Musings08/10/10,NathanandDavid, by John.

Nathan and David

It probably is not important, but I've always wondered if the prophet Nathan liked King David. People serving God should be friends, don't you think? The Scripture seldom if ever records the people prophets like and dislike. They do tell us when dignitaries do not like them. An example is Ahab the King of Israel. He asked Jehoshaphat, his brother-in-law, to help him in war against Ramoth Gilead, and Jehoshaphat agreed to join their armies, but his one stipulation was that they consult God about it. Four hundred prophets supported by Ahab showed they knew where their livelihood came from. They said that Ahab would be victorious. Jehoshaphat apparently realized Ahab's prophets were just "Yes men." He wanted to hear from one of God's prophets. Ahab said, "There is still one man through whom we can inquire of the Lord, but I hate him because he never prophesies anything good about me, but always bad. He is Micaiah son of Imlah." (II Chronicles 18:7) This is the same Ahab who sent armies out to find and kill Elijah. Later, Jesus faced Israel's leaders saying their forefathers killed the prophets. They admitted their forefathers did kill them. They excused themselves by saying they would not have killed them if they had lived then. Micaiah was put in prison on bread and water because of his prophecy. He may have died because Ahab was killed on the battlefield as Micaiah prophesied.

Again, I also wonder if David liked Nathan? We know that Nathan faced David with his sin after he committed adultery with Bathsheba and had her husband murdered. I'm troubled by this because many people today dislike certain New Testament prophets/pastors today. Is it important to like your pastor? What do you expect from a pastor, the Word of God, or just friendship, a challenge or soothing words condoning your actions? I'm sure you expect the pastor to be exemplary in deportment, but being human, pastors sin just like anyone else does. None of us are so perfect we never sin. Knowing pastors are not perfect, do you love your pastor anyway? You certainly should respect them for the office they hold.

Whether these two ancient characters from history liked each other is not important, and popularity certainly is not the most important function of a pastor today. If Nathan liked David, it must have been hard for him to face David with his sin and then to tell him the child about to be born would die. If Nathan despised David, the feeling probably would have been reciprocated, and Nathan's life could have been in danger. The daily job of Prophets/pastors is never easy, but the rewards are great. I can attest to that after some 60 years experience.

As hard as it was, the fact is, Nathan performed a great act of friendship when he faced David with his sin, and I believe David realized that. Getting us back on track when we are wrong is a blessing although at the time it may seem like anything but that.

Later, in I Chronicles 17, David decided to build the Lord a "house." His intention were good. God gave him victory over all of his enemies, and David enjoyed a luxurious life in a cedar palace. He felt it wasn't right for God to only have a tent. Nathan agreed with him. Prophets are sometimes wrong when they haven't enquired of the Lord. The Scripture doesn't say so, but I do not believe Nathan even thought about asking God if that was what he wanted, and I am sure he had watched closely how God blessed David all the time, but that night God gave Nathan a totally different message. He told him He had never asked anyone to build him a house, and that David had shed too much blood to do it. Instead, one of David's sons would build the temple, and God would give him peace his whole lifetime. Nathan once again faced David to tell him he was not pleasing the Lord. Have you ever had your heart set on something that you thought was right only to discover God was not in it? That in itself is a devastating experience, but David accepted it without being upset so far as we know.

Still later, we find David amassing materials to build the temple, and appointing people to help Solomon because he was young and inexperienced. Of course Solomon was one of the many sons of David, and in I Kings 1, we find the story of his son Adonijah. He tried to take the throne. That forced David to immediately proclaim Solomon king and install him the same day he heard of Adonijah's activities. Nathan and David were together this time.

What we have here is an account of what it is like to really seek to live for the Lord, fail, be restored, and go on to be spiritually successful. Nathan was a true friend as he related God's will to David when he did well and also when he sinned. David responded to Nathan as a Christian should. He obeyed the Lord. David was pre-Christian, but he was doing what every person who wants to please God must do. He obeyed Him!

There were always false prophets then, and there are now. In Old Testament times a prophet found false was stoned to death, but from what Jesus said, we know many true prophets were killed by the people they served. Jesus' words in Matthew 23:11 are well known, "O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you, how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, but you were not willing." God's servants/prophets/pastors are just ordinary people sometimes made extraordinary by God-given messages. God gives them to encourage us and to enhance our lives as we seek to live with and for Jesus. We should give them the respect today they should have received throughout history. We should respect them whether we personally like them or not. Actually, we should love anyone and anything that helps us get and stay close to God.

The relationship between Nathan and David was godly. In this life, we probably will never know whether they were friends or even casual conversationalists, but we do know God's messages were delivered through Nathan, and David obeyed them. Most pastors don't ask for or expect obedience in this enlightened age, but respect between all of God's children is simply keeping the rule God gave us, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets." (Matthew 7:12).