THE UNRIGHTEOUS JUDGE

2 Samuel 12:1-9 NLT

So the LORD sent Nathan the prophet to tell David this story: "There were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor. 

[2] The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle. 

[3] The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man's own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. 

[4] One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man's lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest." 

[5] David was furious. "As surely as the LORD lives," he vowed, "any man who would do such a thing deserves to die! [6] He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity." 

[7] Then Nathan said to David, "You are that man! The LORD, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. 

[8] I gave you your master's house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. 

[9] Why, then, have you despised the word of the LORD and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.

We know how easy it is to judge or to be judged, unfairly. Unfortunately, we judge people daily based on what we see and hear, not considering their actions according to our idea. Funnily, we do not even consider that, we may very well be casting the first stone when we are more guilty of what we’re judging others for.

The Parable of the Persistent Widow in Luke 18:1-8 and the story of Nathan rebuking David both highlight themes of justice and accountability, though in different contexts.

In our text, the prophet Nathan tells King David a parable about a rich man who unjustly takes a poor man’s only lamb. This story is meant to convict David of his sin with Bathsheba and Uriah. When David reacts with anger towards the rich man in the parable, Nathan reveals that David himself is the guilty party

David, unwittingly, passed sentence on himself when he stood as the unrighteous judge in the text. It was in David's hand, what his letters were in the hands of the brave but unfortunate Uriah, whom he had killed because of his wife, Bathsheba.

God wants and expects us to rebuke or correct others but in love and compassion, not in judgment as David did. When we correct in spirit-led approach, we will accomplish much more than when we do so in self-righteous judgment.

Jesus tells us in Matthew 7:1 categorically not to judge! But, as weak humans, we can’t help ourselves. We judge with impunity!

The parable of an unrighteous judge who didn’t give special treatment in Luke 18, nor considered anybody, great or small but was effectively worn down by persistent prayer.

We are so quick to jump to conclusions on hearing something that we don’t consider the other side of the coin, we take one person’s story, taking sides to decide who should be castigated and condemned.

David didn’t for a moment think of his sin against God and humanity and was quick to jump to condemning and passing sentence by decreeing “The man—shall surely die” telling us that David saw him as a very bad man, who deserves to die. But the law did not sentence a sheep-stealer to death, let us hear it: instead, Exodus 22:1 says if a man steals an ox or a sheep, he shall restore Five Oxen for an ox, and Four Sheep for a sheep.

Ironically, David passed the severest punishment to what he perceived as a sin, without considering what he had done as one.

We have a habit of explicitly judging the characters of others and their action but Nathan’s parable, presented as a legal case, was aimed at getting David to pass the verdict on himself unwittingly.

The Bible’s command that we do not judge others does not mean we cannot show discernment. Immediately after Jesus says, “Do not judge,” He says, “Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs” in Matthew 7:6.

Watch how we criticize and condemn the people we come across. We judge people based on their clothing, speech, looks and behaviour without compassionately considering why they are like that.

David passed judgment confidently until Nathan declared “you are the man, what awful words that pierced David’s heart, aroused his conscience, and brought him to his knees in repentance. The sincerity and depth of his penitent sorrow are evinced by the Psalms he composed in Psalm 32:1-11 and he was forgiven. 

David may have never thought of the consequences of his actions with Beersheba, hence his high character for piety, but his deplorable fall was calculated to do great injury. 

David was not condemned, according to his view of what justice demanded but David was truly concerned about justice, when not blinded by his passion seen in 2 Samuel 12:5. don’t be the unrighteous judge.

PRAYER: Righteous judge and father, help me to judiciously, and fairly treat everyone as you would have me do with humility and grace in Jesus’ name, amen.

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