What is your favorite Bible story, and what have you learned from it?
I think this could be a great thread if we all participate. There are many Bible stories (I rather call them historical accounts) that can teach us so much.
I'll start the thread...
One of my all time favorite Bible stories comes from 2 Samuel 12:1-24. I'll paraphrase it for you then give something that I've learned from it.
Ok so King David had killed Uriah the hittite in order to take his wife. So David is hanging out in the throne room and in walks Nathan the prophet. Nathan relates the following story to David
"There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him." (vs 1-4)
Ok so now (and I love this part because it's just like me). David gets filled with righteous wrath and proclaims that this man will die, and repay the poor man whom he had wronged.
Directly after David's righteous rant, Nathan says to him (and oh man I would have loved to see the look on David's face at this point!), "Thou art the man. And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon."
After this Nathan declares God's judgement upon David and the house of David. There will be constant war etc. It's what David says after the proclamation of judgement that really struck me. David says, "And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD."
Now there are many, many, many lessons that I've learned from this account. Perhaps the most notable is found in David's reaction. During my witnessing I once met a staunch athiest. He asked me once, "Why would a just God punish man with an infinite punishment for a finite sin?" I answered him, "My friend, you do not understand the nature of sin." Awhile after that conversation I came across this passage again in my devotional time. David's exclamation kind of shocked me. He proclaimed "I have sinned against the LORD". That's odd, I thought. Wasn't David's sin really against Uriah? Well, yes it was, and no it wasn't. You see the thing that I've learned from this story is that my sin, though it will often negatively affect those around me in this world, is ultimately a sin against God. They are after all God's rules/laws/standards that I break. In being created in the image of God when I act contrary to the nature of God, I make Him look bad. Most especially as a Christian, when I sin now, I who took on the name of Christ (i.e. Christian) take the Lord's name in vain. My sin is a sin against the LORD. There is no sin that is finite, all sin is committed against an infinite (eternal) God. If you stand before God, apart from Christ, you will be guilty of sinning against God. Your punishment will be infinite, but it does not have to be so. There is forgiveness available to every man, woman, and child. It is a gift, and though it cost someone dearly, it is free to you!
So, what's your story?
I think this could be a great thread if we all participate. There are many Bible stories (I rather call them historical accounts) that can teach us so much.
I'll start the thread...
One of my all time favorite Bible stories comes from 2 Samuel 12:1-24. I'll paraphrase it for you then give something that I've learned from it.
Ok so King David had killed Uriah the hittite in order to take his wife. So David is hanging out in the throne room and in walks Nathan the prophet. Nathan relates the following story to David
"There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him." (vs 1-4)
Ok so now (and I love this part because it's just like me). David gets filled with righteous wrath and proclaims that this man will die, and repay the poor man whom he had wronged.
Directly after David's righteous rant, Nathan says to him (and oh man I would have loved to see the look on David's face at this point!), "Thou art the man. And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon."
After this Nathan declares God's judgement upon David and the house of David. There will be constant war etc. It's what David says after the proclamation of judgement that really struck me. David says, "And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD."
Now there are many, many, many lessons that I've learned from this account. Perhaps the most notable is found in David's reaction. During my witnessing I once met a staunch athiest. He asked me once, "Why would a just God punish man with an infinite punishment for a finite sin?" I answered him, "My friend, you do not understand the nature of sin." Awhile after that conversation I came across this passage again in my devotional time. David's exclamation kind of shocked me. He proclaimed "I have sinned against the LORD". That's odd, I thought. Wasn't David's sin really against Uriah? Well, yes it was, and no it wasn't. You see the thing that I've learned from this story is that my sin, though it will often negatively affect those around me in this world, is ultimately a sin against God. They are after all God's rules/laws/standards that I break. In being created in the image of God when I act contrary to the nature of God, I make Him look bad. Most especially as a Christian, when I sin now, I who took on the name of Christ (i.e. Christian) take the Lord's name in vain. My sin is a sin against the LORD. There is no sin that is finite, all sin is committed against an infinite (eternal) God. If you stand before God, apart from Christ, you will be guilty of sinning against God. Your punishment will be infinite, but it does not have to be so. There is forgiveness available to every man, woman, and child. It is a gift, and though it cost someone dearly, it is free to you!
So, what's your story?
)
, They need it soo much Pray that God will strenghen them and to be reminded that God is with them always.
