Psalm 51 (Day 7): When the prophet Nathan came to him

O, Holy Breath, 

Spirit of the living God, 

breathe through the pages 

the Father and the Son have written on my heart. 

May the ancient words of the Rock of ages 

become life and health and peace for my soul, O Lord. 

May I draw from their well of wisdom 

everything I need to be fully equipped 

for the service of my Master and King. 

Please, heighten my appetite for the Word, 

clarify its meaning to my mind, 

and deposit in my breast 

a spirit of heartfelt gratitude and humble obedience. 

In the name of Jesus, I pray. 

Amen!

I thank the Lord for prompting me to enter these 50 days of waiting for the commemoration of Pentecost -- the day the Holy Spirit came down and rested on the believers in Acts 2:1-4. I will celebrate Pentecost on June 8, fifty days from Easter. During this season of waiting, I am staying my mind upon Psalm 51 -- King David's famous prayer of confession.

Today, Day 7 out of 50, I have not yet made it to verse 1. The Holy Spirit is still keeping me in the psalm heading, which reads, "For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba." 

If this is the first post you are reading in this series, please consider reading Day 1 first and working your way to the most current.  

Today, I am meditating on the phrase "When the prophet Nathan came to him." The Lord revealed much to me yesterday concerning the first four words of the above segment. That revelation has graciously equipped my mind to grasp the importance of Nathan's coming to David and the implications borne out of the prophet's coming. 

I learned yesterday that it was crucial for Nathan, the bearer of God's message, to come to David because only God's Word is efficacious in dealing with sin. It was vital for Nathan to speak God's Word to David because only the inspired words of God can breathe life into a sin-stricken heart. And it was essential for Nathan, God's chosen emissary, to come to David because only God's vessel allows for gracious counsel leading away from sin.

Therefore, the phrase "When the prophet Nathan came to him" makes me think of the importance of biblical accountability and gracious honesty in Christian relationships. 

Where is biblical accountability when I foolishly imbibe juicy tidbits about a co-worker or a neighbor without ever leaving my lazy chair or lounge to address such items from God's perspective? Where is gracious honesty when I sport a syrupy smile in the presence of a spiritual leader while deep within I could not be more unhappy or disturbed about a particular sin overtly practiced by said individual? 

The prophetic summons from God's Word is to gently restore anyone trapped by habitual sin (Galatians 6:1). After all, is that not what the ultimate Prophet did for humanity?

"In loving-kindness Jesus came

My soul in mercy to reclaim

And from the depths of sin and shame

Through grace He lifted me."

Extracted from In Loving-kindness Jesus Came, Charles H. Gabriel

He came.
Jesus came to mankind.
He came.
Jesus came to restore humanity from sin.
He came.
The Son of Man came to seek and save the lost.

"You did not wait for me to draw near to you

But You clothed Yourself with frail humanity

You did not wait for me to draw near to You

But You let me hear Your voice calling me."

Extracted from I'm Forever Grateful, Mark Altrogge

A long time before Jesus came, Psalm 51 depicted that coming beautifully.

The prophet came.
Nathan came to David.
He came to point David to the Restorer of his soul.

Clearly, Nathan's coming to David foreshadowed the ministry of Christ as the crowning achievement of the Prophetic Office. God sent Nathan to David to make him aware of his sin, his need for confession, his need for repentance, and his need for restoration. 

God is still in the business of sending.

"So send I you to hearts made blind by hatred

To eyes made blind because they will not see

To spend, though it be blood, to spend and spare not

So send I you to taste of Calvary."

Extracted from So Send I You, Margaret Clarkson

He sent Nathan to David.
The Father sent the Son to humanity.
The Son of God sent the Holy Spirit to His followers.
The Son of Man now sends God's sons and daughters to the world.

So, my question is: Who is my Nathan?

God -- the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit -- is my first Nathan.
Anyone who ministers in the Spirit of God is my Nathan. 

What about you, my friend? 
How accountable are you? 

The Father came to Eden.
Christ Jesus came to earth for you. 
The Holy Spirit comes to talk to you daily. 

Your ultimate Nathan -- Christ -- comes to you through His Holy Spirit who will instruct you in the Word and through covenant friends who will not shy away from speaking the whole truth and nothing but the truth to you. 

Will you and I heed His coming today?

Thank You for coming, O Holy Spirit. Fall afresh on us and cause us to proclaim the gospel fully. Guide us in Your goodness, righteousness, and truth as we speak truth to one another with love as our barometer. In Jesus' name, I pray. Amen!