The Abuse of Power
Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. 2 Samuel 12:7 NASB
“You are the man” – What has God given you that you have abused? Has He given you influence? Did you take advantage of it? Has He given you wealth? Did you squander it? Has He given you status? Did you become proud? Has He given you capabilities? Did you use them for your own agenda?
I am afraid that Nathan’s declaration to David applies to each of us as well. We are “the man.” We have taken what God so carefully prepared for His purposes and used it to further our own desires. Oh, it might not be the power of a king, but human evaluation makes no difference. If God’s gifts or God’s arrangements are not used for God’s purposes, then Nathan’s words strike us down. I am quite sure that if you look carefully, you will find that place Nathan exposes. Each of us has a unique seductive spot for the yetzer ha’ra. It’s the place of excuse and rationalization. It’s the hideaway of moral vacation. If we could just step back from our pretense, we would see what Nathan saw, but the stench of disobedience has been covered up by the perfume of pretext.
Attah ha’ish are words none of us want to hear. We must rather recognize our own voices saying baruch atta’ Adonai (“We bless you, Lord”). Nathan drives home the true meaning of ‘ish when he reveals that a “man” is defined by the relationships he fosters and allows. In Hebrew, you and I are who we include in our connections and bonds. If we allow those connections, those associations to move us away from the call to righteousness, then the prophet will appear and call us to answer for our sin. God did not engineer life for us in order that we might evade His demand for holiness. He has purposes which only you and I can fulfill, and we will answer for avoiding those purposes.
“You are the man,” said Nathan. It’s true. I am that man. I am the one who thought I deserved a break, who knew better but went forward anyway, who rationalizes disregard for the mitzvot. I am the man who must hear the prophet’s words, fall on my face and plead for forgiveness. I am the man who will suffer because of my own undoing. And I am the man whose actions will cause harm to the innocent other.
“Do you think God will forgive us for the things we’ve done?” asked Denzel Washington in Man of Fire. David knows that answer. Yes, God forgives, but there is a cost to the innocent for forgiveness of the guilty.
“Oh, Lord. May Nathan never again need to say to me, ‘You are the man!’”
Topical Index: man, ‘ish, 2 Samuel 12:7, Nathan, excuse
I am undone.
May I, with you, Skip, bring ALL to the altar. May I bring ALL the talents, gifts and abilities to the altar I find in my hand to be blessed and cleansed so that only His purposes will remain. May I bring ALL hidden and blatant sin, all un-realization of avoided potential, all tendencies and propensities to sin to Him to be confessed and sent away into the wilderness on that goat. And may I leave all these offerings at that altar and make sure I have made peace with all around me that there be offense between, so that my offering may have a sweet odor before my King. And may I make peace with myself, too, including all doublemindedness and self doubt and self conflict with myself, that the enemy can use so well against me, so that my service can then be founded on a rock that cannot be moved, and my eye can then be single to the glory of YHVH. Amen.
Self deception is so insidious. I must recognize the possibility of its existence if it is to be dealt with. All that can be shaken will be shaken so that which cannot be shaken will remain . . . and it begins in My house, says YHVH.
~ Nathan then said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul ~ 2 Samuel 12:7
Thank you ABBA, for the gift of all the “Nathans” You provide. Amen. We (all) need more Nathans. But LORD, You have given (provided) in Your wisdom and in Your Sovereignty, One who is far superior in every way to any Nathan who ever lived! You have given unto us the Ruach HaKodesh, the Holy Breath, the Holy Wind, the very Breath of God. One who You have promised will ~ convict the world concerning sin and righteousness and judgment ~. This One has come. This One lives today within the breast of every born from above believer. This One calls to each natural born sinner, each wandering sheep, each errant son, “come home.” Thank You, El Shaddai, our Protector and Provider, our compassionate Father, for One such as this.
Thank You Father for the Advocate, the Holy Spirit, One whom You have sent, One who will teach us all things and will remind us of everything You have said to us. LORD, we confess, we do need constant reminding of all You have said to us, for the law of the LORD is perfect, refreshing the soul. The statutes of the LORD are trustworthy, making wise the simple; the precepts of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart; The commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes..
And LORD, we confess, we agree in totality and in full surrender, without You, – we can do nothing! But Father, we also have been promised, “We can do all things through the Anointed One,” and “far superior is the One who is in us, than the One who is in the world.” Thank you, holy Father, for the victory that is available unto each of us and all of us through our LORD, the Lamb who was crucified, the One who was buried in a borrowed tomb, and the One who has conquered forever, Death, Sin and the Grave, our resurrected and now reigning Redeemer, the One who now intercedes for each of us, and the One who is worthy to receive receive all the glory and all the honor and authority, both in Heaven and in the Earth.
And because ~ this is the day which our LORD has made, (therefore) we will remember, and rejoice and be glad in it! Great are You LORD, and greatly to be praised, – and Your greatness is unsearchable!! Hallelujah! Amen.
“Yes, God forgives, but there is a cost to the innocent for forgiveness of the guilty.”
A dagger to the heart. How many times have I said the first 3 words, and forgot about the cost to the innocent One. Even using the word “forgiveness” and not making the connection to “guilty”. I am that man.
