We don't like it when people comment on the aspects of our lives that they call into question.

We don't like the comments or critique, even if it comes from a place of wanting to help us.

It is hard to take there's probably an element of shame or embarrassment because you haven't kept to the standard that you've set yourself or that others judge you by.

And these comments can be before us due to different things going on in our lives.

We can have our fashion critiqued, our hairstyles or indeed lack of hairstyles, our approach to how we do tasks or jobs, and we have our behavior challenged if it falls outside of the social norms or by how others judge us.

None of us like to be told our faults, but yet how easy is it for us to tell others their faults?

And in chapter 11 of 2 Samuel we saw the covenant king of Israel falling into sin, teaching us that any of us can fall as far as David did.

The question now before us is, how does David come back from this?

Does he have the right to be returned to a place before God?

Does he even deserve to continue as king of God's people?

And these are all valid questions to ask of the king whose job it was to lead the people in God's way.

But like most of it, or like most of us, self evaluation is not David's strong point.

He doesn't regret his sin until it's presented to him by Nathan, until it's called out where David may see it as a critique.

But this prophet of God is sent to do just that.

Maybe David is hoping to either brush his sin under the carpet and people will forget about it, or that in due time they simply won't care anymore.

But in the eyes of God, sin needs to be dealt with, and for true restoration to happen for David, he needs to admit and confess his sin and know the forgiveness that God gives.

And so what we're about to look at in chapter 12 of God's treatment of David ought to cause us humbly to rejoice when God's word convicts us of our sin.

Indeed, the mark of a spiritually lively Christian is not so much that we do not sin, but that we welcome God's call to repentance when he shows us our sin.

John Calvin comments, there's nothing better than when God sends us messengers of his wrath, for then he can make us feel his mercy and cease to enjoy our sins, so that we may apprehend his vengeance and our conscience may torment us to the extent of humbling us to seek pardon and remission in him until he has accepted us.

Calvin here, I think, sums up well, what is that process of what we call conviction.

It might now seem like an old word, but it's still at work today where the Holy Spirit convicts us of our sin, and normally that comes through the word of God, where we are challenged by what goes God's standard is and how far short we meet it.

And that's what this account is about.

It's recognizing how great our sin is, but understanding that we have a greater Savior who deals with our sins so that we can know his true forgiveness.

So let's get into the passage, and the first person we meet is Nathan.

Now, Nathan was first introduced to us as God's prophet in chapter seven, when David said that he had a house to live in, but God did not.

And so it was Nathan then who told David what the Lord's message was, that indeed David could proceed, but then he was halted.

Well, here he is used as God's messenger to correct David from his sinful ways.

And verse one tells us that it is the Lord who sends him.

Nathan delivers a parable to David that centers around two men.

One of these men was rich and the other was poor.

And verses two to three set the scene of this parable, because there we read the rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought, and he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children.

It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him.

Now, hopefully, by now, if you're familiar with scripture, you will know that livestock was a signal of wealth.

So the rich man, with his very many flocks and herds was very rich.

In fact, he didn't suffer from any lack of resources.

On the other hand, all the poor man owned was one little ewe lamb, which he even must have struggled hard to purchase.

And he treated this ewe lamb like a pet lamb.

He treated it as part of the family.

They cherished it, they truly loved it because it was the most valuable thing that they owned.

But because his poverty was so intense, he could only share a morsel of his own food with it.

He couldn't buy it.

And the food that he should have bought it, but rather simply just take off the table what could be spurred from the family meal.

And of course, with hindsight, as we read into this, knowing what has happened, it can be seen that Nathan is here reflecting Uriah's relationship with his wife.

King David is the rich man, Uriah, the poor man.

He had only but one wife, whom he loved and he cherished.

And verse four goes on to tell us that an element of their culture comes into play because a visitor comes to visit the wealthy man.

Now, we're told in a repeat of this, as the verse goes on, that this is someone just more than a stranger.

This is some kind of connection or relation.

And so by what happens next, we can tell that the man, the wealthy man, disregards the culture completely.

He goes against all the cultural norms and he doesn't offer one of his own animals from his flock or his herd, even though he has many as a meal for his guest.

Instead, he goes and takes quite literally, he steals the poor man's only lamb.

In other words, the one who had so much looks past his own wealth and he steals the absolute little that his neighbour had.

And already we should be on a path that identifies the scenario for us.

Words of stealing or coveting and of neighbour bring us back to chapter 11, when David looks across and sees Bathsheba bathing and brings her to him committing adultery.

But David, either content in his own lies or simply trying to ignore it, misses the point because verses 5 to 6 tell us his reaction.

And it's a forceful reaction.

Then David's anger, that word in scripture anger is that deepest sense of anger that we can get, was greatly kindled against the man.

And he said to Nathan, as the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing and because he had no pity.

Now that's quite the reaction to this story that Nathan tells.

