Bible studies for writers | 2 Samuel 12

Of all the chapters in the Bible, it is this one I think of most. Partly because of its message but mostly because of the line, “You are that man!” In some versions of the Bible, the line is written, “You are the man!” And I think of it because when my son was in high school I taught the high school Sunday school class, and one of his buddies quoted that line in jest during our Sunday morning reading. Shouting “You are the man!” became a bit of a joke in our class after that. But it’s really not a laughing matter for King David. This chapter contains many lessons, and each of us may glean a different one, or even multiple ones. For me, the overall message today is forgiveness and great, great mercy. Even though David’s baby died after he mourned and begged God to spare him, David was able to realize the most selfish act he had committed and come to terms with his human failings. After his baby died, it feels like he told himself, “God has spoken.” That is how he was able to end his mourning and eat after the baby’s death. I noticed, too, that David didn’t abandon Bathsheba afterwards. He could have easily pegged her as a curse to his family, but he didn’t. He comforted her and created another child. For some reason, I thought this was precious, despite how the entire circle of events came about.

Writing prompt: the man

Have you ever been that man? It wasn’t long ago that I was begging God to answer a prayer, and He did. But not long after that, following some stressful days, he denied my request. I went through a plethora of emotions – anger, confusion, discontent, but when it was all said and done, and I’d heard the Lord’s “no” clearly, I had to come to terms with what was happening. I had to accept God’s no and try to count the blessings I received from it. My Scripture that morning was 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NLT): “Always be joyful. Never stop praying. Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.” Write about a time when you were the man and you had to accept God’s no. Try to find the blessing(s) in that no, and thank God in your writing for the things you realized in that circumstance.