2 Samuel 11:2
“Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.”
David is one of the most famous men in history. He was a gifted singer, song writer and musician. By today’s standards, he would be considered a superstar. He was also a war hero, who led armies to great victory. No doubt, in that era, David would experience the same treatment as our most famous athletes. His popularity spread throughout the nation, so much so, that songs were being written about him. After reading of a lifetime of successes, we come to a striking passage where we read,
“. . . it happened one evening. . .”
One evening forever changed the life of David. What a different testimony he would have had if only the events of that evening had gone differently. Had he closed the blinds, stayed off the balcony, heeded the warning signs, or even admitted his mistakes, the rest of his life would have been drastically different. It seems to me, David made certain compromises along the way, making it next to impossible for him to resist the temptation of the bathing Bathsheba.
First, although David was a married man, he allowed the culture to define his married life, rather than the Word of God. In our world, when a person succeeds, it is common to get a new car, house, or some bling. In David’s day, when the oriental kings succeeded, they would add wives. The more wives, the greater your success. However, multiplying wives violated the Word of God.
Second, it seems David had learned to compartmentalize his life. As wives and concubines increased, he still worshipped, offered sacrifices, planned for a Temple, and ruled the nation. He truly loved God, but he struggled with his flesh. It was not until he came in contact with Bathsheba, that his subtly sown seeds of disobedience caught up with him, and he fell into adultery. David ultimately faced a temptation so great that he could not resist.
The same is true for each of us. Those careless glances and long stares will build a fire that will one day burn us. The battle for our holiness, purity, and even our marriages, is won long before the temptation is faced. It is daily living that will give the victory. A marathon is won at the alarm clock, the breakfast table, the donut shop, as much as it is won on the track and field. If we hope to win the battle for holiness, we must win the battle at the computer terminal, the magazine rack ,and the TV screen.
Third, once David fell, he spent his time with a cover up. He learned the art of private browsing and how to delete his search history. This cover up had a devastating effect upon his life. The man who was once filled with such mercy that he spared the life of Saul, is the same man who is ready to kill a man for stealing a lamb. Sin had so hardened David, he began to change. He was no longer recognizable as the “man after God’s own heart” (Acts 13:22). Guilt is like that. It has the ability to harden, the heart like tempered steel, so we are changed into someone we never wanted to become.
Fortunately, this is not the end of the story. David repented. A marriage that began in a bad way, was redeemed by God. A woman who once seduced the king, found her way in the genealogy of Christ. it is important to remember, no matter how badly we have fallen, His grace is greater than all our sin. It has been said that He is a bigger Savior than I am a sinner.
No matter how you have fallen, Jesus wants to restore you, and redeem what has been destroyed. He can redeem a broken life, a shattered marriage, and a destroyed witness, if you will let Him. It is time to make David’s prayer the cry of your heart.
Psalms 51:10
“Create in me a clean heart, O God,
And renew a steadfast spirit within me.”
Pastor Jim
When Moses pleaded to see the Glory of God, the Lord responded by passing before him and revealing His nature. He declared Himself to be merciful and gracious. The word gracious speaks of the giving nature of God. It is His desire to give what is best to man. James, addressing a group of trial-ridden Christians, reminded them, since God is gracious, every good and perfect gift comes from Him (James 1:17). The message of the Bible has a whole lot more to do with what God gives us, than what we are to give to Him. Hosea reminded Israel of what God had done for them,
There is no doubt, while all of the Bible is inspire by God and “profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness” (Titus 3:16), there are certain passages that stand out to us. They seem to strike a chord in our lives, or present a truth that is so profound, it will transform our living. This is one of those passages. The scene is set in the previous chapter. The Philistines had been oppressing Israel for years. The weak, scattered tribes of Israel were no match for the immense army of the Philistines. They had been defeated time and time again by the Philistine raiders. All weapons had been confiscated from Israel, leaving them incapable of mustering a resistance against the Philistine lords. With all his effort, the best Saul could do was muster a six hundred man standing army that was no match for the enemy.
As commander of the armies of Israel, Jephthah is leading his soldiers into a heated battle against the people of Ammon. As the battle approaches, we find Jephthah crying out to God for assistance. It is a good thing to pray, but we find his prayer is based on a misunderstanding of the nature of God. Jephthah thinks he has to barter for the favor of God. “If You will help me I will give you…”
Paul and his companions had been traveling from city to city and town to town; sharing the gospel, making disciples, and planting churches. They spent relatively short periods of time in each of these places until Corinth; we read, Paul remained there for a year and six months. Corinth did not seem to be one of the easier places for ministry. Scripture tells us the Jews were hardened to the Gospel. Paul and his companions faced persecution in the form of threats, arrest, and beatings. Later we read, even the gentiles who responded to the Gospel were very carnal; and Paul had to use cunning to ensure that they learned to trust Christ and not men. Yet, with all this, we read that Paul remained a year and six months pastoring this young and growing flock. What were the things that enabled him to remain, while facing such difficulty?
There are many churches I would love to visit and observe the work God is doing. The church in Jerusalem was one of those churches. In the early chapters of Acts, we read about this church that began as a work of the Spirit, was birthed in revival, emphasized outreach, focused on discipleship, and even sent out saints to impact the world. We read that they gathered at Solomon’s Porch (an area adjacent to the Temple), to worship, pray, and preach. No building in the city was large enough to house the multitudes who were coming to Christ, so the believers met together in homes throughout the city for prayer, study, fellowship and communion. What a thrilling time it must have been to be a part of that work of God. Sadly, by the end of the book of Acts, the church in Jerusalem had changed. No longer was it the hub for ministry that it once was. Instead, it had become a place filled with internal conflict brought about by legalism. The seed of that is found here.
n John 12:8, Jesus said, “The poor you will have with you always…”; history has certainly proven that to be a truthful statement. Even today, with all the advances in science, medicine and technology, there are still those who struggle to make ends meet, and have to have their basic needs met. Understanding that this would be a constant struggle, God established a system within Israel whereby the needs of the poor could be satisfied. It was based upon both the grace of God and the love of His people.
There is no question, the children of Israel made mistakes. Their years in the wilderness were marked by complaining, doubt, fear and outright disobedience. Yet, things could have been worse. They could have remained in Egypt, never experiencing any of the great acts of the Lord. Moses reminds the people of what they saw because they were willing to follow the Lord. He recalls the parting of the Red Sea, their provision in the wilderness, and the judgment of those who rebelled.
Deuteronomy begins with a recap of Israel’s history, from Mount Sinai, to the border of the Promised Land. Moses begins by reminding the people this journey that has taken a lifetime, should have taken less than two weeks.
Jim Gallagher 