“Adonai sent Natan to David. He came and said to him, ‘In a certain city, there were two men, one rich, the other poor. The rich man had vast flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing, except for one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and reared. It had grown up with him and his children; it ate from his plate, drank from his cup, lay on his chest — it was like a daughter to him. One day a traveler visited the rich man, and instead of picking an animal from his own flock or herd to cook for his visitor, he took the poor man’s lamb and cooked it for the man who had come to him.’”-2 Samuel 12:1-4
We’re examining Natan’s story told to David about a rich man cruelly taking a poor man’s only beloved lamb and roasting it for his banquet.
In the Biblical era, sheep were viewed in the same way we see dogs and cats.
They were beloved household pets and considered part of the family.
So this isn’t a story about a rich man taking what little resources a poor man possessed.
No, this is a story about a rich and powerful man stealing something from a powerless man that was dear to his heart.
This was meant to be an analogy reflecting what David did to Uriyah.
Of course, like all analogies, it’s not a perfect comparison.
But the Hebrew does drive the point home that the lamb was a beloved pet whom the poor man felt great affection for.
It’s referred to as a KIBSAH KATAN.
KIBSAH means an “ewe” or female sheep…
KATAN means small…
But not just in terms of size…
But also in the sense of age or being quite young…
Like a “tiny child,” for instance.
The picture being painted is that the small lamb represents Bathsheba.
Traditionally, the consensus is that Bathsheba was not yet a fully grown woman.
Maybe only about 17 years old.
This makes sense considering that before David, there is no mention of her having any children.
So I doubt much time had passed after she married Uriyah…
One or two years at the most.
So if the young sheep represents Bathsheba…
What did the wealthy man’s large flocks of cattle and sheep represent?
They represented David’s harem.
Again, the idea being communicated is that David possessed so many wives and concubines that he didn’t need to dip into another man’s well.
Hence, to be so greedy as to steal a poor man’s only lamb was an unusually cruel thing to do.
David pronounced his own sentence when he declared the rich man should die.
Of course, this wasn’t an official order or anything.
The Torah doesn’t permit a man to be executed for stealing and cooking another man’s sheep.
David was just expressing his shock and anger at how somebody could be so heartless and cruel.
In his eyes, such a person didn’t deserve to live.
Again, the real issue here is not theft, adultery, or even murder.
This was all about victimization.
This was a story of a man of power abusing a person who had none.
This leads to our takeaway for today…
Actually, two takeaways.
FIRST, I’m reminded of why we can trust the Scriptures.
Because think about it:
This story doesn’t sugarcoat David’s actions.
It doesn’t try to protect the reputation of Israel’s greatest king.
It exposes him.
Publicly.
That kind of brutal honesty is unheard of in other ancient texts, where kings were portrayed as flawless demigods or something.
But here, the Bible shines a spotlight on David’s darkest moment…
Not to shame him…
But to show us that no homie is above God’s justice.
That’s why I trust the Bible.
Because it tells the truth…
Even when the truth is uncomfortable.
SECOND, I’m reminded of the Biblical principle of “the first shall be last.”
David had everything…
Wives, wealth, power.
Uriyah had only one thing he loved.
Yet David, the “first,” stooped to steal from the “last.”
And God saw it.
And He flipped the script.
Because that’s how God operates.
Over and over in the Old Testament…
We see Him lift up the humble and bring down the proud.
Jacob over Esau…
Joseph over his brothers…
David himself over Saul…
And now, David is the one being humbled.
It’s a sobering reminder, isn’t it?
In God’s eyes, greatness isn’t measured by status or success…
But by how we treat those with less than us.
CONNECTING THIS TEACHING TO THE NEW TESTAMENT
“But many who are first will be last,
and many who are last will be first.”
-Matthew 19:30
Leave a Reply