David was king. He was the Lord's chosen one. He thought he could do anything he wanted; take anything that he wanted for his own, as if earthly possessions were that important, important enough to commit the most grievous sin by taking another's prize.
The church, the children of God have been doing this ever since. Through the centuries we have taken away the most precious possession, freedom from various groups. We have exerted power over those lesser than us in a way that has caused God to grieve many times. We must constantly be on the lookout for the false sense of superiority that determines we are better than someone else; that we are deserving without realizing what the cost is to others. Parents need to make sure they are not taking the most precious thing from their children. Business owners and managers need to make sure they are not taking the most valuable thing from their employees. As husbands and wives, we cannot demand that they give us anything that is not ours.
And lest we think that it is only God that notices when we rob others, note what Nathan said to David. 'By doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt.' Our actions are not hidden from the world. They see how we treat each others and often it causes them to have a stench in their nostrils towards the church. We may not die, but we will lose the thing most valuable to us as well.
2010 Post - 2 Samuel 11-12: In The Spring
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