Then David said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." (2 Sam. 12:13)
All over the globe today, people who live under the thumb of tyrants ask the question, Who holds the ruler accountable? From the beginning, God had established Israel as his kingdom, with its ruler as his representative, not the final authority. And after David's great sin, God sent the prophet Nathan to confront the king.
It was Nathan who had conveyed to the king God's lavish promise to establish David's "house" (1 Chronicles 17). This time he came with a heartrending tale of poverty, greed, and injustice. He presented the case to David, the highest judge in Israel, for a verdict. David knew exactly how to decide such a case: The man deserved to die! When he said so, Nathan delivered his own devastating verdict, "You are the man!''
In this dramatic scene David's greatness shows itself. He could have had Nathan killed or thrown him out of the palace. Instead, he said to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD," immediately admitting guilt and acknowledging God as the true ruler.
To appreciate David's confession, you only have to think of the response of leaders "caught in the act" in our own time: a parade of officials marching before the Senate hearings with alibis, excuses, and rationalizations; a presidential candidate denying well-subtantiated charges of habitual womanizing. But King David saw at once the heart of the issue. He had sinned not just against Uriah and his country, but against the Lord.
David was a great king partly because he did not act with the normal pride of a great king. Confronted with the truth, he repented. Forgiveness came in an instant, but the consequences of David's actions would plague the kingdom for a generation. For one thing, he has lost moral authority within his own family. Over the next few years, one of David's sons would rape his sister, and another would kill his brother and launch a coup against David himself. King David had left a legacy of abuse of power, and not all his successors would be so quick to repent.
Life Question: How do you act instinctively when someone confronts you over wrongdoing?
