Suggested Friends: Nathan
Part 1 of the “Suggested Friends” message series
Then the Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said, “There were two men in a city, the one wealthy and the other poor. 2 The wealthy man had a great many flocks and herds.
3 But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nurtured; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat scraps from him and drink from his cup and lie in his lap, and was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a visitor came to the wealthy man, and he could not bring himself to take any animal from his own flock or his own herd, to prepare for the traveler who had come to him; and he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this certainly deserves to die! 6 So he must make restitution for the lamb four times over, since he did this thing and had no compassion.” 7 Nathan then said to David, “You yourself are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘It is I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it is I who rescued you from the hand of Saul.
8 I also gave you your master’s house and put your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, by doing evil in His sight? You have struck and killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, you have taken his wife as your wife, and you have slaughtered him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 Now then, the sword shall never leave your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in open daylight.’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die. 14 However, since by this deed you have shown utter disrespect for the Lord, the child himself who is born to you shall certainly die.” 15 Then Nathan went to his house. – II Samuel 12:1-15 (NASB)
The BIG Idea
Social media algorithms suggest friends based on our mutual connections and interests. Scripture digs deeper than a social media platform when it comes to our “Suggested Friends.” We should follow the Bible’s wisdom on friendship and relationships we choose to pursue and invest in each day. Nathan was a good friend to David because he chose to be loving and truthful all at the same time. We would do well to have that type of a friend in our lives and to be that type of friend to others.
Good relationships are the key to a healthy and joy-filled life.
ILLUSTRATION: The cast of Oceans 11
“The Church is a community of people on a journey to God.” – Psychologist Larry Crabb
But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. – Matthew 24:13 (NASB)
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. – II Timothy 4:7-8 (NASB)
Our journey and our destination are both important, but neither is possible without an answer to this question: “Who do we have with us?”
“The joy is not in the journey; it’s in the relationships. The joy isn’t found where the rubber meets the road, but where I meet you, in Christ. It is not about ‘me becoming we’; it is about us becoming Him.” – Rector Michael Blewett
God wants to spend eternity with you and me.
We need “Faithful Friends Forever (FFF).”
Faithful friends are life-saving medicine; and those who fear the Lord will find them. – Ecclesiastes 6:16 (NRSV)
Our world operates on two hoaxes when it comes to relationships.
“It is a lie that any one person can be everything to another. Even in the blessed Holy Trinity, God the Father needs both the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit both Son and Father, the Son both the Father and the Holy Spirit – even each Divine person needs at least two others to be fully Himself.” – Marilyn McCord Adams (Professor of Divinity, Oxford University)
We are not strongest when alone; we are strongest when together.
God will be faithful to provide the right people when we need them.
We need a friend who is a “Nathan” in our lives. (Nathan means ‘gift.’)
Nathan is less about pointing a finger than parting a curtain.
ILLUSTRATION: “Nathan confronts David” move clip
David’s life teaches us that obedience results in God’s blessing and disobedience brings disaster.
When we sin, consequences will follow.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. – Galatians 6:7 (NASB)
Nathan told David what he needed to think about, but never what to think.
Nathan “took the temperature” of David to help him gauge David’s relationship with the Lord.
“How is it with your soul?” – John Wesley’s questions for the Methodist society’s small groups
The Gospel story always has a sting in its tail: the sting of truth or, more accurately, the double sting of truth and consequences.
Nathan wanted more than to simply tell David the truth. Nathan wanted to help David to “do the truth.”
But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. – James 1:22 (NASB)
The “Nathan” friends will . . .
Everyone needs a Nathan. Even Nathan needs a Nathan.
Questions for Reflection
Have you ever felt left out of a group of friends that you really wanted to be a part of in life?
How did Nathan choose to offer the “knockout punch” to David in today’s Scripture lesson?
Did Nathan attempt to force David to see things from Nathan’s viewpoint?
Why do you think David had been “blinded” to his personal sin for so long?
What high honor did David afford to his friend, Nathan, after this historical moment?
Who loved David the most during this horrific chapter in the story of David, the ones who served as David’s “echo chamber” or the lone friend who was willing to be truthful to David – even with the possibility of deep personal consequences?
Do you have a “Nathan” in your life?
Do you serve as a “Nathan” in the life of another?
