Interview with Old Testament Figures – Nathan the Prophet: Speaking truth to power has always been a rallying point for people opposed to authoritarianism and its tendency to promote rascality among office holders. Abuse of office and power is not peculiar to modern societies. In fact, it was worse in ancient times when some rulers assumed the position of the gods.
They used their immense powers to cow their people, while they punished those who dared to confront them with imprisonment or death. Nathan the prophet, our interviewee for today risked his life to confront one of the kings of ancient Israel. He will tell us how he mustered the courage to do what other prophets before him did at the cost of their lives.
Shepherd Heart: It such an honour to have you with us Sir.
Nathan: Thank you for the interest in my story. I am glad to be here with you.
Shepherd Heart: Kindly tell our readers whatever you want them to know about you.
Nathan: I have nothing more to add to my background other than what the LORD deemed fit to include in Scripture. I served as God’s prophetic voice to Israel and a spiritual adviser to King David during his reign.
Shepherd Heart: What was the general spiritual atmosphere in Israel at this time?
Nathan: I want to set the records straight before I answer your question. Ancient Israelites were not very conscious of God, nor were they enthusiastic about knowing Him intimately, despite His great love for them. Psalm 103:7 explains this ambivalence succinctly. Moses knew God’s ways; while the children of Israel were content to witness His acts like the ten plagues that devastated Egypt and His miraculous provisions for them in the wilderness.
Shepherd Heart: Apparently, this explains why they only followed God whenever they had a godly king, and embraced idolatry when a wicked ruler ascended the throne.
Nathan: Exactly!
Shepherd Heart: What could have contributed to this state of affairs? Were the priests not effective in their teaching ministry?
Nathan: A teaching ministry that is devoid of the power of the Holy Spirit is theology, one of the fads in your modern church. This does not help anyone to know God. As it was in ancient Israel, it is so now. Teaching has its place, but God reveals Himself to those who love and desire to know Him. Why did Moses have such a deep revelation of God’s ways?
In Exodus 33:18, he showed us how we can have that intimate relationship with the Father. Notice that God did not say, “Moses, I want to show you My glory.” Moses was the one who wooed God in this instance. He was so besotted with God that he cried out, “Please show me Your glory.” 2 Chronicles 16:9 states that the “eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose heart is loyal to Him…” The Father has always desired lovers. The history of humanity from Genesis to Revelation attests to this fact.
Shepherd Heart: I agree with you Sir. The challenge we have in our generation is that the enemy uses many distractions, including false religions to prevent gullible folks from having intimacy with God. Satan sells snake oil to many people in the name of religion, thus causing some of his victims to lose their faith when their false god does not meet their expectations, while others embrace the occult to hasten the fulfilment of their desires.
Nathan: You would agree with me that the problem is not lack of teachers, just as ancient Israelites had access to teachings on the Law of Moses and other Old Testament Scriptures. People must want more of God; not religion, for them to receive revelations of His glory.
Shepherd Heart: Now, we come to the heart of this interview, which is your reprimand of King David after he technically murdered one of his soldiers, Uriah the Hittite, and took his wife, Bathsheba.
Nathan: That was a sad event in the life of David, whom God described as a man after His heart. The reprimand did not originate with me. How could I have known the intrigues that led to the death of Uriah? I received a marching order from God to confront the king and I merely complied with His instruction.
Shepherd Heart: What was your initial reaction when you knew how weighty David’s trespass was, and the fact that some prophets had lost their lives, after they confronted recalcitrant kings in the past?
Nathan: (Laughs) I had no choice in the matter. The fact is that I feared God more than I feared the king.
Shepherd Heart: That is what is missing among many so-called men of God in our days. They are more afraid of men than the One who holds their breath. Isaiah the prophet said in chapter 8, verse 13 of his book, “Sanctify the LORD of hosts Himself; and let Him be your fear, and let Him be your dread.” There is a popular saying that if you bow to God, you will not bow to men. I believe that the fear of death is one of the reasons many spiritual leaders refrain from speaking truth to power.
Nathan: You are on point. Death is a dreadful enemy, and many people do not even want to think of the possibility that they could be its victim. The only antidote is to have an intimate relationship with God. When you love God to the extent that you want to behold His glory, whether in this life or in heaven, you would care less about death. Paul attained to that state that was why he could make the declaration in 2 Corinthians 5:8, “We are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.”
It is also important to note that the whole idea of the atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ was to deliver those who believe in Him from the fear of death. Hebrews 2:14-15 state, “Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is the devil, and free those who all their lives were held in slavery by the fear of death.” When satan or his demons threaten believers with death, all they need to affirm is the fact that Jesus now holds the key of death and hell, as He declared in Revelation 1:18.
Shepherd Heart: Personally, when the enemy harasses me with the fear of death, I tell him that being in the presence of the Lord is my greatest desire and the coward slings off!
Nathan: When the angel told Daniel in chapter 11, verse 32 of his book that “the people that know their God shall be strong, and do exploits,” he was communicating the mind of God to those who would face unparalled spiritual warfare in the end times. There is no path to victory for any believer in the times you live in, outside the protective arms of God. You live in a time when the devil is on an overdrive in his wickedness, because he knows that he has very limited time to pollute humanity. The intensity of evil on a global scale tells you that the time for the culmination of all things is at hand.
Shepherd Heart: What should believers do to maintain consistent victory?
Nathan: Seek the LORD with an intensity that is commensurate with the threat humanity is facing from the onslaught of the devil. Do not attempt to fight satan with his weapons, especially hatred. Hide under the shadow of the Most High always. Do not give room to the enemy by pursuing worldly desires and accolades. Pride lurks in such pastimes.
God resists the proud, because pride is the nature of satan. Strive to spend quality time with God in His word, through the leading of the Holy Spirit. Try not to grieve His Spirit by pursuing your own ambition and ignoring His leading. Remember that only those led by God’s Spirit belong to Him, as stated in Romans chapter 8, verse 14.
Shepherd Heart: Thank you very much Sir for your godly counsels. We pray that all our readers will take heed to these things so that the Father would count them worthy to enjoy eternity with Him.
Nathan: The pleasure is mine. Thanks once again for having me.