Give and Take

2 Samuel 11-12 is a well known section of scripture, David and Bathsheba, and Nathan's rebuke.

I spent some time this morning looking at three words that seem to permeate the chapters: GIVE, TAKE, SEND. They are used directly or implied countless times.

I encourage you to take some time and give this passage a look.

Here's 5 observations.

1. SEND...David does a lot of sending in this story...When we're living in ways contrary to God's standard, we will seek to pass the buck to someone else. He sends someone to lead the battles rather than go himself. He sends someone to go look into who the hot chick on the roof was. He sends them to "take" her. He sends others to get Uriah...tries to send Uriah home to cover up his sin. When that doesn't work, he sends Uriah with his own death sentence letter in hand.

2. SEND...But in the midst of David's attempts to hide and cover up his sin, God Sends Nathan. Nathan comes from the Hebrew word natan which means to give, or gift. Nathan calls David out. We had better be attentive when God SENDS a solution. (John 3:16)

3. TAKE...David takes Bathsheba just as the rich man took the poor man's ewe. Then David takes Uriah's life. And ironically at the end of the story in chapter 12, David finally mans up and goes and takes the city that he should have been out taking before any of this drama unfolded. If you do a study on people in scripture who "see something they want" and then "take it", you would be surprised how often that appears when referring to sin.

4. TAKE...But God redeems the language in Jesus..."This is my Body broken for you...Take and Eat."

5. We need to TAKE some time to think of areas where our heart and motives are impure and GIVE these things over to God who has SENT his son so that we could have our sins TAKEN away by a pure and righteous man who GAVE his live for us.