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Work through the confirmation Lesson below. Do the best you can on your own. If you need help, or if you get stuck send me an email, (revrichm@gmail.com), text or call me (610-401-5602). When you're done, post your answers at the bottom. When we meet next I will go over this and we'll do an exercise to have some fun with it.
David and Nathan
My
Faith Story
Is God involved in the
lives of powerful people today?
Think about a time you
did something wrong and someone called you to task for it. How did it feel to
be shown the error of your ways? How did you respond? Did you admit your
mistake (sin) and feel sorry for having done it? How did it feel to be forgiven?
You are often told to apologize when they do something wrong or hurt someone.
Think about how you can make apologies more meaningful so that they help change
behavior and improve relationships. In today's story we will focus on David's
reaction when Nathan, representing God and God's anger with David, called him
on his sins.
Open
the Bible
Read 2 Samuel
11:14–27. This section picks up David's story after he sinned by sleeping with
Bathsheba, Uriah's wife. When Bathsheba became pregnant, David sent for Uriah,
hoping he would go to his house and sleep with Bathsheba. This would be a way
for David to cover up the fact that he was the father of Bathsheba's baby. But
Uriah did not go to his house, so David planned to cover up his sinful actions
by having Uriah killed in battle.
Question 1: What were the
unjust things that David did in this part of the story?
Question 2: What do
you think of David and his actions?
Question 3: David won
many military battles throughout the country. Why do you think he failed so
badly with his life at home?
Read 2 Samuel 12:1–25.
Once God had enough of David's abuse of power, God sent Nathan to David to tell
him a parable so that David would recognize his sin. As a prophet, Nathan
brought God's words of both warning and promise. The warning came true, and
David's life going forward was full of unhappiness and family conflict. But God
also forgave David and kept his promise to David that his descendants would be
kings.
Question 4: How might
Nathan have felt approaching David?
Question 5: Was it
fair what happened to David in the end? To David and Bathsheba's baby?
Question 6: What does
God promise David in 2 Samuel 7:12?
Lutheran Study Bible
page 516: Read the Lutheran Perspectives sidebar "What are the two parts of
repentance?" Name the two parts of repentance. How did David experience
both parts? Repentance must have been difficult for David since he was the king
and he commanded people to do whatever he wanted. Do you find repentance
difficult? Which part is the most difficult?
The story of David and
Bathsheba is a difficult one because of the issues of sexuality and temptation
it raises, and also because it presents a very unflattering picture of King
David. Think about how the Bible does not gloss over the shortcomings of
biblical heroes. Other examples are Abraham, Jonah, and Peter. What does this
honest portrayal of human sin and frailty say about God and God's grace? God
continues to make promises to God's people, in spite of their flaws and misuse
of power. What can we learn for today's world from God's promises and
faithfulness to David?
Open
the Catechism
Student Book page 296:
In today's lesson, David is guilty of breaking at least three commandments. Review
the Ten Commandments and make a note of the three that David broke with his
actions in today's story. Make a note of the broken commandments in the order
in which David broke them, noting the progression of sin and evil.
Commandment 10,
coveting your neighbor's wife: While few people have menservants and
maidservants, or cattle, coveting is dangerous. When you want what belongs to
others, you can't be with them without envy and suspicion. God forbids coveting
to maintain order in our community.
Commandment 6,
committing adultery: God's intent is for sexual relations to be a part of
marriage. Just as God protects life in our communities, God protects our
friendships and our love, the things that are dearest to us.
Commandment 5,
committing murder: God gives life, and since life is God's gift, God doesn't
want anyone else to take it away. God not only forbids killing; God forbids
anything that even comes close to it.
Cartoon
Connection
Question 7: Was it fun to be a prophet?
Question 8: Was it
profitable to be a prophet?
Question 9: Is it
risky to be a prophet today?
Life
Connection
Find a speech given by a politician or world leader on TV or the
web, and watch it this week. Write down responses to these three questions:
What are three important things this leader is saying to the people? How does
this leader compare to David? What can this leader do to better follow God’s
message? Share your findings in class next week.
Quiz Show
1. David was a powerful man
because he . . .
a. won the state lottery.
b. was king of Judah.
c. was king of Israel.
d. had a large army.
2. The two most important
people in today's story are . . .
a. Nathan and Bathsheba.
b. Nathan and David.
c. David and Uriah.
d. David and Bathsheba.
3. Nathan was a . . .
a. prophet.
b. soldier in David's army.
c. judge.
d. traveling salesman.
4. The political, cultural, and
religious center of Israel at this time was . . .
a. Bethlehem.
b. Rome.
c. Joppa.
d. Jerusalem.
5. David's sin was . . .
a. coveting.
b. adultery.
c. murder.
d. all of the above.
6. Nathan was sent to . . .
a. kill Uriah.
b. save Uriah from death.
c. confront David about his sin.
d. all of the above.
7. After meeting with Nathan,
David . . .
a. confessed his sin.
b. put Nathan in prison.
c. had a dream about his son's death.
d. had a great feast.
8. David's son who would go on
to be the next king was . . .
a. Joab.
b. Saul.
c. Solomon.
d. David Jr.
