Nathan

To us, what seems to be a lot, can actually be very little to the Lord. And what seems insignificant to us, can actually be very important to the Lord.

Sometimes we give more attention to the big stories and characters of the Bible because they are lengthy or well-developed (for example, Daniel and Jonah). But, when we do this, we tend to overlook the lesser developed characters and the shorter stories.

(The book, The Prayer of Jabez, helped us to understand that God can speak volumes of information in just a few verses.)

Nearly everyone that has come within 10 feet of a Bible knows the story of David and Bathsheba. But not all Christians are well acquainted with how David’s sin was exposed. And probably even fewer Christians know all that much about the prophet who exposed this sin.

Nathan was that prophet. He was King David’s friend and counselor. Nathan advised David in arranging the musical instruments played by the Levites. It was Nathan that God spoke through to tell David that the Temple would be built by his successor. Nathan served both King David and King Solomon and he created written records of these men’s lives. David named one of his four sons with Bathsheba after Nathan and Luke 3:21 lists this son as part of Jesus’ lineage. Nathan helped David oppose Adonijah when he tried to become king near the end of David’s life. Needless to say, Nathan was a valuable, faithful, and loyal friend and counselor to two kings.

The Bible contains only one direct example of Nathan’s prophetic power—when he exposed David’s sin. What Nathan said, how he said what he said, and how he conducted himself is a priceless and beautiful lesson for all of us.

Here’s the encounter:

The LORD sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."

David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the LORD lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity."

Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'

"This is what the LORD says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.' "

Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD ."

Nathan replied, "The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the LORD show utter contempt, the son born to you will die. (2 Samuel 12:1–14)

Now, let’s take a look at Nathan’s heart and his gift.

Nathan was gifted to know secret sins

The gift to know secret sins is not the gift of suspicion nor is it the gift of collecting pieces of gossip and developing a “fact” about someone’s sin.

Being told about someone’s secret sins carries an awesome responsibility. Part of Nathan’s prophetic gift enabled him to know the details of someone’s transgression against God.

Perhaps you have noticed that you can sense sin in a person’s life. I’m not talking about sin in a non-Christian—that’s easy and anyone can do that. I’m referring to sensing sin in a fellow believer. You sense that there’s something just not right about them, even when by all outward appearances, everything looks like they’re living a holier lifestyle than yourself.

Perhaps you can not only sense sin in a person’s life, but you can also identify the particular sin(s). I remember Jill Austin telling of an incident when a young man came forward for prayer at the end of a service. She took hold of his hands and immediately said, “Pornography!” She said that she could feel that sin in his hands. (He acknowledged that sin, repented, and was delivered!)

Perhaps you can sense sin in a person, identify that sin, and you supernaturally know details about an actual occurrence of the sin. This is where Nathan was. This is the most advanced manifestation of this gift. John Paul Jackson told of the time that he was ministering to a man. In his spirit, God showed John Paul that same man sitting at his desk in his office during the previous day. He was looking out the window and saw an attractive young lady. He lusted after her and thought in his heart, “If I could only marry that woman, then all my problems would disappear.” John Paul sensed sin in this man, identified it as adultery, and told the man exactly how he sinned. (He too acknowledged that sin, repented, and was delivered!)

Nathan was not judgmental

After Nathan learned of David’s sin, Nathan did not use the law and have David judged. After all, engaging in adultery carried the death sentence (Deuteronomy 22:22), plus David had murdered Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, which also carries a death sentence (Numbers 35:30–31).

Nathan spoke only the words that God gave him to speak and did not taint those words. Nathan did not judge David. Nathan kept himself out of the conversation and allowed God to speak purely through him.

Kathie Walters recently told of an experience she had when she saw sin in another person. Upon entering someone’s house with a group of people, she saw a spirit of lust in the eyes of the man who lived there. She was amazed at the blatant lust and wondered why another guest, who she knew to be very spiritually keen, did not do or say anything. The thoughts that someone needs to do something about this man and his lust consumed her. After a while, the spiritually keen man spoke under the anointing, “You have until tomorrow night about this time to uncover or be discovered by the Spirit of God." Later that night, Kathie asked the Lord what happened. He said, “I couldn’t use you, because you already judged the man in your heart.” You see, Kathie had judged that someone should do something right then. But God had a better idea: grace.

Nathan had a heart like God’s heart

The purpose for ministry to the sinner is to help them acknowledge and repent of their sin and to lift them up on their feet so that they can walk again on the straight and narrow path.

Nathan didn’t come running to David and yell, “Dude! What’s up with this adultery and murder, man! Are you crazy? Repent! Repent! Repent!” 

Nathan may have been trembling under the knowledge of David’s sin, but confronting David with the purpose of restoration was his priority. God is not willing that any should perish and He chastises His children

Nathan was trustworthy with secret knowledge

It’s an awesome responsibility to be given knowledge from God about someone else.

Nathan spoke only to David and in private. Nathan was trusted by God to handle this secret knowledge only as God directed.

Think for a moment about who you personally know that is your spiritual leader (your pastor, for example). Imagine that God just told you the details of a specific and horrific sin that he/she just committed—one that it has the potential of lying hidden forever—and He gave you a message for him/her. What would you do with that knowledge? Would you tell your best friend and then add it to the “prayer list”?

In conclusion, Nathan heard from God. If Nathan had handled the matter in a different manner, the entire country could have been torn by the scandal causing great damage that would have taken many years to recover. But, due to the four characteristics of his heart listed above, he was able to bring David quickly to a place of repentance and restoration.

It is my prayer for you that Father will continue to help you to hear His voice, and more and more frequently.

With God’s grace and in His peace,

Gary

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Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®.Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 International Bible Society. All rights reserved throughout the world. Used by permission of International Bible Society.

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