Like Samuel before him, the prophet Nathan served as a leader to the leaders. God used Nathan to correct his erring leader.

Nathan knew David had slept with another man's wife and subsequently caused the man's death. Although the king had multiple wives, he still insisted on having one more. Nathan saw a greedy and selfish heart in Israel's king. A few individuals in David's reign wielded the influence or had the guts to confront him in his sin. Once Nathan discerned what David had done, he gained an audience with the king, told him a compelling story, and, with great poise, dealt with the problem in a caring yet firm manner.

Nathan could act as he did because of his keen, God-given discernment. He knew what had happened and what lay beneath the surface of David's wicked behavior. Discernment goes deeper than knowledge, resembling intuition. At times, discernment is a gift; at other times, it results from much experience. Discernment brings a profound perception of what is occurring, either on the outside or the inside of a person.

What gave Nathan such keen discernment?

1. He had been listening to God (v. 1). The text says God "sent" him to David. Obviously, God had been speaking to His prophet.
2. He knew David's circumstances (vv. 1-6). Nathan had watched David for many years and so recognized the egregious changes when they came.
3. He was objective in his perspective (vv.7,8). Nathan could speak for God and provide God's viewpoint on the king's situation.
4. He understood the root issues (vv.9-12). Nathan saw more than symptoms; he saw root problems and consequences.
5. He saw the ultimate cause and effect (v. 15). Nathan passionately championed the name and reputation of God. He hated how the pagan nations surrounding Israel might mock the Lord should they hear of David's sin.

How Do We Grow in Our Discernment?

To improve your discernment as a leader, do the following:

1. Learn to hear God's voice. Get quiet and read Scripture. Reflect on the mind of God.
2. Build problem-solving skills. If you can see the root causes of problems, you can solve them.
3. Analyze your success. What worked? Can you identify the heart of the matter?
4. Evaluate your options. Discernment involves both your gut and your head.
5. Expand your opportunities. Gain more experience to deepen your wisdom.
6. Explore what others think. Choose some leaders you admire and study how they think.
7. Listen to your gut. Most people are afraid to listen to their God-given intuition.

The path to wisdom takes practice. Take these steps and see how you can apply it to situations in your life.

2 Samuel 12:1-15

Nathan Rebukes David

12 The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, “There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. ² The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, ³ 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.

⁴ “Now a traveler 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 traveler 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.”

⁵ David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! ⁶ He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.”

⁷ Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. ⁸ I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. ⁹ Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. ¹⁰ Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’

¹¹ “This is what the Lord says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. ¹² You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”

¹³ Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”

Nathan replied, “The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. ¹⁴ But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for^[a] the Lord, the son born to you will die.”

¹⁵ After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill.