1 CHRONICLES 17 ETC. – THE FORGOTTEN FACE OF A MAN WHO CARED – FORGOTTEN FACES #7 OF 8
The Bible tells us Christians that we should be people who care. Philippians 2:4, Colossians 3:23, 1 John 3:17
If anybody should know how to care about the things of others, it is the Man of God. Peter tells the elders of the church in 1 Peter 5:2-3, Feed the flock of God which is among you, taking the oversight thereof, not by constraint, but willingly; not for filthy lucre, but of a ready mind; [3] Neither as being lords over God’s heritage, but being ensamples to the flock.
We reach back into the Old Testament to look at the forgotten face of a man who cared. His name was Nathan the Prophet. Nathan was a man of God who served in the times of David the King. We know little about Him personally, but it is obvious that Nathan was a man who cared. We’ll see that:
HE CARED ENOUGH TO CORRECT – 1Chronicles 17
Have you ever spoken in hast, and then discovered that what you said was the wrong thing? This is what happened to Nathan.
Vs. 1 – One day, he and King David were visiting.
David had been thinking, “The House of the Lord has always been a tent. It’s high time to build a temple for the Lord.”
David’s intentions were good.
Vs. 2 – The plan sounded good to Nathan. So Nathan gave him the go ahead.
The problem was, however that the way we think is certainly not the way God thinks. Many times God has another plan. Isaiah 55:8
Vss. 3-4 – So that Night, Nathan received a visit from the Lord. Nathan was told to go back to David and tell him not to build a house. Nathan had to reverse what he had said.
He was called on to correct himself.
If he was to be obedient, he would have to admit that he was wrong.
He had to speak what God told him to speak. He had to tell the truth.
Vss. 5-15 – So Nathan was given this message to take to David. David’s son would build a house. Solomon did. One David’s greater Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, will have a permanent kingdom. Nathan delivered the message as he had been told.
One of the great characteristics of a man or woman of God is the ability to admit when they are wrong and to fix it.
Sometimes it means going back to someone and saying, “What I told you was wrong.”
Sometimes it means going to God, confessing and forsaking sin. That’s called repentance.
Sometimes it means taking a public stand.
Care enough to correct yourself when you know that something needs to be changed.
HE CARED ENOUGH TO CONFRONT
Read and Comment on 2 Samuel 11:1-17, 26-27
Read and Comment on 2 Samuel 12:1-14
Nathan was risking his own life. In David’s state, he could have punished or killed Nathan.
But what was important to God was important to Nathan.
Because righteousness was important to God, it was important to Nathan. Nathan cared enough about God and about David to do the confronting.
We should do the same. We need to realize that the best thing we can do for a fellow Christian sometimes is to confront them with their wrong. Galatians 6:1, Matthew 18:15-17, 1 Corinthians 5:9-11
HE CARED ENOUGH TO COMFORT
David’s repentance was complete. Psalm 51 was written, and it is probably the best confession of sin ever written. The baby that was born did die as God, through Nathan, had promised.
2 Samuel 12:24-25 – God is righteous, but He also is merciful.
Although David was disciplined for his sin, God did not withhold blessing.
And so, when Solomon is born, God loves him.
Nathan is called to convey to David that the child was loved of God.
And Nathan even gives the boy a “nickname”, Jedidiah, which means, “Beloved of the Lord”.
Nathan could have stayed angry at David, even after God forgave him. We’ve seen that happen.
Evidently, Nathan realized that if God forgave, blessed, and comforted David, he should to. Ephesians 4:32
Part of being a Christian is comforting or encouraging each other. Hebrews 10:24-35, Romans 12:15
HE CARED ENOUGH TO COOPERATE – 1 KINGS 1
We now jump ahead several years. David is about 70 and Nathan might have been around the same age.
The time is come for a change in kings.
Solomon had been designated by David and by God as David’s successor.
A brother plots to take over. Read 1 Kings 1:5-10
Vss. 11-14 – Nathan realizes that there needs to be cooperation if the right thing is going to happen.
Vss. 15-21 – David is informed by Bathsheba and as promised in verses 22-27, Nathan confirms what has been said.
Vss. 32-35 – Again Nathan was called on to cooperate with others.
Vss. 38-40 – Nathan was not a one man show.
He knew how to cooperate with others to do God’s will.
Cooperation is a key to success in any church.
We are a body that has different members.
As each member cooperates with each other the Lord’s work will be accomplished.
