Nathan, the prophet, received a difficult mission from the Lord which demanded courage on his part. He was to confront the king himself, and make him realize the gravity of his sins of adultery and murder, and call him to repentance. Prudently, and with a great deal of ingenuity, he prepared the king by telling him the parable of the selfish rich man. David fell into the trap and by condemning the rich man he condemned himself. Imagine his shock when he heard the word of the Lord through Nathan, "You are the man!"

These words were more than a condemnation. They contained within them the grace needed for repentance, to which David quickly responded by admitting, "I have sinned against the Lord." That was all God wanted to hear. He immediately forgave David, even though it was necessary that David be deprived of the fruit of his adultery. David really had no excuse for his sin. He was the favoured of the Lord. He had everything he should have ever desired. When his greed led to adultery and murder, it would have been understandable if God had washed His hands from him. But God is not that way.

What this episode tells us is that although God does not ignore sin, He is eager to grant forgiveness. He condemns sin only so that the sinner may repent, no matter how bad the sin may be.