2 Samuel 12
Bruce Hurt · Citado em PreceptAustin
2 Samuel 12
Chart from recommended resource Jensen's Survey of the OT - used by permission 2 Samuel Chart from Charles Swindoll TIMELINE OF THE BOOKS OF SAMUEL, KINGS & CHRONICLES 1107 1011 971 931 853 722 586 1 Samuel 2 Samuel 1 Kings 1 Kings 2 Kings 31 1-4 5-10 11-20 21-24 1-11 12-22 1-17 18-25 1Chr 10 1 Chr 11-19 1 Chr 20-29 2 Chronicles 1-9 2 Chronicles 10-20 2 Chronicles 21-36 Legend: B.C. dates at top of timeline are approximate. Note that 931BC marks the division of the Kingdom into Southern Tribes (Judah and Benjamin) and Ten Northern Tribes. To avoid confusion be aware that after the division of the Kingdom in 931BC, the Southern Kingdom is most often designated in Scripture as "Judah" and the Northern Kingdom as "Israel." Finally, note that 1 Chronicles 1-9 is not identified on the timeline because these chapters are records of genealogy. Map of David's Kingdom-ESV Global Map of Cities in 2 Samuel Source: Life Application Study Bible (borrow) 2 Samuel 12:1 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, "There were two men in one city, the one rich and the other poor. Then the LORD sent Nathan: 2Sa 7:1-5 24:11-13 1Ki 13:1 18:1 2Ki 1:3 to David: 2Sa 11:10-17,25 14:14 Isa 57:17,18 he came: Ps 51:1 2Sa 14:5-11 Jdg 9:7-15 1Ki 20:35-41 Isa 5:1-7 Mt 21:33-45 Lu 15:11-32 16:19-31 2 Samuel 12 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passage: Psalms 51:1+ For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. Be gracious to me, O God, according to Your lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Your compassion blot out my transgressions. Psalms 50:21 “These things you have done and I kept silence; You thought that I was just like you; I will reprove you and state the case in order before your eyes. Proverbs 20:17 Bread obtained by falsehood is sweet to a man, But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel. Lamentations 3:7 He has walled me in so that I cannot go out; He has made my chain heavy. YAHWEH'S GIFT TO HIS SERVANT DAVID Sidlow Baxter (Explore the Book) gives us an interesting perspective on the life of David in Second Samuel - This second book of Samuel, as Matthew Henry is quick to observe, falls into two main parts. Alas, there is no mistaking it. David's great sin, recorded in chapter 11, marks the sad divide, right in the middle of the book and right in the middle of David's forty years' reign, for it falls about the end of the first twenty years. Up to this point all goes triumphantly for David; but after this there are ugly knots and tangles, grievous blows and tragic trials. In the first part, we sing David's triumphs. In the second part, we mourn David's troubles. The central spiritual message of this book, therefore, stands out clearly, namely: TRIUMPHS TURNED TO TROUBLES THROUGH SIN. Or we may put it that in the two parts of the book, respectively, we have triumph through faith, and trouble through sin. Second Samuel emphasises that all sin, whether in king or commoner, whether in high or low, whether in the godly or the godless, certainly brings its bitter fruitage. Sin is the destroyer of prosperity. However full and fair the tree may look, if rot is eating its way within the trunk, the tree will surely break and fall, or else become a leafless skeleton. There is no sinning without suffering. Especially is all this true about the lust of the eye, and sexual sin, which was the point of David's breakdown. We should flee it as we would a viper. See, too, how David's sin led on to the even greater sin of murder. More often than not, one sin leads on to another of a worse kind. Let us, like Job, "make a covenant with our eyes" not to look on that which is seductive, lest, weaker than we suppose ourselves to be, we should give way to sin, and thereby heap sharp thorns into our bosom. Mark it well that the Second Book of Samuel is cut exactly in half, with twelve chapters in each part. Chapters 11 and 12, which record David's sin and repentance, must be included in the first part, as rightly belonging there. It was through the very prosperity which had come to him by his widespread conquests that David had become exposed to the temptation of unguardedness and indulgence. At the end of that twelfth chapter there is the account of the conquest of Rabbah, the royal city of Ammon. That marks the end of any such recorded triumphs in this book. Then - Prior to chapter 11 David had the good hand of the Lord on his life in manifold ways, but now he experience the "heavy" hand of the Lord on his life, the heaviness reflecting his unconfessed sin. THEN is a time sensitive word marks progression in the story of David, but it does tell us how long this was from the events of chapter 11. Sometimes the chapter breaks cause us to lose a sense of the "flow" of the story. In this case, the first verse of 2 Samuel 12 should be read should be read and interpreted in the context of the last verse of 2 Samuel 11...But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD. Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. (2Sa 11:27b+, 2Sa 12:1a) It would be at least 9 months later (a number of writers think it was more like 12 months) because Bathsheba gives birth in this chapter. We should praise God for the "THEN" for if the story had ended in chapter 11, it would have left a horrible taste in our mouth. By law David and Bathsheba both should have been killed in chapter 11, but where sin abounds, God's amazing grace abounds all the more and chapter 12 is filled with His glorious grace and infinite forgiveness. Praise God! The wages of sin - Payday Someday David is still concealing his sins, several writers say for almost 12 months.
