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THE KING’S BUSINESS
w as co n d em n in g h im self (cf. R om . 2 :1 ) an d w e also w o u ld do w ell to see in o th ers at th e -n e fa rio u sn e ss o f w h o se co n d u ct w e a re g re atly an g ered , sim ply a p ictu re of ourselves. "T h e man that hath done this,” cried D av id , "is w o rth y tò die.” Y es, D avid, you a re rig h t. H e was w orthy to die, b u t in saying th is D av id is p ro n o u n c in g h is ow n doom , an d o ften w e, in co n d em n in g o th ers, a re p ro n o u n cin g o u r ow n doom . W e all a re w o rth y to die, ev ery rè à d e r o f th ese n o tes is “w o rth y to die,” an d b u t fo r G o d ’s w o n d ro u s g race w e w o u ld die (R om . 6 :2 3 ). v. 6. “H e shall restore the lamb fo u r fold, because he did this thing, and because he had no p ity ” T h e m an co u ld n o t “re sto re th e lam b fo u rfo ld .” N o .other lam b w ould tak e th e,p la c e o f th e loved ew e lam b. A n d D av id could n o t m ak e good to U ria h th e ap p allin g w ro n g he h a d d o n e him . D avid u n w ittin g ly sum s up th e b asen ess o f his. ow n co n d u ct in h is fo u r closing w o rd s, “he h a d no p ity .” v. 7. “A n d N athan said to, D avid, T hou art the man.” W ith w h a t c ru sh in g fo rce m u st N a th a n ’s w o rd s h av e com e to D avid. B u t tim e an d ag ain H e h as u tte re d the sam e w o rd o f aw fu l co n d em n atio n to each o f us, “T h o u a rt th e m an .” W e w ould b e tte r listen to G od as H e says it an d re pent now w hile th e re is tim e. T h e tim e is fast com in g w h en if w e . do n o t rep en t now , w e sh all sta n d b efo re G od an d h ear H im say, “T h o u a rt th e m an ,” in final co n dem n atio n , w h en th e re is no hope. O U T L IN E . -H e tells D av id o f U ria h ’s d eath , v. 24. Q uestions •' W h a t w as th e b eg in n in g of D av id ’s sin ? vs. 1, 2. H o w d id C h rist c h aracterize th is sin ? • M att. 5 :28. W h en is a m an tem p ted ? Ja s. 1 :14, 15. W h a t com m an dm en t d id D av id b re ak ? E x . 20:17. D id G od k n o w w h a t w as in D av id 's h e a rt? P s. 4 4 :2 1 ; Isa. 29:15.
begins w ith a parab le. In d o in g so, he sh ow ed g re a t w isd om a n d illu stra te s th e h eed o f p ru d en ce in g iv in g rep ro o f. T h e p arab le is v ery in g en io u s, p re p arin g th e w ay fo r D av id to con d em n h im self in m an y lit tle d etails a n d y et n o t h av in g so close à resem b lan ce as to m ak e D av id suspicious a t th e outset. v. 2. “T he rich, man had exceeding many flo cks and herds.” H e re N a th a n co v ertly su g g ests th e g re at th in g s th a t G od b ad done fo r D avid, an d th u s p o in ts o u t D av id ’s ra n k in g ra titu d e to G od. O v er a g ain st - th e a b o u n d in g w ealth o f th e rich m an is set th e e x tre m e p o v erty o f th e p o o r m an. T h e p o o r m an w ith th e “on e little ew e lam b" th a t h e c h erish ed an d th a t lay in h is bosom (cf. D eu t. 1 3 :6 ; M icah 7 :5 ) is a strik in g p ictu re o f U ria h w ith his o n e w ife o v er a g a in st D av id w ith h is m any. v. 4. "T h ere came a traveler unto the rich man, and he spared to take o f his own flock and of his own herd, to 'dress fo r the w ayfaring man that w as come unto h im ; hut to o k the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it fo r the man th a t was come to him .” T h is p ic tu re o f th é rich m an sp arin g to tak e o f h is ow n n um ero u s flock an d ta k in g th e p o o f m an ’s lam b is a p ictu re of an o u t rag eo u s sco u n d rel, an d it is a p h o to g rap h o f D av id an d h is co n d u ct in th is m atter. G od, sp eak in g th ro u g h N a th an , certain ly states, D a v id ’s sin m all its en o rm ity . v. S. "A n d D avid’s anger w as greatly kindled against the man.” N o w o n d er D av id ’s “a n g e r w as g re atly k in d led a g ain st .the m an .” B u t : w ith o u t k n ow in g it, he L E S S O N (1) The Announcement of Uriah’s Death, vs. 22-24. D avid p lan n ed th e d eath o f U riah,~vs. 14, 15. U ria h k illed in th e b attle, v. 17. Jo ab sen d s a m essag e to D av id , vs. 18-21. Jo a b ’s m essen g er b rin g s th e m essag e to D avid, v. 22. H e g iv e s .a n acco u n t o f th e b attle, vs. 23, 24.
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