2 Samuel 12:1a English Standard Version (ESV)And the Lord sent Nathan to David.

Have you read the story of David and Bathsheba? It is a famous tale which has many salient points. Here we see the Lord sending Nathan to rebuke David for sins committed. King David was God’s anointed and since God knows all thing including the intentions of the heart, why wait until after David sinned? Why not prevent David from sinning by sending Nathan at 2 Samuel 11:1?

Over the years I have studied these chapters over and over again and have discovered many of the attributes of sin in the passages. I could see how sin presented itself in my life and the warning signs where there for me to read. However I read them after I had already sinned. I have not sinned some of the sins of David, but the truth about the nature of sin remains the same.

Then there was God’s merciful nature in forgiving David’s sins. There was also the inevitable truth that even forgiveness does not alter the consequences of sin. The only way to avoid the consequences of sin is to deny sin. Had I studied or been taught those lessons before I sinned my own sins, perhaps I might have avoided some of my own consequences. Then again, maybe not.

Words keep ringing in my ears; “Dad I have to make my own mistakes.”

Later the most hurtful words were uttered. “You were right.”

Every ugly mistake man could ever make are written in the bible. Why not learn from them and avoid the consequences of sin? Part of me understands that God allows us free will so that we can see for ourselves what kind of person we are and decide for ourselves that change is required. Another part of me sees that just reading the Word of God has changed me.

God allows. God allows just so much. God knows when to send a prophet. Will we listen or insist on making our own mistakes?

Proverbs 18:17 English Standard Version (ESV) The one who states his case first seems right, until the other comes and examines him.

Yesterday the idea that God might have a different opinion about the final resting place for the Ark of the Covenant was presented. That was written from a human perspective, how one human might feel about the intentions of another. That thought does not cover all the thoughts of man, only one opinion.

All we have to gauge the thoughts of God are written in His Word. One of the sad truths about the human perspective is that it is often emotional and short sighted.  We are conditioned to think for ourselves and in doing so do not see things as God sees them.

We have the Word to tell us what the end result was in man’s attempt to house God in a temple. The focus fell away from honor and worship to dishonor and greed. Jesus declared they had made God’s house a den of thieves. Ref. Matthew 21:13, Mark 11:17, Luke 19:46 and John 2:16

Many good intentions get corrupted because God did not author the work. The human perspective that does not seek the will of God has set his foot to fail before he has even begun. The human perspective replaces God’s judgment for its own.

Jeremiah 24:7 English Standard Version (ESV) I will give them a heart to know that I am the Lord, and they shall be my people and I will be their God, for they shall return to me with their whole heart.

It is important to know who we are from a human perspective but we should never allow that to say “God thinks the way I do!” That is not true. We must accept we are human and that we make mistakes. Knowing the Lord in intimate relationship allows us to understand when we have strayed away from the truth. That creates a gap of our own making. We can repent and return to follow our Lord.