Nathan the prophet tells David a parable about a rich man who coveted the only sheep of his poor neighbor. He then rebukes the king for acting in the same reprehensible manner. The parable is that there was once a poor man who had only one sheep whom he loved and tended for with devotion. His neighbor was a rich, selfish, and violent manwho owned many sheep, but was nevertheless adamant to have his poor neighbor’s only sheep. David understands the implied message and faces the grim reality—God has given him great blessings and he has failed Him. Even when the truth is inconvenient, we must face it without fear. We can only improve ourselves if we come to terms with the naked truth.
“And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor…and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die” (2 Samuel 12:1-5)
“And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon” (2 Samuel 12:7-9)
Pursuit of truth means not only looking outward, but also inward; our life’s mission is to discover truth.
