Day 10: Inviting Accountability
of The Heart of God: Through David’s Eyes
Below is Day Ten of the study, but there is an introduction to check out which gives context and sets the tone, and previous weeks to look at below. If you would like the full content all in one place, this book is now available for purchase on Amazon. Week 1 - He Longs for Us to Know Who We Are
Week 2 - He Longs for Us to Respond
Day 9: Extending Mercy
Day 10: Inviting Accountability
Fast forward to the years of David’s reign as king. He had just found out that Bathsheba, the woman he took advantage of was pregnant with his child, he’d killed her husband because of his refusal to go home to be with his wife while his unit was still at war, and now he’d married her.
A prophet, Nathan, came to David when prompted by God and told him a story:
“There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.” (2 Samuel 12:1-4)
David was furious at the man in the story and insisted he should die after being required to repay the man. Nathan explained to David that he was the man in the story. God had given Nathan words to say which explained David’s wrongdoing.
Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ (2 Samuel 12:7-10)
Notice David does not usher Nathan away, interrupt him, or ignore Nathan’s words. David is quietly receiving the words of Nathan, allowing him to speak against his mistakes. Nathan’s words are critical and direct. With bold, direct words, he is inviting David to accept accountability for his actions.
The last few days we have been looking back at when David was a shepherd boy, a worker in the palace, and then finally a military leader. This progression is impressive, but we skipped ahead to where David has replaced Saul as king. He is the new authority over Israel and is able to command the army, has a staff who obeys his every order, and is in no way forced to listen to all of Nathan’s words. David had the earthly authority to not only silence Nathan, but to end his life.
Instead, David created space for Nathan to come to speak to him. While we are informed at the beginning of the chapter that Nathan was sent by God, we also notice that David was actively participating in the conversation. Before he even responds to the accusations and direct language, we can notice he is not intervening in several ways he could.
It’s hard to imagine that this situation could occur without incredible amounts of embarrassment. Not only is David being called an adulterer, which is likely unknown information at this point, but he is also confronted for his ungrateful and murderous behavior. These are not small issues to address in a king, and Nathan shows no sign of fear or anxiety. This may be because he, being sent by God, had confidence in the words and purposes of their discussion, but it may also be because David was someone Nathan was not afraid to hold accountable.
Throughout the book of Psalms, we read that David is constantly aware of his sinfulness, the highs and lows of the human experience, and his unworthiness to be loved by God. He is very familiar with his weaknesses and desires to be led back to God when he is astray.
Reread 2 Samuel 12: 1-10. In what ways do you notice David allowed Nathan to speak into his behavior and character?
Look at verses 7-10 one more time. Nathan explains David’s sins which David was very unlikely to have shared with Nathan. Which of these words from God stand out to you?
What words, thoughts, or feelings do you tend to relate to the word “accountability”?
Do you long for accountability? If so, what could that look like? Who is your “Nathan”? List the name(s) of those you trust to hold you accountable lovingly and thoughtfully.
An excerpt of The Heart of God: Through David’s Eyes by Jill Ng