked on my door, and God sent them to speak to me. God came after me because he loves me. He loved me enough to send somebody to my house. That's house calls. That's love. He makes house calls? And this guy sat down, who used to get out of it with me, and now he's telling me about Jesus.

Announcer: All of us sinned and fall short of the glory of God, Romans 3 tells us. And so it becomes necessary then to know what to do when we do sin. Today on Sound Doctrine, Pastor Jeff Johnson shares the story of David and Bathsheba. You probably know the adultery and murder cover-up quite well if you've been a Christian for a while.

But nine months after the sin, David is confronted and then experiences what God's forgiveness is all about. It's a heartwarming story of love and grace, and we hope you can join us for it. Pastor Jeff is in 2 Samuel, chapter 12.

Jeff Johnson: This morning, we're going to talk about the results of sin, but more importantly, we're going to be talking about the results of confession. David is now king of Israel, anointed and preserved by God, given great victories by God. But due to a past compromise in David's life, David finds himself not going to battle as most would, but he stays behind in Jerusalem. Then when he thought everything was going just right, all is well, comes that lure of lust knocking at his door. At a time where he would least expect it, there it is in his face.

And this sin that he would do would conceive, and he would commit adultery. And then to try to hide what he had done because a baby came into the picture, he would then commit murder. Remember last week we talked about how abortion is not the answer. That's not the answer to your problem. It just compounds the situation. After everything is done and he thought he did the great cover-up, now we find them riding off into the sunset.

Not really. Yes, everybody was looking at David like, "Look at David. He's such a good guy. Look at how he took in that poor woman that lost her husband and that little baby." The people saw David as a good man, and yet it says that in God's eyes, David displeased the Lord. I was reminded of the story that Jesus told about the seventh church in Revelation. And of course, that church, Jesus writes and says, "So then, because you are lukewarm and you're neither cold nor hot, I'm going to spew you out of my mouth. Because you say that you are rich and increased with goods and have need of nothing."

Isn't it interesting how they saw themselves? How David sees himself in this situation, that everything's okay now, he's made up for it, he's taken them in, and everything's going to be fine. The past is the past, and let's just get on with our lives. And so this church says, "Oh, we're okay. We're rich. We got a lot of money. We're fine." And yet God perceives a different problem. They perceive it one way, and then God says, "No, that's not the way it is. Let me tell you how it really is."

And then God goes on to say, "Don't you know that you're wretched, you're miserable, you're poor, you're blind, and you're naked?" They needed to repent. God goes on and says, "I love you, and so I'm going to chasten you." He says, "Be zealous therefore and repent." And so God's child, God deals with. He says, "Repent, or I'll spew you out of my mouth." David at this point is totally deceived. He doesn't see what's going on.

And sin has a way of numbing the conscience, especially after you've hid it for a number of months and even years. It just numbs the conscience. Deception is a roadblock to God's deliverance, always it is. Self-deception has got to be one of the worst things that can happen to a man or to a woman, saying that everything's all right when it's not all right. Over in John's epistles, 1 John 1:8, he says, "If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar and his word is not in us."

Self-deception is a horrible thing. Well, he was deceived. Bathsheba lived with David, they had a son, and outwardly everything looked good in their lives, as I'm sure they sought to rationalize their sin. They had to have because they couldn't live with themselves if they didn't rationalize it. So that's what we do. In self-deception, we rationalize it and say everything's okay. But God is not mocked, the Bible says. They plowed iniquity, they have sown wickedness, and the Bible says the wages of sin is death.

But here we see with David something different. There's a difference between the man of God and the man that is of the world. For the man of God can get into sin, but he won't stay there. And that's the blessed part. He can blow it and blow it big, but he won't stay there. It's almost like the difference between a sheep that gets into the mud hole, and you pull the sheep out and you clean it off, wash it off, or a pig that goes in the mud hole. You know that pig is just going to go right back. And that's the difference.