3 But the poor man had nothing at all except one little ewe lamb which he bought and nurtured; And it grew up together with him and his children. It would eat scraps from him and drink from his cup and lie in his lap, and was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a visitor came to the wealthy man, and he could not bring himself to take any animal from his own flock or his own herd, to prepare for the traveler who had come to him; and he took the poor man’s ewe lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David’s anger burned greatly against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this certainly deserves to die! 6 So he must make restitution for the lamb four times over, since he did this thing and had no compassion.” 7 Nathan then said to David, “You yourself are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘It is I who anointed you as king over Israel, and it is I who rescued you from the hand of Saul.
8 I also gave you your master’s house and put your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, by doing evil in His sight? You have struck and killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, you have taken his wife as your wife, and you have slaughtered him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 Now then, the sword shall never leave your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 This is what the Lord says: ‘Behold, I am going to raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 Indeed, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and in open daylight.’” 13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has allowed your sin to pass; you shall not die. 14 However, since by this deed you have shown utter disrespect for the Lord, the child himself who is born to you shall certainly die.” 15 Then Nathan went to his house. – II Samuel 12:1-15 (NASB)
The BIG Idea
Social media algorithms suggest friends based on our mutual connections and interests. Scripture digs deeper than a social media platform when it comes to our “Suggested Friends.” We should follow the Bible’s wisdom on friendship and relationships we choose to pursue and invest in each day. Nathan was a good friend to David because he chose to be loving and truthful all at the same time. We would do well to have that type of a friend in our lives and to be that type of friend to others.
Good relationships are the key to a healthy and joy-filled life.
ILLUSTRATION: The cast of Oceans 11
“The Church is a community of people on a journey to God.” – Psychologist Larry Crabb
But the one who endures to the end is the one who will be saved. – Matthew 24:13 (NASB)
7 I have fought the good fight, I have finished the course, I have kept the faith; 8 in the future there is reserved for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have loved His appearing. – II Timothy 4:7-8 (NASB)
Our journey and our destination are both important, but neither is possible without an answer to this question: “Who do we have with us?”
“The joy is not in the journey; it’s in the relationships. The joy isn’t found where the rubber meets the road, but where I meet you, in Christ. It is not about ‘me becoming we’; it is about us becoming Him.” – Rector Michael Blewett
God wants to spend eternity with you and me.
We need “Faithful Friends Forever (FFF).”
Faithful friends are life-saving medicine; and those who fear the Lord will find them. – Ecclesiastes 6:16 (NRSV)
Our world operates on two hoaxes when it comes to relationships.
- “I am a rock, I am an island.”
- “One person can meet all the needs of another person.”
“It is a lie that any one person can be everything to another. Even in the blessed Holy Trinity, God the Father needs both the Son and the Holy Spirit, the Holy Spirit both Son and Father, the Son both the Father and the Holy Spirit – even each Divine person needs at least two others to be fully Himself.” – Marilyn McCord Adams (Professor of Divinity, Oxford University)
We are not strongest when alone; we are strongest when together.
God will be faithful to provide the right people when we need them.
We need a friend who is a “Nathan” in our lives. (Nathan means ‘gift.’)
Nathan is less about pointing a finger than parting a curtain.
ILLUSTRATION: “Nathan confronts David” move clip
David’s life teaches us that obedience results in God’s blessing and disobedience brings disaster.
When we sin, consequences will follow.
Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a person sows, this he will also reap. – Galatians 6:7 (NASB)
Nathan told David what he needed to think about, but never what to think.
Nathan “took the temperature” of David to help him gauge David’s relationship with the Lord.
“How is it with your soul?” – John Wesley’s questions for the Methodist society’s small groups
The Gospel story always has a sting in its tail: the sting of truth or, more accurately, the double sting of truth and consequences.
Nathan wanted more than to simply tell David the truth. Nathan wanted to help David to “do the truth.”
But prove yourselves doers of the Word, and not just hearers who deceive themselves. – James 1:22 (NASB)
The “Nathan” friends will . . .
- Get under our skin
- Ask questions
- Tell and do the truth
Everyone needs a Nathan. Even Nathan needs a Nathan.
Questions for Reflection
Have you ever felt left out of a group of friends that you really wanted to be a part of in life?
How did Nathan choose to offer the “knockout punch” to David in today’s Scripture lesson?
Did Nathan attempt to force David to see things from Nathan’s viewpoint?
Why do you think David had been “blinded” to his personal sin for so long?
What high honor did David afford to his friend, Nathan, after this historical moment?
Who loved David the most during this horrific chapter in the story of David, the ones who served as David’s “echo chamber” or the lone friend who was willing to be truthful to David – even with the possibility of deep personal consequences?
Do you have a “Nathan” in your life?
Do you serve as a “Nathan” in the life of another?