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THE OLD TESTAMENT PROPHETS OF GOD

THE PROPHET NATHAN

Introduction 

There are nine men who went by the name Nathan who are mentioned in Scripture.

1.         The third child of David, born after he came to reign over Israel.

            (2 Samuel 5:14; 1 Chronicles 3:5; 14:4; Luke 3:31)

2.         The distinguished Prophet during the reigns of David and Solomon.

            (Whom we will be looking at tonight.)

3.         The father of Igal, one of David’s heroes. (2 Samuel 23:36)

4.         The father of Solomon’s chief officer. (1 Kings 4:5)

5.         The son of Attai and father of Zabad, of the tribe of Judah. (1 Chronicles 2:36)

6.         The brother of Joel, one of David’s heroes. (1 Chronicles 11:38)

7.         A chief man with Ezra at the brook of Ahava. (Ezra 8:16)

8.         A son of Bani who put away his foreign wife. (Ezra 10:39)

9.         A chief man in Israel. (Zechariah 12:12)

Tonight, however, we want to look at the distinguished Prophet Nathan who served during the reigns of David and Solomon.

I.         NATHAN WAS THE PROPHET FROM GOD TO DAVID THE KING.

            A.        The First Message From Nathan To David–Nathan Speaking As A Man.

                        (2 Samuel 7:1-3; 1 Chronicles 17:1-2)                                 

This passage suggests that King David and the Prophet Nathan were frequently together. In other words, Nathan was the confidential adviser of King David.

David’s close dependence upon Nathan as God’s spokesman speaks well of the spiritual sensitivities of the great king.

This incident indicates that even a prophet could be in error when he viewed things from the human perspective rather than from God’s.

Technically speaking, it was not the prophets who were inspired, but the words they spake that were from the LORD, i.e. the Scriptures (2 Timothy 3:16).

Nathan’s heart response was to encourage David in his plan.

            B.        The Second Message From God To David–Nathan Speaking For God.

                        (2 Samuel 7:4ff; 1 Chronicles 17:3ff)

The same night that Nathan encouraged David to build a house for God, God sent Nathan back to David to forbid the project.

Nathan had to go back to David and prophesy that his son (Solomon) would build the Temple, not David.

                        The fulfillment of this prophecy is found in 1 Kings 7:51.

There is nothing wrong with encouraging someone in the things of God, but we need to understand that the Word of God takes ultimate priority in every thing!

            C.        The Third Message From God To David. (2 Samuel 12:1-15; Psalm 51)

Nathan prophesied here that the sword would not depart from David’s house because of his sin.

In the days after this prophecy we see the fulfillment of this prophecy in various places in Scripture.

                        2 Samuel 13:28-29–Absalom kills Amnon.

                        2 Samuel 18:14-15–Joab kills Absalom.

                        1 Kings 2:23-25–Solomon has Adonijah killed.

                        What Nathan prophesied in 2 Samuel 12:11 was fulfilled in 2 Samuel 16:21-22.

            D.        The Fourth Message From God To David. (2 Samuel 12:24-25)

The child that was born out of the adulterous relationship with Bathsheba died according to the Word of the LORD delivered by Nathan.

Nevertheless, God allowed David and Bathsheba to have another son shortly thereafter, Solomon, which means “peaceful” or “peaceable.”

                        The Bible records here in verse 24 that “the LORD loved him.”

Because the LORD loved him, He sent His prophet Nathan once again to David to deliver a second name for Solomon from the LORD, “Jedidiah,” which means

                        “Beloved of the LORD.”

II.       NATHAN’S LOYALTY TO GOD AND KING DAVID.

            (1 Kings 1:5ff; 1 Chronicles 22:7-11) 

III.      NATHAN AS A HISTORIAN. (1 Chronicles 29:29; 2 Chronicles 9:29)

IV.      NATHAN ASSISTED DAVID IN THE ORGANIZATION OF THE TABERNACLE.       (2 Chronicles 29:25)

Conclusion

So in summary, what can we learn from the life of the Prophet Nathan?

We see that Nathan the prophet was an encourager who was not afraid to speak the Word of the LORD to the King.

We need to be encouragers ourselves, but more important than this, we must be bold enough to speak the truth to whoever God puts before us or puts us before!

Nathan was a loyal confidential adviser to King David but was more loyal to the LORD than King David.

We need to be loyal to those in authority, but we also need to recognize that the LORD is our primary and preeminent authority.

Nathan was instrumental in seeing the will of God be done in that he assisted the process of seeing. that Solomon was elevated as King in David’s stead in spite of Adonijah’s elevation of himself.

We need to be instrumental in seeing the will of God gets done. We must be actively involved in doing the will of God instead of sitting back waiting for it to be done.

We must use what God gives us to accomplish His will for His glory. That is what the Prophet Nathan did and that is what we must also do.

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