So in 2 Samuel, chapter 12 and verse 1, it says, "And the Lord sent Nathan unto David, and he came unto him, and he said unto him, there were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor." What's amazing to me is that you need to know the time reference here because there has been almost a year between when he did his sin with Bathsheba and killing Uriah to this point. Almost a year has gone by. Now you know their hearts had to have been hardened somewhat, and you know that there's got to be some kind of a distance now between them and their God because that's what sin does.

You have enough of the Lord to be miserable and not enough to be joyful. You know what I'm talking about? You have enough to go, "Gosh," and yet you're miserable in your situation because you're disobedient and you're doing your own thing. They've probably at this time resigned to, "Hey, listen, okay, we got away with it. We've got to live with it now. Let's just go on with our future." But I found a scripture over in 2 Peter chapter 3 where Peter says, "The Lord is not slack concerning his promise, as some men count slackness."

Some people look at God's patience and long-suffering as that he just says it's okay, it's fine, it's forgotten, don't worry about it. They think that he's not going to then deal with it because, "Oh, I did this thing and nothing happened. It's fine." Well, God is so patient, isn't he? And he just waits for that timing. Sometimes he waits till you just spin your wheels to where you're really slowing down and slamming the wall for the last time. And then he comes to where he knows you'll really have an ear to hear.

God's not going to waste his time if you're just in rebellion and doing your own thing. He just waits because he knows how this world is, and he just allows things to take place. So God's not slack concerning his promise as some men count slackness, but he is long-suffering. Why? He's not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. He just waits because he wants you to repent. He wants you to come home. He wants you to get it right. So he waits.

And I love this, that God makes the first step here. God makes the first step towards David. David didn't come to God. I didn't seek God. I wasn't going after God. I was deep in depression and bummed out and trying to drown my hurt with drugs. That's all I wanted. That's all I cared about. Until somebody came and knocked on my door and God sent them to speak to me. God came after me because he loves me. He loved me enough to send somebody to my house. That's house calls. That's love.

He makes house calls? And this guy sat down, who used to get out of it with me, and now he's telling me about Jesus. So God sent his messenger, and he sent him with his word. And the Bible, the word of God, is like a mirror, isn't it? You hold it up in front of you and you go, "Oh my gosh." It's a mirror. You really see everything with it. There's nothing that it doesn't uncover in your life.

And so this prophet Nathan, do you remember the last time we talked about him? Remember how David came to him and said, "You know, the Lord has just laid this on my heart to build a temple for God. What do you think, prophet?" And the prophet immediately said, "Oh David, you're doing all right. That's great. Do all that is in your heart. Go do it, David." And then that night God came to Nathan and said, "Nathan, you blew it. I never told you to tell David to do it. Jump the gun, Nathan."

Nathan the prophet, prophet of God had to go to David and say, "David, I blew it. God's not going to let you build the house. He doesn't want you to build the house. I made a mistake. I said it too quick." So I see here Nathan, a man who was close to David. If there's anybody that was going to get David's number here and be able to speak to him that David would receive, it's got to be Nathan because he understood what it was to blow it, he understood what it was to just be open and to obey God.

And when I thought about this, over in Galatians, Paul says this about coming to somebody that's in a fault. He says, "Brethren, if a man be overtaken in a fault, you which are spiritual restore such a one in the spirit of meekness, considering yourself lest thou also be tempted." And I think that what God would want us to do with somebody who was caught up in something, first of all, you need to be able to relate to them, don't you? They need to be able to relate to you.

When you talk with them, they need to see that you really care about them and you're there in meekness. It's not that you're part of God's squad and you came to bust them. "Hey, I'm a sin finder. I'm here to talk with you. I'm a sin sniffer or whatever. And I've sniffed you out and you, brother, are in sin and God sent me to talk to you." No, I don't think they'll receive it real well. You need to go to that one and you need to be able to relate to them, and Nathan was the one that could relate to David.

David is of course defensive, and Nathan knew it, especially in this area. So God gave to Nathan an incredible story to give to David. And this parable was to just draw out of David that sense of justice and the little bit of good that David still had in him. I mean, he was hard, he was defensive, and he was always on the verge of going off on people, but yet Nathan came in and just started to talk to him about this man that did this horrible thing.

