Like King David, Bermuda kids need a 'Nathan' in their life

FRIDAY, JUNE 22: Fathers, I believe that fatherly words of advice are more important than declaring you have biologically attributed to an increase in the world’s population.

The grace and blessing of fatherhood is the privilege to add to your life experience as a testimonial scroll before another person, and then allow that other person to make wiser life choices just because you are a part of his or her life.

Fatherhood means you carry the weight of shaping the life of your child, knowing that his or her actions will declare that you have done a good job or perhaps a not so good job.

In the biblical text, there are wise words from the Prophet Nathan. Based on Nathan’s position as a trusted man of God, or voice of God, he was able to give fatherly words of advice to King David.

Even though Nathan was younger in years and lower in rank, he was so wise that King David had no issue both hearing from and listening to Nathan. Nathan was able to give fatherly advice because:

1. Nathan was a gift from God.

2 Samuel 12:1 And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.

The name Nathan actually means ‘God given’ or ‘Gift’, and that is just what every father ought to be to his seed; his child.

Nathan was placed, by God, in King David’s life because God knew that Nathan could be trusted to speak only what God told him to speak.

God’s love for King David was special, and therefore God had to prepare a special advisor and counsellor who would be able to speak into the life of King David and know that David would not doubt him.

A father is a gift to his child and a father will always seek to add life, health, and joy to the life of his child.

2.  He listened to his Heavenly Father.

Nathan was able to speak right because Nathan heard right. Nathan heard the voice of God and Nathan did not doubt that which he spoke.

1 Chronicles 22: 7 And David said to Solomon, My son, as for me, it was in my mind to build a house unto the name of the Lord my God:

8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, Thou hast shed blood abundantly, and hast made great wars: thou shalt not build an house unto my name, because thou hast shed much blood upon the earth in my sight.

When David desired to build a house for the Lord, God sent Nathan to tell King David that he would not build a House for God because he had hands of blood or hands of war. God would not permit bloody or warring hands to built His House.

David listened to Nathan and King David knew that what Nathan spoke was right. The joy for David was that God, through Nathan, let him know that while he was not permitted to build the House of God, there would come one out of his loins who would build the House of God.

Yes, King David would have a son who would indeed be permitted to build an earthly dwelling place for God. So, King David had already established a trustworthy relationship with the Prophet Nathan. Therefore, it set up a good rapport between King David and Nathan, which would be important in the future.

3. He spoke as a Father

2 Samuel 12: 5 And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:

6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.

In the text, Nathan had to speak as a father to King David. Nathan had to inform King David that because of a wrong he committed, God had meted out consequences. It was because King David set in motion the murder of Uriah, that God would have to send a word of correction and discipline to King David.

That word of correction and disciple came from the father figure, Nathan. Nathan spoke a parable to King David, which was clearly parallel to the account of David ordering the murder of Uriah so he could have Uriah’s wife.

While King David heard the parable, he did not connect it to his own sin. Yet, he did know that the man in the parable had done wrong and deserved death. Oh, how King David must have felt when he found out the story was about him.

While God turned the sin punishment away from King David, the sin did result in the death of the child born to David and Uriah’s wife.

The only reason King David was able to receive that story was because a man he respected as a father told it to him. There are some corrections and some disciplines that only a father can give.

Thankfully, King David had Nathan as a father-type. The question in Bermuda, and in the world, is how many children are missing a ‘Nathan’? Far too many children have no fathers, and therefore do not receive the benefit of having a caring father in their lives.

‘Nathans’ are needed because children need all of the guidance possible in order to reach their fullest potential.