David is rightly angry at such injustice, but he is so blind to his own sin that he doesn't see the hypocrisy of it.

In William Shakespeare's Hamlet, Queen Gertrude criticizes vows that are made by a character, in fact a queen that is in a play that she observes.

And she says that the vows that the queen makes in not ever going to marry someone are insincere and unbelievable.

She then says the now infamous lines, the lady doth protest too much, methinks.

Or as we know it, methinks thou doth protest too much.

And is this the case for David?

And it's often true that those who have secret sin are often those who protest the lightest and the most about the sins of others.

Methinks thou dost protest too much.

So David's anger here is falling under the same category, knowing his own sin but never confessing it, believing it to be hidden.

And no one will ever know he unjustly judges others before he holds himself accountable.

And so to this point, it is only David and Joab who understand the full extent of David's sin.

But as David will now realize, Nathan also knows the depths to which David has fallen.

David, defender of justice, is ready to punish, to censure, to kill, misconduct of others.

But actually, in doing so, just as Nathan thought he would, he condemns himself.

And it is this reaction that Nathan now exploits because David has instinctively identified with the poor man.

That's who he aligns himself with.

But his perception of the story is actually inverted when Nathan dramatically declares in verse seven these famous words, you are the man.

You see, David is the rich man and he has condemned himself.

Nathan's rule as the Lord's messenger now comes to the fore as he delivers the Lord's message to him.

Because verse seven continues to say all that the Lord has done for David in anointing him as king and then saving him from Saul.

In verse 8, the Lord confirms to David that he gave him everything that he has and he blessed him.

And the Lord even goes as far to say, and if that even wasn't enough, I would have given you more.

And why would the Lord have said that?

Because here was David, the true covenant king of his choice, referred to his scripture as the man after his own heart.

God would have given him anything not.

Not to keep him sweet, but to bless him because he was faithful.

And in an instant, in the committing of adultery, David loses it all.

And he will face the punishment for his sin.

And in fact, as we have often said, the sin of David not only is punishment on himself, but it has consequences for those all around him.

That is far reaching.

See this?

Then comes the penetrating words of inquiry of the Lord in verse nine.

And the Lord asks a very important question.

Why?

Why have you despised the word of the Lord to do what is evil in his sight?

Then Nathan goes on.

You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.

You see, all is now brought bare before David.

Without doubt, he knows that the sin he has tried to keep hidden is hidden no more.

Nathan has confronted him, but more consciously.

For David, the Lord knows his sin.

Nathan's judgment is one thing, but the judgment of the Lord is quite another.

From the Lord's challenge to David, we can see, the Lord takes David's sin seriously.

And in verse 10 it is the Lord who delivers his verdict.

Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.

You see, the Lord tells David that he has despised him.

And the dire sentence given is that David's ancestors will, or sorry, David's successors will face conflict.

Just as David has used violence and warfare to get rid of Uriah, so violence and warfare will vex him and the dynasty that he hopes will follow him.

And even so, even in this we are told that the continuation of David's house will happen despite what has just been said.

But the Lord goes on because he's not finished.

In verse 11, there's a more serious punishment on him.

It's actually two factors that will intensify David's punishment.

First, the penalty that he will experience will arise out of his own house.

And this has in view what's going to happen in chapters 13 through to 20 that will include Absalom's rebellion and the event of Adonijah's revolt in David's last days.

So even from within his home own family, David will face conflict that will quite literally take him to his grave.

But secondly, there will be no cover up of this as events will humiliate David personally and publicly.

The Lord will take David's wives before his eyes and give them to his neighbour.

And the neighbor will lie with his wives openly for all to know about.

And the Lord continues in verse 12 for the rationale of this, for you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.

You see, in contrast to David's covert sin, the Lord will act openly and so bear testimony to the impartiality of his justice.

And at this point David is left with a decision to make.

Will he deny or justify his sin?

Or will he come into the light of truth and confess what he's done?

What's he gonna do as he's confronted with his sin and as Nathan waits?

Well, David doesn't pause, but gives his response.

In verse 13, because David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord.

There is no greater confession and there is also no more a freeing confession than these very words.

The conviction of David's soul was the words of Nathan, you are the man.

But the redemption comes in the confession, I have sinned against the Lord.

What else can David do but admit and confess his sin?

And look at how gracious the Lord is what David has done is abominable in the eye of the Lord.

But because he is the God of covenant and steadfast love, he responds to David's confession of sin.

And Nathan said to David, the Lord also has put away your sin.

You shall not die.

David hasn't simply, as it were, moved himself to be in a better position with the Lord.

He's humbly confessed his sin.

And as we are promised throughout Scripture, as sin is confessed genuinely and sincerely, so the Lord will forgive.

But Nathan goes on nevertheless and hears the consequences of sin, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord.

The child who is born to you shall die.

Now, David's recognition of his failure and his renewed acceptance of the Lord's authority differentiates his response, or his response from that of Saul.