God has a way of just turning things and letting you see for yourself your sin. Sometimes, yes, it helps when a brother comes and he shares with you and he sees it too and he can help you. But when God nails you, there's something about that that you know you just got to get right. God's got my number. I don't care where I run, he's got my number. So God was coming to David to say, "Let's reason together, David."

Verse 2: "Well, this rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds." Of course, the rich man was a picture of David. Isn't it interesting? I heard Carter on the news the other night talking again to the people making a speech, and he said, "You know what the real bad guy in this country is? You know what the real problem in this country is? It's the rich against the poor." That's always been the problem. It will continue to be the problem. And until we really deal with that problem, nothing else is going to get done. The rich against the poor.

Well, here's the story. The rich man had everything. But the poor man had nothing save a little lamb which he had brought up and he nourished it up, and it grew up together with him and with his children. They did eat of their own meat at the table and drank of his own cup and laid in his bosom, probably laid in the bed with the kids at night. And was unto him as a daughter. You know how those animals can get. They grow on you. And if you've got one, you know what I'm talking about. They're your little babies, right?

Now I have two dachshunds, and they're really a bummer. They can really get to me. I kind of like one of them. But my wife just loves them, and they're her babies. And right before she was going up to a women's retreat, Puppers, our old lady—I call her the old lady—she got this swelled-up paw. And it's happened before, and so I said, "Just soak it and it'll go down." So she's over there soaking it. "I can't leave to the retreat knowing that Puppers is limping around. Look at Puppers limping around."

She's getting to me, and I'm going, "Okay." And she says, "We gotta take it into the vet. I can't go up there without knowing," because it was getting bigger and it was just swollen, the whole thing. So we went to the vet. What a mistake. He hands me a bill that's out of this world. Now I gotta admit that the swelling has gone down and she felt real good, and I had to give the pills to the dog while she's gone. But it's her baby. Everybody's got their little pets. Well, this was their baby. This was their pet. They loved this lamb. Probably had a name for it.

Verse 4: "And there came a traveler unto the rich man. And he spared to take of his own flock, of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come into him. But he took the poor man's lamb, killed it, dressed it for the man that was come to him." David, of course, Nathan is inferring that you're the rich man. You had everything, David. You had a harem that was huge. You had any woman that you wanted, beautiful women. And you didn't want any of them. You wanted just this one that was married.

And so you went and you took her. Not only did you take her, you killed her husband, all because of this traveler. And I can see this traveler in a spiritual sense as the tempter. "Look at this. Look at this." As this traveler gets more than just a guest. Not only wanting to come in and be a guest, but now wanting to take over the home. And travelers can do that. And we have to be careful of these lure of lust, these travelers that are everywhere.

Verse 5: "And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man" as he heard this story. He said to Nathan, "As the Lord liveth, the man that has done this thing shall surely die." I mean, it struck him deep. He was angry. He was out of control. I can see him waving his hands going, "What? Off with his head! Kill this man!" Now wait a minute, David, you're getting a little harsh here. There's nothing in the law that says anything about killing a man for taking a lamb. That's a little bit steep.

"No man, guy's gotta die, man." No gospel for him. This guy has blown it. It is interesting when we do it ourselves, whatever it might be, it's not that bad, is it? But then when somebody else does it and we see that they're doing our same sin, we look at it in a different light. David goes on to say, "And he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he had did this thing and because he had no pity." I think David's the one with no pity.

Now it is true that by the law, if you take an animal from somebody, you are to give them back four for what you've taken. That's by the law. But not to die. I can't believe it. "You've done such a horrible thing, this guy." And we get so uptight. It's human nature, isn't it? That we are angry and we're quick to judge somebody that's maybe doing the very same thing that we've done.

