I could hardly pick a favorite prophet because each inspires me in their own particular way. The best I can do is pick favorites, and even then I could never single one out to be my favorite. Nathan the prophet would surely make the list. He impresses me greatly. Of course, much of his interactions are with David and are not part of the divided kingdom age recorded in 1 and 2 Kings. While he may not be a central figure, a powerhouse prophet like Elijah or Elisha, he surely served his generation and the future of Israel well. He was “a prophet in the court of King David whose oracles and political involvement influenced the course of Israel’s history. His two recorded prophecies are centered on David’s kingship and his line of succession, and lay the foundations for Israel’s traditions about the Messiah”  (Jocelyn McWhirter, “Nathan the Prophet,” ed. John D. Barry et al., The Lexham Bible Dictionary [Bellingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2016]).

The involvement he has in the opening chapters of 1 Kings is critical to the furtherance of the kingdom and the covenantal promises of God. He navigated the treacherous waters of political turmoil and evaded a potentially catastrophic division (although it would occur with the next generation). This wasn’t out of character for Nathan. He had always been one who was willing to stand in the gap and say what needed to be said to preserve the line of David (see 2 Sam. 12). 

The demands for such courageous action are still required of God’s people today. We need to be people who are willing to stand in the gap, and who will work tirelessly to prevent fractures and departures. We still need Nathans among us today. He was the one who had relayed all of God’s covenantal promises to David (see 2 Sam. 7). In the King’s account, he works to preserve it. 

My job is to stand in the gap, I need to speak the truth in love and continue to uphold the truth. It is my duty as a person of God to seek out the truth in all things. This might have even more pertinent application to my work as a gospel preacher, but every person in the pew has a duty to support preaching the truth. While preachers might have a more public role in proclaiming and defending the truth, each person of God must be willing to be a Nathan.