Nathan then said to David, "You are the man" (2 Samuel 12:7 NASB).
The Talmud (Sanhedrin 39a) tells the story of Rabbi Tanhum, who defeated the Roman Emperor in an argument. "'You have spoken well!' cried the Emperor." Unfortunately, the penalty for defeating the Emperor in an argument was be thrown to the lions! Imagine an authority system so well-constructed that a man could safely go to the king and indict him of capital crimes! Israel's government—designed by God—was such a system! Its government reflected the fact that "we are but dust" (Psalms 103:14 NASB).
Within this system of government, the king could not function as a priest. The priest could not own land or possess wealth, so as to become a political power. The prophet could challenge both king and priest. The United States Constitution recognizes these same biblical truths by distributing power through a tripartite system of checks and balances.
What is the lesson we can learn from God's government? We believers walk in the great privilege of God's indwelling presence, but we must continually remember that "we have this treasure in earthen vessels" (2 Corinthians 4:7 NASB). Just as King David was not perfect and was exposed as a sinner ("You are the man"), we, too, are not yet perfected in God. Let us be open to receive correction when we are faced with the accusation,"you are the man."
...consider whether I have people in my life like Nathan the prophet. If there are none, I will seek them out because I need them.
BC