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The center of the Traditional Anglican Communion; adhering to the Holy Bible (KJV) in all matters of Faith and Doctrine, a strict reliance on the Thirty Nine Articles of Religion, The two Sacraments of Baptism and Holy Communion, the Two Creeds, and the Homilies and formularies of the Reformation Church of England.

Verse of the Day

Wednesday, May 23, 2012

Devotion for Wednesday after Ascension Sunday, 23 May 2012 Anno Domini




     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. 2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: 3 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. 4 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. 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. 7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. (2 Sam 12:1-7)

The Sunday after Ascension Day.
The Collect.

O
 GOD, the King of glory, who hast exalted thine only Son Jesus Christ with great triumph unto thy kingdom in heaven; We beseech thee, leave us not comfortless; but send to us thine Holy Ghost to comfort us, and exalt us un-to the same place whither our Saviour Christ is gone before, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.  Amen.

The Collect for The Ascension Day.
The Collect.

G
RANT, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that like as we do believe thy only-begotten Son our Lord Jesus Christ to have ascended into the heavens; so we may also in heart and mind thither ascend, and with him continually dwell, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.  Amen.

¶ This Collect is to be said daily throughout the Octave.

We will understand this parable given by Nathan better if we understand the context given in the previous chapter. I will summarize the chapter for the sake of brevity. King David enjoyed his position as King perhaps too much. When it was the time for king’s to go forth to battle with their armies, David remained behind at the King’s Palace.  We may surmise that there was already a tug of sin at David’s heart that prompted him to remain where he should not and at a time which was incongruous with the duty of a king. We are told that David, apparently listless, arose from his bed in the evening. We are not told WHY he arose at the time of first sleep, but his subsequent actions may give us a hint. He not only arose from bed, but went up and walked on the terraced roof. Being VERY familiar with all the ground surrounding his palace, David may even have known of the habits and appearance of Uriah’s wife (Bathsheba) whom he observed taking a bath in her courtyard beneath the roof from which David peered. Oh, did I mention? She was beautiful as well. David did not stop at being merely a peeping tom. He inquired after the woman and was told that she was the wife of Uriah. He then sent for her and slept with her. Bathsheba conceived a child from this brief, but immoral, encounter.  David, desperate to cover his sin (a hopeless undertaking for any of us), sent for Uriah who was away performing his duties as a soldier. He wined and dined Uriah, and sent him to his home to sleep with Bathsheba. Uriah refused to go to the pleasure of his bed while his fellow soldiers were fighting in the field. David, still desperate to cover his sins with even a greater and final one, sent a note with Uriah back to Joab (his Field Commander) to place Uriah in the first line of battle in which certain death could be expected. Joab complied and Uriah was killed (murdered). David now feels his sin is covered and forgotten. He sends for Bathsheba after the period of mourning and makes her another of his wives.

     Perhaps David is feeling quite smug. Perhaps he uttered to himself, “How I love it when a plan comes together!” But David’s plan had not come together at all. He had not escaped his sin. We read in the last verse of the previous chapter (11): But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. (2 Sam 11:27) Regardless our cunning and malevolence in designing elaborate smokescreens for our sins, the Lord is never deceived and knows all. David is pleased with himself, but he is unaware of the great displeasure of the LORD! This is a part of the equation that has escaped the notice of David, and us as well, too often. The Lord is watching.

     If our consciences are not tattered and in rags, God will surely bring to our remembrance the depth and severity of our sins. At least, King David still has a conscience, and the Lord knows of it. The Lord will send his prophet, Nathan, before King David to open David’s eyes to the enormity of his sin. He does so with a pathetic little parable that is a terrible example of cruelty, but fades in insignificance when compared to the horrendous sin that David has committed.

    We should first know that the shepherds and tenders of the flocks of sheep, even to this day, in the Middle East become emotionally attached to the little lambs. When they are weary or hurt, the shepherd carries them next to his breast (heart). So lambs are special to these nomadic people. They represent tender innocence. But a little Ewe Lamb (little female lamb) even more drastically represents that complete innocence. They often become, and did in David’s day as well, pets of the shepherd’s family. They are cuddled and even given personal names. It was touching for me to observe the tenderness with which these rough and weather-worn people of Persia cared for such helpless little lambs when they often lacked a decent place to lay their own heads. So that is the setting for the parable which follows:

     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. Until God concludes all time on earth, there shall always be the poor and wealthy existing together. It is a shame that the rich take so little note of the needs of the poor among them except in communities who hold up Christ as their Ensign. So far, David sees nothing unusual in the beginning of the story.

     2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds. No surprise here, except to establish that this was a truly wealthy man. In many ways, he was very like David – he owned many flocks of sheep and herds of animals.

