Nathan and the Gift of Wise Words

Nathan and the Gift of Wise Words

1. Another quiet-but-important prophet
2. Nathan teaches us that it is good (in fact, essential!) to be able to say "I  was wrong."
   • The story - 2 Smauel 7
   • The lesson
     • Even prophets can get things wrong
     • No one likes to say "I was Wrong"
3. Nathan teaches us that we need to communicate God's displeasure wisely
   • The story - 2 Samuel 11-12
     • David sins with Bathsheba, murders Uriah
     • Nathan gives a parable
   • The lesson
     • Judging
     • Judging means at least 4 things
       1. It often describes God as the Judge
       2. To "judge" can also mean to condemn
       3. The root meaning of "judge" language, especially in the New Testament, is to discern
       4. Finally, "judging" can refer to a special decision about whether something is right or wrong, helpful or unhelpful, in light of what God has revealed
     • We can't avoid communicating God's displeasure
4. Two lessons
   • These lessons belong together