2 Samuel 12:1-14
PLEASE NOTE: AS OF 3/3/2023 this COMMENTARY HAS BEEN REVISED CLICK FOR VERSE BY VERSE COMMENTS ON 2 SAMUEL 12:1-30 2 Samuel 12:1-4 Commentary 2 Samuel 12:1 Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, "There were two men in one 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 bread and drink of his cup and lie in his bosom, And was like a daughter to him. 4 "Now a traveler came to the rich man, And he was unwilling to take from his own flock or his own herd, To prepare for the wayfarer who had come to him; Rather he took the poor man's ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him." 5 Then David's anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, "As the LORD lives, surely the man who has done this deserves to die. 6 "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 who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 'I also gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 9 'Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 'Now therefore, the sword shall never * * depart from your house, because * you have despised Me and 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 wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will 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." And Nathan said to David, "The LORD also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 "However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die." (NASB: Lockman) 2Samuel 12:1 THEN THE LORD SENT NATHAN TO DAVID. AND HE CAME TO HIM AND SAID "THERE WERE TWO MEN IN ONE CITY THE ONE RICH AND THE OTHER POOR: LORD: 2Sa 7:1, 2, 3, 4, 5 24:11, 12, 13 1Ki 13:1 18:1 2Ki 1:3 2Sa 14:5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11 Jdg 9:7-15 1Ki 20:35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41 Isa 5:1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 Mt 21:33-45 Lk 15:11-32,16:19-31 To David: 2Sa 11:10-17,25 14:14 Isa 57:17,18 He came: Ps 51:1 R A Torrey dates the events of this chapter as occurring in about 1034BC THE WAGES OF SIN: PAYDAY SOMEDAY! R A Torrey (Treasury of Scripture Knowledge) has this interesting note on Nathan's "parable"... There is nothing in this parable which requires illustration. Its bent is evident; and it was wisely constructed, by not having too near a resemblance, to make David unwittingly pass sentence on himself. The parable was in David's hand what his own letter was in the hands of the brave Uriah (2Sa 11:14). From David's actions in 2Samuel 11 we learn that one sin (coveting, adultery in the case of David) usually leads to another (murder of Uriah), that attempts to cover our sins are futile and fraught with even greater cost. It is best to keep short accounts, confessing immediately rather than attempting to cover it up. If we do not master our desires (Ge 4:6,7), they will inevitably master us! R G Lee in his famous sermon Payday Someday spoke of the consequences of sin... "Payday Someday!" God said it -- and it was done! Yes, and from this we learn the power and certainty of God in carrying out His own retributive providence, that men might know that His justice slumbereth not. Even though the mill of God grinds slowly, it grinds to powder. Yes, the judgments of God often have leaden heels and travel slowly. But they always have iron hands and crush completely. And yet the retributive side of God is more than balanced by the restorative side of our Great and Merciful Lord. As verification of this hope filled truth, we do well to remember that the events of this chapter inspired David to pen one of his most famous songs, Psalm 51... (For the choir director. A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came to him,) (after he had gone in to Bathsheba.) Be gracious to me, O God, according to Thy lovingkindness; According to the greatness of Thy compassion blot out my transgressions. (Psalm 51:1-note) Comment: Beloved of the Lord, do you feel like you have sinned so greatly against God that He could never use you in His kingdom work? This beautiful psalm in itself provides encouraging proof that God can restore and revive and use a repentant sinner. He will not despise your broken spirit, your broken and contrite heart (Ps 51:17-note), but will renew a steadfast spirit in you, will not cast you away from His presence, will restore the joy of your salvation and will sustain you with a steadfast spirit, (Ps 51:10-note, Ps 51:11-note, Ps 51:12-note). Hallelujah. Thank you Jesus! Amen Then- Remember that "then" is often (as in this context) an "expression of time" and as such begs the question (cp interrogate with 5W/H'S) "When is then?" (What happened then?, Who acts then? Why does this happen then?, etc). Sometimes the chapter breaks cause us to lose a sense of the "flow" of the story. In this case, the first verse of 2Samuel 12 should be read should be read and interpreted in the context of the last verse of 2Samuel 11... But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD. Then the LORD sent Nathan to David. (2Sa 11:27b, 2Sa 12:1a) Then the LORD - Jehovah was