     3 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. May I say that this man, though existing in poverty, was rich in the things of the heart? The poor man had bought the little ewe lamb out of love and not any desire for profit. He was poor, yet he expended his all for the little lamb as a pet. Not only did the poor man expend his meager fortune for the lamb, he even nourished it with the same zeal he had nourished his own children. He literally LOVED the ewe lamb as his own little daughter. The lamb ate at the poor man’s table, and drank from that same cup from which the poor man drank, and slept on his bosom as a daughter does her father.  Perhaps you may find this somehow irregular to shower a ewe lamb with such extravagant affection? In the perils of the wilderness where lions and wolves lurk, a rough man may be drawn, with unusual tenderness, to something that is quite the opposite of all that he sees in the desert wilderness around him. Such would be the Ewe Lamb. The shepherds will not hesitate to pick up the little lambs and carry them in their breast during a storm or some other need – just as our Good Shepherd carries us through our storms and perils of life.

          4 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. If justice fails, what is left the poor? “Let not Ambition mock their useful toil, Their homely joys, and destiny obscure; Nor grandeur hear with a disdainful smile, The short and simple annals of the poor.Elegy by Thomas Gray.  Power feeds on greed in the hearts of those who know not the Savior. The rich man had such an abundance of sheep, it is probable that he could not give the number; yet, he disregards his own wealth and goes for the singular possession of the poor man.  He took unjustly out of greed and not need. Here we see the crushing similarity of the rich man and King David. But David, complacent in his self-righteousness, fails to draw the connection.

        David, though lacking grace perhaps, still has a conscience and a sense of justice. He is enraged at this picture of injustice that Nathan has presented. Being guilty of a far more serious crime than the rich man, David reacts with greater severity than the offense of the rich man calls for: If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep, and kill it, or sell it; he shall restore five oxen for an ox, and four sheep for a sheep (Ex 22:1) Though he judges the rich man more harshly than the offense merits, he overlooks a greater sin and judgment in himself. Do we not do the same. If the older couple in front are too slow in traffic, do we not consider them incompetent; yet, while we are driving slowly for some reason and are passed by another car, we think them to be foolish for speeding. Sin always teaches us to look out and not inwardly. Our consciences, mentored by the Holy Ghost, teaches us to always look to our own hearts before being critical. David has failed to draw the proper conclusion in this story, but he soon will do so.

     David expresses a very righteous and judgmental disposition toward the rich man to Nathan: 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. David charges that the rich man will not only be accountable for his sin under the full terms of the law (verse 6) but also forfeit his life (a provision NOT required under the law). David, like us, practices a double standard toward the sin of others while simply dismissing, out of hand, his own egregious sin. But the prophet of the Lord will bring things down to the personal level for David:
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     7 And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Sin is no mild thing. It leaves scars and can have a permanent effect. Look at the sin of Adam in the Garden. All of Creation fell with Adam who had failed to maintain proper dominion over it. Young people (and old), do you believe your sins of promiscuity and careless living is JUST between you and God? Have you considered the hurt and pain an unplanned pregnancy can cause your families? Would you try and cover that sinful behavior by murdering the innocent lamb (baby) in its mother’ womb? When David heard the last words of Nathan, he was filled with sorrow and remorse. Knowing that our sins are known illuminates and magnifies them. One day, all of our unrepented sins shall be shouted from the rooftops. How shall we feel then? See how David responds to the realization of his sins:

     13 And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. 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. (2 Sam 12:13-14) Sin will always leave an ugly scar. The child born out of the sinful relationship of David and Bathsheba did die and was gathered to the Lord. Even though David repented and mourned prayerfully before the Lord, the child died. Upon the child’s death, David then celebrated with a feast. Why? David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead. Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and anointed himself, and changed his apparel, and came into the house of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat. Then said his servants unto him, What thing is this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child, while it was alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and eat bread. And he said, While the child was yet alive, I fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell whether GOD will be gracious to me, that the child may live? But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me. (2 Sam 12:19-23) By his last comment, David means that he shall go to the child in heaven. He has another son, however, that will bring shame and hurt in David’s life – Absalom. Absalom was rebellious and warred against his father. When the wicked Absalom was killed by Joab, David’s response was quite different from that of the death of an innocent infant - And, behold, Cushi came; and Cushi said, Tidings, my lord the king: for the LORD hath avenged thee this day of all them that rose up against thee. And the king said unto Cushi, Is the young man Absalom safe? And Cushi answered, The enemies of my lord the king, and all that rise against thee to do thee hurt, be as that young man is. And the king was much moved, and went up to the chamber over the gate, and wept: and as he went, thus he said, O my son Absalom, my son, my son Absalom! would God I had died for thee, O Absalom, my son, my son! (2 Sam 18:31-33) Grief and sorrow were a part of David’s life from the moment of his grievous sin repented of. Do not take your sins lightly even if you may repent of them.

  Even though the Lord is quick to forgive, the scar remains just as those scars remain on the hands and feet of Jesus – scars made by the sins of you and me.