“The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, ‘There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.’ David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’ Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: “I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.”’”—2 Samuel 12:1–7 (NIV)

God uses Nathan to correct David in a way He knows David will respond. Nathan’s story fills David with indignation, and he demands justice for the innocent man who was taken advantage of by the rich man. Afterwards, Nathan reveals the man in need of correction is David himself.

Nathan’s parable about a traveler who visits the rich man includes a detail that can be easily overlooked by modern readers. Gill’s Exposition of the Bible notes: “In their Talmud, Jewish scholars observe a gradation in these words—that the evil imagination is represented first as a traveler who passes by a man and does not lodge with him; then as a journeying man who enters and stays with him; and finally as a man, the master of the house, who rules over him and is therefore called the man that came to him.” In Jewish understanding, the traveler in the story is likened to evil or sin, whose influence grows gradually when not actively resisted. 

This mirrors God’s warning to Cain: “Sin is crouching at your door; it desires to have you, but you must rule over it” (Genesis 4:7b NIV). David’s covetousness went unchecked, and his lack of restraint allowed sin to dominate him, leading to his horrendous actions that hurt innocent people and ultimately his relationship with God. 

But God demonstrates His love for David by exposing his sin. By the time Nathan confronts David, nine months had passed—nine months of a hardened heart, distant from God, and devoid of the joy of His presence. So God sends Nathan to awaken David and lead him back to God.

Any parent knows that letting a child’s wrongdoing go uncorrected causes more harm than good. It’s because you love your child that you expose and correct their errors so they may learn and grow. God, the perfect Father, does the same for us. In Hebrews 12:10–11 (NIV), the author writes: “God disciplines us for our good, in order that we may share in his holiness. No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it.”

God loves us too much to leave us in our sin, because He knows sin devastates our lives and ultimately separates us from Him. God hates sin because of its destructive power over His creation. God knew David’s heart well enough to see that he needed to be restored. So, He used David’s leader to confront him and draw him to repentance.

Nathan’s boldness in speaking God’s Word to David reminds us that God corrects those He loves and places spiritual leaders in our lives for our benefit. When God uses pastors and leaders to confront or convict us, we honor God by submitting to that spiritual authority. David’s submission to Nathan’s correction—though it brought judgment—also led to healing and restoration in his relationship with God.

May we flee from sin and its destruction, embracing the loving correction of God through the spiritual leaders He’s placed in our lives, so we may walk in holiness and be restored to the joy of His presence.

Pause: Do you have a spiritual leader or mentor who can speak into your walk with God?

Practice: If you have a spiritual figure in your life, invite them this week to speak into your blind spots or areas in your walk with God that will help you grow. If you don’t have a spiritual figure in your life, pray and ask God to bring you a spiritual leader who can help you in your spiritual journey.

Pray: Father, thank You for Your discipline in my life. Although I don’t like it when You correct me, I know You do it for my good, so I may share in Your holiness. Help me, Lord, to run from sin and not let it take root in my heart. Keep me close to your heart, that I may walk in Your ways. Help me to humbly accept correction from others in my life, especially the leaders You’ve placed over me. Give them wisdom like Nathan to hear from You and act in love and wisdom. In Jesus name, I pray. Amen!