The Bible tells a story of a prophet named Nathan who is used by God to expose King David’s hidden affair and the murder he committed to cover it up. Knowing the story will help you understand why we chose the name. Read the full story in II Samuel, Chapters 11 and 12. But here’s a recap.
One spring afternoon after King David woke from a nap, he took a little stroll on the roof of the palace and as he looked out over the city he noticed a beautiful woman bathing. He had her brought to the palace and he slept with her, even though he knew she was married and her husband was his loyal soldier currently on the battlefield. When Bathsheba got pregnant, she told King David and he tried to cover up his sin by inviting her husband to the palace for a report on how the war was going. He got him drunk hoping he would go home and make love to his wife. When that didn’t work, he sent word to his commanding officer to put Uriah on the front lines in the fiercest part of the battle and then withdraw his support. And he was killed. Later, David brought Bathsheba to the palace and she became one of his wives. But the Lord was displeased with what David did. So God sent the prophet Nathan to him to tell the king a story.
“There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a lot of sheep and cattle. The poor man had nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man’s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter. One day a guest arrived at the house of the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the guest. Instead, he took the little lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him. David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.’
Then Nathan said to David, ‘You are the man! …Why did you despise the word of the Lord and do what is evil in his eyes?’ …Then David said, ‘I have sinned against the Lord.'”
It is a powerful story of God’s loving discipline of David. There were significant consequences for his sin, but he was not put to death as Jewish law required. David repented and God had mercy on him.
I had my own personal Nathan. My friend Denny courageously and lovingly said that either I tell my wife about the extra-marital affair that I’d kept a secret for a year and a half or he would tell her himself. Although I was angry at him at first, I am eternally grateful for my friend’s tough love for it enabled me to begin a journey of honesty, learning to be brave, and finding freedom!
The terrifying, painful, joyous redemptive work of being real, brave and finding freedom is not only for the one in bondage but also the families involved; friends, the church and even the larger culture! Partners and children especially are called to be equally real, brave and find freedom…freedom from denial, lies, fear, shame, self-protection and unforgiveness. God wants to make himself and his kingdom famous on this broken planet and he wants to do that through our brokenness and weakness! He wants to come into any and all areas of brokenness and give hope, truth and healing. He will empower this as we all trust him as we take brave risks of faith and obedience!
That’s why God gave Nathan his cry to David. And that’s why he gave Denny his cry to me. And that is why God has birthed Nathan’s Cry!