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"You Are The Man!"
“You are the man!” We often hear this exclaimed when someone has
accomplished an extraordinary feat. “You are the man!“ shouts a boss to
his salesman of the month. “You are the man!” says the lawyer to his
fellow-prosecutor who has just won a big case. A weekend golfer sticks
one close to the pin from long range, and the other three in his
foursome proclaim in unison, “You’re the man!”
Our title, however, is taken from the Bible, and has no reference
whatsoever to the accomplishing of any good thing. In the twelfth
chapter of 2nd Samuel, Nathan the prophet came to David to confront the
king with his sin. (David had committed adultery with Bathsheba and had
seen to the untimely death of her husband, Uriah.) Nathan told David a
parable and was successful in bringing the king to see the principle,
that a richly blessed man was worthy of death who would steal the only
possession of another. The prophet then said to David, “You are the
man!” As king, David could have chosen any of the unmarried women of
Israel to be his wife. Not satisfied with such restrictions, however, he
committed his shameless deeds. “You are the man!” Nathan said, who saw
perfectly David‘s wrong. But even more important, David saw that
his actions fit perfectly the application of Nathan’s parable. He said,
“I have sinned against the Lord” -- i.e., he was agreeing with the
prophet and confessing, “Yes, I am the man.”
David’s sin is certainly to be condemned, but his willingness to
see his sin is to be greatly admired. It is a quality missing from far
too many today, even from some who attend worship services regularly.
Some sit and passively listen to the proclamation of God’s word, adding
their silent “amen’s” to the sermons. Lessons that should ‘hit them
right between the eyes’ instead ‘fly right over their heads.’ They see
how each particular point applies to this brother or that sister. “Tell
‘em, preacher!” they silently exclaim. Yet they fail to examine
themselves in light of the principles taught. They don’t allow
Jesus’ words to “sink down into [their] ears” (Luke 9:44). The preacher
is “to them as a very lovely song of one who has a pleasant voice...;
for they hear [his] words, but they do not do them” (Ezekiel 33:32).
Still others become angry when they hear a particular sermon.
“He’s preaching right at me!” they fume, as the sermon finds its mark.
Yet, they are in a state of denial. “I’m not that way! I haven’t done
that!” they cry. Their denial makes them unable to recognize that if
they “haven’t done that,” then the preacher must not be “preaching right at”
them. It further hinders them from seeing that “if the shoe fits,
then--” (Well, you know.) In fact, if they were to read this paragraph,
they might become upset to think that some might be condemning their
state of denial (which to them, of course, doesn’t exist!).
It is easy to deny one‘s own wrongdoing, to deflect from self the
sting of Biblical truth. But such denials and deflections will only lead
to death. Until we can, like David, admit our guilt and say, “I AM the
man,” there will be no repentance and, consequently, no forgiveness from
God.
“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us
our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). “The
sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, A broken spirit and a contrite
heart -- These, O God, You will not despise” (Psalm 51:17).
--Mike Noble
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