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Hardened Heart

There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate of his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.1

The rich man had exalted himself over the poor man taking the very thing highly valued, he had no pity for the poor man and he hardened his heart to what he had done. So God sent a messenger to the man who had done this. The messenger told him this story and the man was enraged and wanted to put to death the rich man in the story, who is this man he asked? The man from God said, it is you! 

God had given King David many riches, almost any single woman would have been available to him, but he took the treasured wife of Uriah. And Uriah a soldier in his army, a man of integrity and loyalty, so much so that David tried to cover up his sin by bringing Uriah home from battle, but he would not go home, his troops were in battle, he was loyal to them. Bathsheba was the granddaughter of Eliam, who was an advisor and one of the thirty mighty men of David. To cover up his sin David sent Uriah back into battle and gave orders for the soldiers to withdraw from him, as expected this resulted in his death. What David did, was great evil in the sight of God. 

 While God would not remove his riches nor his kingship he did say to David, 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.’ Thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, I will raise up adversity against you from your own house.2 Yes David would remain king. There was a year time span between David's sin and Nathans visit, he had hardened his heart. But he repented of his sin, he was a man after God's own heart, he did the will of God.

There is evil in the kingdom of God. People of God committing great sin in his eyes, and hardening their hearts to such. Yes, you exalt yourself over the poor man in faith and take his hope, that which is precious to him, you cause him to stumble in the way of God. But you try to hide your sin and you attack the poor man, you set out to destroy a child of God because of your own pride. But because God doesn't remove you from your position in his kingdom and because you have hardened your heart you are emboldened to continue in sin.

Because God's temple is made of His children, living stones, and the spirit of God exists within them, anyone who exalts themselves over a child of God exalts themselves over His children. Such says I am like God, in my authority, and such is an abomination to God. Jesus who was God would become a servant and humble himself even to the point of death on a cross, he was God. We do good to follow him, to live to His example.

David repented from his sin and God allowed him to remain king, but God would do to him as he had done to the poor man, he would take what he loved. He lost his first son from the wife of Uriah, and the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and it became ill. David therefore pleaded with God for the child, and David fasted and went in and lay all night on the ground. But God did not relent. And as spoken by God, a son of David would rise up against him, in an attempt to overthrow him as king. Also God would not allow David to build the temple of God, something he pleaded for, because of the blood on his hands. God did not relent. 

Leaders in God's kingdom have authority, according to the measure given, but with this comes great responsibility. God will measure back to you the way you measure others. Jesus said, For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the measure you use, it will be measured back to you. And why do you look at the speck in your brother’s eye, but do not consider the plank in your own eye?3 

 Yes, it is you! For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, before the sun. So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because by this deed you have given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die. 

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