Romans 2:21-24, Thou Art the Man!

Romans 2:21-24 Thou therefore which teachest another, teachest thou not thyself? thou that preachest a man should not steal, dost thou steal? 22 Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? 23 Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God? 24 For the name of God is blasphemed among the Gentiles through you, as it is written.

Verse 24 is quoted out of the words of Nathan to King David for committing the sin of adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his army officers, Uriah – 2 Samuel 12:14 Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.

David hatched the plan for Uriah to be killed in battle. He thought nobody knew. But God did. He sent Nathan to expose David’s sin – 2 Samuel 12:7-9 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; 8 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. 9 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. 

David confessed his sin and God forgave Him (Psalm 32 and 51). God spared David from physical death. He was severely chastened – 2 Samuel 12:10-12 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. 11 Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

David had to pay for the consequences of his sin. Old Testament law teaches that a person steal something and does not return, he is to pay back fourfold. God reserved fourfold judgment on David and his family. It was a heavy price to pay. And it must have caused much discouragement to the people in Israel to see their leader fall in shame and disgrace. It must cause us to shudder at the thought of failing our Lord – 1 Corinthians 10:12 Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall. Amen.