“Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, ‘As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die’” – 2 Samuel 12:5
It’s remarkable how much moral clarity King David had when he thought he was talking about someone else. And his utter blindness to the fact he was talking about himself. Despite his zeal for God, David had sinned horrifically with Bathsheba. His desire to keep his atrocious sexual sin a secret led him to commit murder. And yet, blinded by his own power and past history of service to the Lord, he couldn’t see a bit of wrongdoing in any of it. It seems unbelievable, but that’s the incredible power sin has to blind any of us when we’re deep in it.
God sent the prophet Nathan to tell David a fictional story illustrative of David’s sins. Because he didn’t realize the story was about him, David could rightly see the man’s sin and render a death sentence upon him. He was right to do so, for he surely deserved to die for what he’d done. Nathan then broke the news to David that, “you’re the man”, and David finally got it. The light of truth broke through the thick fog of self-deception about his sin. He confessed and repented. God graciously forgave his sins, but declared there would be consequences for his family for the rest of his life. That’s to be expected. His sons learned terrible lessons from watching David.
We live in an age of perpetual outrage at the sins of others. It’s also an age of profound blindness about our own sins. Many of us are like David – quick to judge others while utterly blind to the ways we’ve sinned and fallen short of God’s glory. Today, rather than being outraged by others, stop and seriously ask God to reveal any areas of blindness you may have toward sin in your life. Listen carefully for God’s answer and if He shows you something, don’t argue with Him. Repent of it quickly, confessing to God and seeking to live a changed life. #FollowJesus