The talents of Nathan

SCRIPTURE:

2 Samuel 11 and 12

OBJECTIVES OF THE LESSON:

1. Put emphasis on the fact that being a prophet is a gift from God;

2. Show that gentleness is more important that violence;

3. Put an emphasis on the fact that Nathan’s talent was wisdom.

INTRODUCTION:

Start the lesson with a short song and/or a prayer.

PRESENTATION:

David was the first great King of Israel, a King who was always faithful to God. Meanwhile, one day he committed a horrible sin. He fell in love with the wife of one of his officers, called Uriah. After impregnating the woman, he made sure that the officer be assigned to the front row, where the fighting was most violent. The army commander placed Uriah where the soldiers of the enemy were posted. The latter, that were defending their town, came against the Israelites. They killed some soldiers and officers, including Uriah.

But the thing David had done displeased the Lord and He sent the Prophet Nathan to David. Nathan knew that speaking to a monarch was not the same as speaking to a commoner. He thus made use of his wisdom to bring the King to acknowledge his fault; he started by recounting the story of two men, one rich and the other poor. “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup, and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.

“Now a traveller came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveller who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.”

David burned with anger against the rich man; not knowing that the story Nathan narrated was a parable, he promised to kill the man for what he did to the poor man and 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!”

SUBJECTS FOR DISCUSSION:

1. Who is David?

2. What did he do against the will of God?

3. What is the name of the Prophet that God sent to David?

4. Why did Nathan begin by telling a story?

5. What talent did Nathan reveal by proceeding in this manner?

6. What lesson can we learn from Nathan’s attitude?

ACTIVITY:

Ask the children to compare the behaviour of John the Baptist in front of Herod (cf. Mathew 14:3-12) and that of Nathan in front of David.

RESOURCE PERSON:

Invite a leader to give words of advice and wisdom to the children in light of the behaviour of Nathan.

ACTION TO ENCOURAGE:

Encourage the children to strengthen their personal relationship with God.

MEMORY VERSE:

“The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;” (Psalm 111:10).

CLOSING:

Close with a short song and or the dominical prayer.