The Man After God’s own heart Falls Into Blatant Sin
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
One evening, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. . . . Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
One evening, David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. . . . Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
2 Samuel 11:1-5
David was described by God as “a man after my own heart.” God had so much faith and trust in David. He elevated him from being a humble shepherd to ruling over God’s people. David had a very close relationship with God. He intimately declared in Psalm 23 that, “the LORD is my Shepherd and I shall not want.” David was not a novice when it came to the things of God. He knew the word of God and he knew the heart of God!
But alas, this man “after God’s own heart” was not immune from temptation. When the “price” was right, David threw every caution to the wind and had intimacy with a married woman. Perhaps, one of the saddest things about this was that Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, was one of David’s most trusted, loyal and godly military officers.
So much could be said about the anatomy of David’s fall into this sin of adultery, but I think a few things are worth noting.
First, even though it appears that David “fell” into temptation in a “moment of weakness,” that was probably not the case. David must have harbored thoughts of lust well before he fell into sin. I am inclined to believe that because David had multiple wives against the established will of God. In fact, when Nabal died, David’s immediate action was to ask Abigail, Nabal’s wife to become his wife. David seemed to harbor lust and lacked self-control. So, when he saw Bathsheba in her nakedness, he could not resist the temptation.
Second, David committed premeditated adultery. He saw Bathsheba naked, lusted after her, sent someone to inquire about her, was told that Bathsheba was married to one of his most loyal officers but still sent someone to bring Bathsheba to the palace solely for the purpose of having intimacy with her. These were the actions of a person blinded by lust. Lust is reckless and senseless. It does not stop to think until the damage is done!
The world we live in is saturated with temptation. Advertisements are so laded with sensuality that we have almost become impervious to it. Our smartphones can take us from the Gospel of John to the pit of lust in a flash. Like Daniel, unless we purpose in our hearts in a predetermined fashion not to sin against God, the floods of temptation can sweep us off our feet no matter how strong we think we are. But the good news is that God is always ready to make a way of escape for us. Take the way of escape before it is too late!
But alas, this man “after God’s own heart” was not immune from temptation. When the “price” was right, David threw every caution to the wind and had intimacy with a married woman. Perhaps, one of the saddest things about this was that Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, was one of David’s most trusted, loyal and godly military officers.
So much could be said about the anatomy of David’s fall into this sin of adultery, but I think a few things are worth noting.
First, even though it appears that David “fell” into temptation in a “moment of weakness,” that was probably not the case. David must have harbored thoughts of lust well before he fell into sin. I am inclined to believe that because David had multiple wives against the established will of God. In fact, when Nabal died, David’s immediate action was to ask Abigail, Nabal’s wife to become his wife. David seemed to harbor lust and lacked self-control. So, when he saw Bathsheba in her nakedness, he could not resist the temptation.
Second, David committed premeditated adultery. He saw Bathsheba naked, lusted after her, sent someone to inquire about her, was told that Bathsheba was married to one of his most loyal officers but still sent someone to bring Bathsheba to the palace solely for the purpose of having intimacy with her. These were the actions of a person blinded by lust. Lust is reckless and senseless. It does not stop to think until the damage is done!
The world we live in is saturated with temptation. Advertisements are so laded with sensuality that we have almost become impervious to it. Our smartphones can take us from the Gospel of John to the pit of lust in a flash. Like Daniel, unless we purpose in our hearts in a predetermined fashion not to sin against God, the floods of temptation can sweep us off our feet no matter how strong we think we are. But the good news is that God is always ready to make a way of escape for us. Take the way of escape before it is too late!