Most of us who spent any time in church have heard the story
of David and Bathsheba. It was not a stellar incident in the life of God’s
favorite king. Having fallen for the wife of one of his loyal soldiers, David
began an adulterous affair, and eventually resorted to treachery and murder to
take the woman for himself. It was a well-constructed plan. Only David,
Bathsheba, and Joab, his leading general, would know the truth. Or so David
thought. Soon afterward, David received a visitor, as told in 2 Sam 12: 1-4.
So Yahweh sent Nathan to David, and he came to him and said, "Two
men were in a certain city; one was rich and the other was poor. The rich man
had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing except for one
small ewe lamb which he had bought. He had nurtured her, and she grew up with
him and with his children together. She used to eat from his morsel and drink
from his cup, and she used to lie in his lap and became like a daughter for
him. And a visitor came to the rich man, but he was reluctant to take from his
flocks or from his herds to prepare a meal for the traveler when he came to
him. So he took the ewe lamb of the poor man and prepared it for the man who
had come to him."
And so it is even today…
There was a time early in our nation’s history when there
was a concern about literacy, that children would not even be able to read a
Bible, and Christians began forming schools. There was concern for the sick,
and Christians volunteered their time and money and resources, and built
charitable hospitals. There was concern over the lack of manly virtue in our
nation’s youth, and Christian men formed the Boy Scouts.
Much later in our nation’s history, liberals became
concerned about all of these things. And so they forced children to stay in
failing schools even as they sent their own children to private schools. They
forced others to pay for the health care of those able to care for themselves,
all the time striving to pass regulations that would shut down or destroy the
character of the same Christian hospitals that had served the poor for so long.
They were concerned about their youth, and demanded that the Boy Scouts and
Girl Scouts and every other group bend to their will to accommodate them,
taking some to court, trying to imprison and bankrupt others. And what was once
a matter of joyful, heart-filled giving is now regarded as rightful benefits,
taken by a sullen people, grateful for nothing and always demanding more.
2 Sam 12: 5-7: Then the anger of David was kindled against the man, and
he said to Nathan, "As Yahweh lives, the man who has done this deserves to
die! He shall restore the ewe lamb fourfold because he has done this thing, and
because he had no pity." Then Nathan said to him, "You are the man!”
David acknowledged his guilt, and repented. A flawed and
imperfect man, David learned and relearned the lessons of faith throughout his
life. He was also the one who declared before Israel (2 Sam 24:24) “I
don't want to offer to Yahweh my God burnt offerings that cost me
nothing." It’s a lesson that is still true today.
There are those who take from others for their own purposes,
their own causes, and call it charity. They force others to their will,
compelling service to those they favor at the moment, calling such laws “anti-discrimination”,
and call themselves liberators. There are those who silence all who disagree,
and claim it is so that none will be afraid to speak. These are lies. But the
biggest lie of all is that they can do all of these things while following the
path of Christ or honoring God. This is a lesson that our nation must learn
again. I pray the learning shall be soon.
