Nathan the Prophet: Confronting King David’s Sin

“You are that rich man!” Nathan said.

King David’s sin-stained heart shattered into millions of pieces. The mighty warrior exterior molted as he sobbed uncontrollably. He knew his guilt all along. He simply kept it tucked away, hoping his conscience would be silent. It would not. It called to him for relief, but he forced it down over and over. But God used the bony finger of a prophet to poke and prod, bringing his guilt to the surface and unleashing a torrent of tears.

David, a man after God’s heart, tried to live a lie. After his sin with Bathsheba, he mustered the strength to put on his royal airs, but on the inside, his sin wreaked havoc on his soul. His high treason against God was ever before him. The lovingkindness of the God of Israel would not allow his servant to continue in his charades. Because God desires spiritual integrity. He loved him enough to place a courageous prophet in his path to call him to repentance.

In Psalm 51, David records the inner conflict with his sin with poetic beauty. We see the turmoil sin causes him. He compares the pain of unconfessed sin to that of the pain of broken bones. Sin robbed him of the joy and peace that a relationship with God should bring. However, the God of mercy and grace lavished his love on David by bringing him to repentance and restoring the joy of his salvation.

Further Reading: 2 Samuel 12:1-14; Psalm 51