Wednesday after Reminiscere Sunday
Posted on February 28, 2024 by under
Scripture: 2 Samuel 12:1-14 (NKJV)
12:1 Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him, and said to him: “There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. 3 But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. 4 And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.”
5 So David’s anger was greatly aroused against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this shall surely die! 6 And he shall restore fourfold for the lamb, because he did this thing and because he had no pity.”
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping, and gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more! 9 Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do evil in His sight? You have killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword; you have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the people 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 adversity against you from your own house; and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun.’”
13 So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”
And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die.”
Devotion
In today’s reading, “You are the man!” isn’t followed by Nathan patting David on the back. It’s not like the colloquial praise of recent generations. Nathan, rather, recounts all that the Lord had done for David, and all that David had done to transgress against the Lord by committing adultery with Uriah’s wife and making sure Uriah would be killed.
Nathan’s words brought David back to reality: “I have sinned against the Lord.” David’s words are also our words. No truer words are spoken than when a person is confronted with his sins and confesses, “I have sinned against the Lord.” These words are ever on the lips of the Christian, for they show the reality of the Christian’s life. We lament with St. Paul, “O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death?” (Rom. 7:24).
This is the side of Christianity that many Christians would rather disregard. While many who regard themselves as being Christian may find David’s actions reprehensible, some will turn a blind eye to their own sins. They long for a God who will accept them without the need for repentance. Sadly, there are times we may find ourselves counted among them. Yet, our faithful God graciously leads His people, again and again, to repent of their sins and to trust in His mercy, with the result that they may “live under Him in His kingdom, and serve Him in everlasting righteousness, innocence, and blessedness.”
Collect: O God, who seest that of ourselves we have no strength: Keep us both outwardly and inwardly; that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Collect for the Season of Lent
Almighty and Everlasting God, Who hatest nothing that Thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of all those who are penitent: Create and make in us new and contrite hearts, that we, worthily lamenting our sins, and acknowledging our wretchedness, may obtain of Thee, the God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgiveness; through Jesus Christ, Thy Son, our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, ever One God, world without end. Amen.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