My children and grandchildren bear the scares of the lashes I have taken for my own sin. They have and still do suffer the consequences of my stupidity and self centered willful pride in my youth.
They also have the witness in me these days that people change with the help of God through patient perseverance in trying to live out God’s word. It is the only thing I have left to give them at this point.
I now live with the hope it is enough to make a lasting difference in the generations to come.
How does someone live with such devastation all around knowing that they are the source of it?
Because I have tasted of His hesed, and have known His help, I have enough assurance to find rest for my soul and continue on.
All Glory And Honor to YHVH my strength and help.
Thanks Scott for the observation that if I must ask for forgiveness I must recognize the sin that has proceeded this event. How many times I ask for forgiveness in an unconcerned manner without tying it to a any specific action of mine and make no acknowledgment of the sin that proceeded.
Wow. So timely. I don’t usually respond because my thinking is all over the place. Like a silken spider web catching different concepts and conclusions, pulling them into a somewhat cohesive thought that I understand and others scratch their heads over.
I’m doing some research on John Bevere’s book Under Cover, which i got into sideways while listening to your teachings on Worldview, Leadership and Sideways Leadership. It all gets interwoven for me.
It’s a fault. Glaring.
The teaching is that I have to be under someone’s authority AND I have to accept ALL the authority that is in place over you (Romans 13:2) because YHVH put it there, being obedient to it is equal to being obedient to YHVH.
The ‘pretext’ here is that obedience, even in it’s error (IF man does err in their hearing YHVH’s voice/direction for your life) will protect you because you are being obedient. Conversely, should you not heed the ‘covering’, ask for the insight of the covering, leave the covering, offend the covering (read: The Man!) then you are out in the cold and a sitting duck for every spiritual attack there might (WILL) be.
And you, alone, are responsible for your plight.
The set up here, for The Man is power. In many instances money. You know, because the higher up in the authority ladder you go the more prone you are to being on the payroll, writing the lesson plans that others will be paying for or, as a pastor, simply being the person people will tithe to, in obedience. (tithing. a whole ‘nother discussion).
In this teaching, as a woman, i am not designed to make certain decisions, carry certain loads, I was created to follow. Hopefully the following will be of a godly example but if not, then there is always the grace (mine to him) extended to the person for making the mistake, with the implication that if The Man decides that what i heard as holy instruction was error, then i drop my hearing and pick up his.
But see, when i find out before the Throne that i turned my back on YHVH’s instruction, it will be to late. At that point, will i be the sinner? or the sinned against.
See? the silken web spins out of control.
That’s why the concepts in Guardian Angel are so liberating (in the truest sense of the word) for women AND men. It’s exhausting trying to row up river all the time, against the current of how we were made! If you haven’t read it, you MUST. 🙂
Heh.. I have read it. about half a dozen times, at least. I have a small library of such books, and Skip’s brings forth a lot of interesting insights.
I am, of course, a heretic among the circles i used to move in. bleh.
Outstanding word Skip! And how tragic that most feel a word like this does not apply to them. We are ALL guilty here. Another thing to keep in mind though is that the Father many times works through the pain we cause the innocent to bring them to the point of emptiness before Him also. When we see we truly have nothing to bring to the table, and that we are eternal receivers and He is the eternal giver of His life, we have started the journey.
I almost agree. With this small addition. It is easy to suggest that we bring nothing to the table because, obviously, we are sinners before a holy God. But the biblical evidence suggests that God is pleased to have us as sinners come before Him. In fact, He welcomes us. Perhaps we do have something to offer, that is, the bending of the yetzer ha’ra to serve His purposes, something only we can bring to the table. He made us as the nexus of both propensities, but only we can resolve to turn one from its natural direction toward holy purposes. That is quite remarkable, and worthy of acknowledging.
I agree with that. However I do believe even in our coming to the Father that He continually brings us into circumstances that make it more difficult to stay away. In my lifetime I have seen the Father do extraordinary things to many errant children to bring them to himself. While it is true that some respond and other draw back, the Father continues to draw, even drag all to Himself.
We feel blessed to be able to help and to have you and your teaching in our lives. Thankyou and Happy New Year and may 2015 allow us to help others and learn more on our journey to the truth.
Hi Skip, first I want to apologize for not letting you know more often how you sharing your journey encourages me. Thank you from my heart. Secondly, thank you for your devotion to YHVH, seeking and living His truth. Thirdly, thank you for being willing to sacrifice in His service. Being with you in Israel was my high point of 2014. I appreciate you and the privilege of supporting you.
Skip, it has been a privilege to provide a little help for your ministry. Your insight has opened my eyes to the wonder of the word of G_d and to the Hebrew Biblical world view. You are an inspiration to myself and many others. May His spirit continue to guide you in this new year and through your journey. Blessings, Manny
Thank you Skip. I pray someday I will be able to travel with you.
Is there word on Irene?
Unfortunately no. I will investigate again.
♡
And in 2015 we will still be at your back.
May the goodness and the fruit of true obedience increase in all of our hearts and houses this season.
One of my big take aways from last season is that “you only keep what you give away”
May we keep more and more!