When we consider the account of David’s life, we are going to explore we must keep in mind that people don’t drift towards commitment but naturally drift away from commitment. It takes intentionality to stay focused. David did some great things in the service of the Lord, but even he found himself drifting away from commitment. David defeated Goliath, outlasted the madman Saul, and rose up the ranks to become a powerful and popular king of Israel. Life was good. But just when it seemed nothing could stand in his way to even greater success, there stood a beautiful temptation. While lions, bears, warriors, and angry kings had failed to derail David’s integrity, the sight of a beautiful, bathing woman soon had him falling fast.
The story of David and Bathsheba was the scandal that rocked the royal household. The man declared “a man after God’s own heart” was soon spiraling downward into an adulterous relationship as well as a murderous cover-up. Certainly, we’ll find that God’s grace covered David. But, ultimately, David’s sin cost more than it’s worth. We discover that temptation will always promise you more than it can deliver and will cost you more than you can pay.
In 2 Samuel 11:1-4, we realize that David stays home when “kings go out to battle.” He sends Joab in his stead. One day, in the afternoon, he is lying in bed. He gets up, strolls on his roof, and sees a woman, Bathsheba, bathing. He finds out she is the wife of one of his most loyal soldiers, but that doesn’t stop him from summoning her and sleeping with her. We must be reminded that David is not a passionate teenager or man in his young twenties but a man of God who has reached middle age. He did not naively walk into sin but made some deliberate wrong choices that led to the temptation that he succumbed to and sinned.
What were David’s deliberate wrong choices? First, David arrogantly stayed home when he should have been on the battlefield. David had become more self-reliant than God-reliant. He made another poor choice when he was idle, lying in bed in the late afternoon. Don’t get me wrong; there is nothing wrong with resting, but what is David resting from. After all, he has stayed home from his work as king. He’s idle, and idleness often leads to no good.
Further, David was careless, allowing his eyes to wander. Let me be clear on this one. The problem was not that David saw Bathsheba. It was how intently he looked. Growing up in Florida, I spent much time at the beach. My student pastor, Paul, would remind us that it’s the second glance that will get you. That’s great advice. Finally, David was selfish, giving freedom to his desires. He gave into the temptation, feeding his desires when he should have been focused on the Lord and disciplining himself. It’s not a sin to be tempted. He could have recalled Exodus 20:14, “You shall not commit adultery.” He could have relied on God to give him the strength and wisdom to walk away. It’s too bad that the record of this godly man was marred forever by “The matter of Uriah the Hittite” (1 Kings 15:5).
Here’s the long short of it. Bathsheba becomes pregnant. Instead of going to the Lord for forgiveness, David sends for Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, and tries to trick him into going home and sleep with his wife. Uriah was a good man and did not fall into the trap. Consequently, sin, still growing in David’s life, took him to a very dark place. David decides to have Uriah murdered and then takes Bathsheba as his wife. When we continue in sin, we find that sin begets sin, leading to a horrific downward spiral.
We’re unsure of the exact time frame, but nearly a year has passed. During this time, David had covered up his sins. As a result, he became physically weak and sick and lost his joy, witness, and God’s power in his life. God gave David plenty of time to make things right, but David persisted in hiding his sins. Finally, God sends Nathan, the prophet, with a message that breaks David’s hardened heart. Nathan tells David the consequences of David’s sin. It must be remembered that through God’s grace, we can be forgiven and delivered of the eternal consequences of sin, but we may and probably will face some earthly consequences. Sin is devastating and hurts not just the sinner but others as well.
David is contrite (broken-hearted over his sinful acts). In his brokenness, he repents. We have David’s prayer to God in the Psalms (Psalm 51). The psalm opens with an appeal to God for mercy. David knows that God is full of grace and kindness. His plea for mercy here is humble, based entirely on God’s mercy, genuinely recognizing that he doesn’t deserve it. David asks God to wash him clean. He owns up to his sin, asking God to make him right and for the Lord to empower him with His Spirit once more. As David is restored, he commits himself to be used by the Lord to help others return to God and be restored.
John writes, “If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:9). Believers come to Christ for salvation confessing their sins, initially to receive salvation and then to maintain fellowship with God and one another. Like David, if we need forgiveness and deliverance, all we need to do is be contrite, confess our sins to God, and ask God for forgiveness. And He will forgive!
Here is what we learn from David and the teaching of Scripture. First, don’t sin (1 Corinthians 10:13). Then, don’t remain in sin (1 John 1:9). We are offered freedom in Christ. God has promised us the power to live above temptation. He has also promised that we can find forgiveness and cleansing from our sins through His power and mercy. Only you and God know where you are on your journey, and only you and God know how He wants you to respond; your next step. Won’t you accept the example of David and respond as God leads? Soli Deo Gloria (Glory to God Alone)!