Gathering

Have you ever had a friend strong enough to call you out on the error of your ways?  What did that feel like?  If you have not, what would you imagine it feels like?

 

Backstory

The backstory to Nathan’s rebuke of David here in Chapter 12 are the events recorded in Chapter 11. Therein, you can connect the dots to see where Nathan’s parallel parable is going, much as David did. David’s confession of sin (adultery, cover-up attempts, and murder) in response to Nathan’s rebuke is captured in Psalm 51. 

 

God’s Story

Have one person read 2 Samuel 12: 1-14.  

 

Finding My Story in God’s Story:

Who do you relate to in this story—and why?

  1. Nathan:  I like to find and fix other people’s faults.
  2. David:  I screw up, but I own up.
  3. Uriah the Hittite: Other people are out to get me.
  4. Bathsheba: I am a victim, powerless.
  5. God: Yes, I have a God complex.

 

If you watched a news broadcast about this story, what would you do?

  1. Turn up the volume or Google for more; I want the salacious details.
  2. Turn it off. I avoid such scandals.
  3. As my partner will be watching anyway, ask her what’s going on.
  4. What? Is there a story here? I wasn’t paying attention.
  5. Cringe and pray for men who find themselves in similar scandals.
  6. Other _______.

 

Try to empathize with David, Bathsheba, and Uriah. What do you suppose is going on in their      minds as this drama unfolds?

  1. Is David feeling lonely? … bored? … entitled? … lust? … or what?
  2. Is Bathsheba feeling embarrassed? … flattered? … cornered? … or what?
  3. Is Uriah feeling loyalty? … self-restraint? … an OMG realization? … or what?
  4. Other _______.

 

Nathan is called to walk into the king’s quarters and confront him with a parable that parallels David’s tangled web of sex, lies and murder. This parable is sure to capture the king’s attention and evoke the right response. But how would you feel as Nathan, on the giving end of this story? 

  1. Oh, no! Must I confront the King on his sin? I may not live through this.
  2. Yikes! I’m honored to speak truth to power. I do this with great humility.
  3. I consider King David a friend, and this is what friends do for each other.
  4. I’d take the beam out of my own eye before taking the spec out of his.
  5. Other _______.

 

Conversely, how would you feel as David, on the receiving end?

  1. Hurt and angry at Nathan–how dare you rebuke me! I’m going to….
  2. OMG—how do I man up and get ahead of the story and get right with God?
  3. Confused and wanting to deflect attention—that’s not me! It was….
  4. Relieved and grateful—thank you, Lord, for taking away my sin.
  5. Other _______.

 

How sad and tragic that sin has such dire consequences. If this exposé were happening to you, what would be the worst outcome for you?

  1. Getting caught with my pants down—the case going viral
  2. Overcoming the shame, restoring my reputation
  3. Betraying the trust and breaking the heart of God
  4. Losing the son born from this illicit relationship
  5. Other _______.

 

Our Story

An area of my life where I could use somebody pointing out my sin and helping me understand how it impacts other people is…

  1. Abusing alcohol or drugs
  2. Consuming pornography
  3. Asserting pride and privilege over….
  4. In business, shifting blame to some fall guy
  5. Too ashamed to say

 

If I were to tell a story about my sin, the way Nathan told a story that revealed David’s sin, my story would begin like this …

 

David is called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). He truly repented from his sin—as we know from Psalm 51, which he wrote after the events in this story. If you were to own your own sin and seek God’s heart, as David did, you would make things right by:

  1. Apologizing to the people I hurt
  2. Paying for the damage I caused
  3. Asking another man to hold me accountable
  4. Praying for forgiveness and asking for God’s guidance
  5. Other _______. 

 

Before we meet again, I will take the next step identified in question #11, by …