mentioned in 2Samuel 11 only in the very last verse of that chapter (2Sa 11:27), but here in 2Samuel 12 God actively intervenes in David's dark digression into sin. David thought he had disproved the old adage that "sin doesn't pay" but he forgot Moses' warning to "be sure that your sin will find you out"! (Nu 32:23). Beloved, do you believe Moses? If not you are in for a "shocking surprise"! May Moses' sure word of prophecy serve as a significant stimulant to each of us to continually choose to pursue holiness and to abstain from every form of evil! We know that between the end of chapter 11 and the beginning of chapter 12 there was a period of months, most authorities putting it somewhere between 6 and 12 months (based primarily on the information that the child was not born - 2Sa 12:14). The main point is not the specific time but the fact that time did elapse in which there was no apparent repercussions for David's sin. And so between 2Sa 11:27 and 2Sa 12:1 there is a gap of around twelve months, during which there is no mention of David’s sin by himself, by God or by anyone else. During this time of cover-up David's conscience was dulled by his disobedience. God's Words were most likely not sweet to his taste. His joy is gone. His song is gone (no record of any psalms penned). His harp is out of tune. His soul is dry (Psalm 32:3, 4). Beloved, if any of these symptoms describe you, then perhaps you have an unconfessed sin or sins you are futilely seeking to cover over. If so, this proverb is written especially for you... He who conceals (covers over so as to keep secret) his transgressions will not prosper (Be profitable, succeed - The one who is concealing his sin shall not experience victory from the Lord, experience spiritual prosperity, thrive spiritually, accomplish satisfactorily what God intended.), But he who confesses and forsakes (abandons, departs from, leaves behind) them will find compassion. (Pr 28:13) Illustration: In a conservative southern church, the pastor's wife found pornography on her husband's computer. After confronting him with the evidence, he admitted downloading the images off the internet, even using the computer in his study which was located in the church itself. Somehow he had separated his ongoing sexual sin from his responsibilities and duties as a man of God. Illustration: In an August 2000 poll conducted by Christianity Today on internet pornography, 33% of active ministers admitted having visited porn sites. Over half of those ministers said that they had visited those sites more than once. A total of 18 percent of clergy said they visit sexually explicit Web sites between a couple of times a month and more than once a week. This poll includes many liberal and 'mainstream' ministers, but it would be very naive to think that porn was not a problem for some bible-believing ministers. Illustration: In another Bible-believing church not far from my home, a Christian businessman sought investment capital from other Christian individuals and businesses. He promised to invest the money in new Christian enterprises and promised a high rate of return on their money. Alas, however, there was no new enterprise, and there was no return on their money. He had embezzled hundreds of thousands of dollars from his fellow Christians. He was charged by civil authorities and jailed. The unbelieving world had another excuse to demean biblical Christianity. Illustration: A nice Christian family joined the church by letter from another city. Brad and Susan had four wonderful little boys ranging in age from two years up to ten years. Susan had a beautiful voice and sang specials in the church. Brad was a bible teacher and had taught Sunday school at their former church. But Brad and Susan had a terrible secret. He had a terrible temper that caused him to abuse Susan both physically and emotionally. No one in the church had any idea until she took her boys and left to return to her hometown. Brad followed her back and tried to reconcile with her. But his secret was now public and there was no turning back. Spurgeon "You say that you can handle your secret sins, that there is no one hurt by them. But you may as well ask the lion to let you put your head into his mouth. You cannot regulate his jaws: neither can you regulate sin. Once done, you cannot tell when you will be destroyed. You may put your head in and out a great many times; but one of these days it will be a costly venture. " Christian friend, go not continue to hide your sin. Don't harbor that sin, buried deep in the tent floor of your heart (cp Achan's attempt Joshua 7:21 22 23 24 25 26). The danger is that like Achan, your hidden sin will affect your family, your home, your spiritual inheritance, and your purpose in life. There is no sin worthy of separating us from our Father. It is not necessary to confess your secret sins to everyone, for it is none of their business. Do business with God. Repent and let God restore you to fellowship. Don't sweep sin under the rug, but place it under the blood! Matthew