I found a scripture in Romans chapter 2 where it talks about this whole thing of judging, and Paul says this: "Therefore thou art inexcusable, O man, whosoever thou art that judgest. For wherein thou judgest another, you condemn yourself. For you that judgest, you do the same things. But we are sure that the judgment of God is according to truth against them that commit such things. And thinkest thou this, O man, that judgest them which do such things, and you do the same, that you are going to escape the judgment of God?"

And I'm sure you've seen those preachers pounding the pulpit and very angry towards a certain sin in a certain area, and maybe they hit that thing constantly as they are ministering. And you kind of wonder, why are they so shook up about this one area? Could it be that maybe that is a weak area in their lives? And yet look at how they go off on people. Well, you say, "I'm glad I never committed adultery." But again, do you have ears to hear?

It's not about committing adultery. If you've lusted after a woman in your own heart, this has to do with each and every one of us personally before the Lord. How we walk before him. Jesus knows that we have a hard time with this thing of holding grudges, and we can be so cruel to those that do our own sin. How we forgive ourselves so readily and easily, but then when it comes to them, we don't forgive.

In fact, in Matthew 18, Jesus wrote a parable about this. In Matthew 18, Jesus says, speaking of the kingdom of God, there was a king who had a servant, and his servant owed him $17 million. And he said, "You need to pay me up. And I'm going to sell you and your family and all your land to pay me what you owe me." And the servant said to him, "Oh, master, please have patience with me. Give me a chance and I'll pay you all." The king looked at the servant and said with compassion, "You don't owe me a thing. You're free from all of what you owe me, $17 million. Go your way."

Well, you'd think this guy would go off and just be glad, right? No, what he did, he went off and he found one person there that owed him money. This guy owed him 15 bucks. And he laid his hands on him and he took him by the throat and he said, "You better pay me." And the guy fell down on his feet and said, "Have patience with me and I'll pay you." But he would not, and he cast him into prison till he should pay him.

Some people heard what this man did and went back to the king and told the king of what this man did. King brought him in and said, "What have you done? You're a wicked servant. I forgave you all of your debt. You should have went forth and had compassion on this guy and had pity on him like I had pity on you." And the king was angry and delivered him to the tormentors till he should pay all that was due unto him.

So Jesus says likewise shall my heavenly father do also unto you if you from your hearts forgive not everyone his brother their trespasses. What a heavy parable. We must forgive as we have been forgiven. Then Jesus said that awesome thing when he said, "He that is without sin, you cast the first stone." And everybody dropped their stones and they turned around and walked away. It's like David looked at his offender, and he saw him in the back and he said, "You are the one. Come here." And he reaches out and he grabs him and he twists him around and he looks at him and he sees his own face. He just couldn't believe it.

Look at verse 7 now, 2 Samuel 12:7. Nathan said to David, "Hey David, you are the man." What? He should die, David cried out. Nathan turns, hurls God's arrow to pierce David's heart, and it goes right in. And God's word is like that, right to the soul, right to the spirit. You are the man. See, David after hearing the story still wasn't getting it, was he? He wasn't receiving it.

I know a lot of times you come here and you sit there and you're hearing a message and you're going, "Boy, I wish Judy was here. She needs this. Or where is Jim? I hope he's here. Boy, he needs this." You're not getting the message. It's not so much the preacher that the great responsibility is on, it's on those that have ears to hear. What are you doing with what you hear? How are you receiving it, and is it changing your life?

Announcer: That is a great reminder and a great way to end today's Sound Doctrine broadcast. What are you doing with the words you hear? Pastor Jeff's message today was taken from 2 Samuel, chapter 12. Pastor Jeff's messages are archived for you at sounddoctrineredio.org. That includes all of 2nd Samuel. Our programs are also accessible at oneplace.com and on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.

If you enjoy the teaching you receive through Sound Doctrine, you can show your support through a financial gift, and thank you for whatever the Lord lays on your heart. There's a place to give at sounddoctrineredio.org. Join us for another study in 2nd Samuel next time we meet for Sound Doctrine with Pastor Jeff. May God richly bless you as you live by the sound doctrine contained in God's word.