If you recall, back in 1st Samuel, chapter 15, verse 24, Saul also said, I have sinned.

But Saul didn't mean it, and look how quickly he fell further and further into sin, until ultimately he was killed and he was punished for his sins.

The difference here with David is that David's display of genuine repentance warrants Nathan's declaration that the Lord has indeed put away his sin.

The death penalty prescribed for adultery and for murder in the Levitical law is graciously set aside.

But there are other consequences.

Because of the sin.

David's conduct was all the more heinous because as the Lord's anointed ruler, he had sinned against right and against privilege when he scorned the Lord.

But death will come to David's house as David and Bathsheba's child will die.

Now, after this, Nathan returns to his home, and David is left to think through what the Lord has said to him.

And you know, as this passage concludes, it is the shock truth for us that David's son suffers death because of the sin that his father had committed.

Now, we might be tempted to think that David was saved by the substitution of his son, rather than having to face it himself.

But the truth is that David's son died merely as part of the necessary remedy for his sin.

And as we will see later in the chapter, God made provision for the child's salvation.

The real truth is that David was saved by the substitutionary death of another of his offspring.

And that is Jesus Christ, David's greater son, who suffered death to bear the sins of David, along with all other sinners who look to him in faith.

And if we are tempted to think that God is severe in requiring the death of David's son, Through Bathsheba, we must remember that the son who died for our sins was not only David's son, but also God's own son through his mysterious incarnation in the womb of the Virgin Mary.

And so, seeing the death of this son, we look in humble wonder and gratitude to God that he who justly required the death of David, David's son in punishment, has graciously offered the death of Jesus in achieving our forgiveness.

You see, there's a reality that we all must face tonight, that we stand before God as sinners no less than David.

And Jesus can be trusted to redeem us by his blood from the penalty that our sin deserves.

In this way, Jesus becomes not only the true sacrifice for sin, but but also the true king who is greater than David.

You see, Jesus will never treat us the way David treated his faithful servant Uriah.

Here, in the gospel wisdom of the Holy Spirit, we see the final touch to Nathan's parable.

It was indeed a beloved lamb who was taken by a wicked ruler to be slain.

The wicked ruler of our sin.

Jesus is the Passover lamb whose blood is sprinkled on our lives so that the wrath of God will not destroy us.

And we in our sin must take David's place, confessing, I have sinned against the Lord.

And if we do, the entirety of God's word responds with forgiveness through the blood of the Lamb, as Isaiah declared in Isaiah 53, 5, 6.

But he was pierced for our transgressions.

He was crushed for our iniquities.

Upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace.

And with his wounds we are healed all.

We, like sheep, have gone astray.

We have turned everyone to his own way.

And the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

In this account of David in chapter 11 and chapter 12, we should be left without shadow of doubt how seriously the Lord considers sin.

Sin must be dealt with.

And it will either be dealt with by Jesus or it will be dealt with by the punishment we receive justly from God.

But he has provided a way.

For as we read earlier, he did not send his Son into the world to condemn the world, but that through him the world might be saved.

God didn't send Jesus as simply one option.

He is the only way, the only truth, and the only life that we can know to get to the Father.

And we must all be honest with each other, as I am honest with myself.

We all fall into sin.

But we must know, as great as our sin is, God's love to us is greater and so whatever we may be facing consequences of sin that we have committed or consequences of the sins of others, we have indeed a Savior who is mighty to keep us.

So if you know your sin and you know you need a savior, then tonight come to the Lord and know his great salvation, for he will forgive.

Just as he forgave David and restored David.

David did not face eternal punishment and eternal death because the salvation of God was enough.

And so David is now in glory.

But for us, we must know that Savior and we must come before him tonight.

And as I said a few weeks ago, one of the songs that I've been listening to and that has been refreshing my soul is one of the latest songs penned by Matt Boswell, Matt Papa and Michael Cochran, where the chorus says, come, let us return to the Lord Come now all his mercies Remember how wide his love that waits to welcome us O come let us return to the Lord Will you return to the Lord?

He wants you to.

He's calling you to because his condemnation in us is you are the man.

And he's longing to hear those wonderful words, I am a sinner so that he can show his redemption upon us all through Jesus.

So come, let us return to the Lord and let us not only remember his mercies, but but know them in the days that are ahead.

Let us pray.

Our Father God, we thank you for your word again, a story that is difficult in the Old Testament for us because it is so culturally different for us.

But Lord, we thank you that your love is seen through in the forgiveness of sins so that we can know through the death of your one and only son, our sins forgiven.

As we place our trust only in Jesus, so Father, help us to confess our sins, to admit that we have sinned against you so that we may know your wonderful and glorious redemption.

So help us to come back to the Lord to remember your mercies how wide your love for us.

Oh come may we return to you so Lord, call us we ask in Jesus name, Amen.