If you put yourself in David’s position whilst reading this, it will have great value to you.
David was a man after God’s own heart because to him the Lord was first and foremost. In the past few messages we have learnt that he didn’t make a move without enquiring from the Lord and that the Lord’s honour was high priority to him. However, he was only human and also vulnerable to be blinded by Satan’s deceptive power. On the cross Jesus prayed for those who crucified Him “Father, forgive them, for they do not know what they are doing,” (Luke 23:34), and the following was an occasion where David also didn’t realise what he was doing. We also end up in such situations, but being blinded does not make it right. The Lord will make us aware of our error as He did with David and then it is up to us whether we would be quick to follow David’s example of repentance.
The passage in 2 Samuel 11 is too long to quote here, so you may read it here http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Samuel%2011&version=NIV1984.
“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,” (2 Samuel 11:1). Instead of being at war as he should have been, David stayed in Jerusalem. One night he lay on his bed being bored. The devil finds work for idle hands and so David got tempted to get up and walk on the roof of the palace. The scene had been set for a woman to bath in full view of the palace roof and immediately desire got hold of David.
At that very moment he had a choice to resist the temptation and turn around, going back to bed. “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death,” (James 1:14-15). David, however, was blinded by desire for this stunning woman and, since he had nothing to do, he completed this process of conceiving and giving birth to sin and death in next to no time. He slept with Bathsheba and she conceived a child. Once he had pleased Satan and committed the sin he was tempted with, Satan left him, laughing up his sleeve and David realised what he had done. Instead of turning to the Lord, repenting of what he had done, David then tried to hide his sin. It is obvious that his relationship with the Lord was not as sharp as it used to be, for he did not realise that the Lord sees everything and was following his every move.
We should not give Satan too much credit, but it is a fact that he urges us on to sin by setting temptations on our way and blinding us to what we are doing. Therefore we have to stay in contact with the Holy Spirit so we could heed His warnings.
David first tried to get Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to sleep with his wife so he could get the blame for the child and when Uriah was too honourable to do that, David arranged for him to be killed so he could take Bathsheba and the resulting child for himself.
This is what happens when we are blinded by temptation. We sin, try to cover up that sin with another and before we see, we live in sin. Had David turned away the first moment he had seen Bathsheba, none of this would have happened. Previously David’s relationship with the Lord was of such a nature that he knew exactly what the Lord expected of him, but it is clear that he missed the boat on this occasion.
Can you identify with David in this? Have you been tempted before and were blinded to the extent that you were not able to stop yourself before it was too late and the end thereof was regret - you have conceived sin?
In our next message we will look at this.
Thank you Lord that your Word went out from your mouth, via your servant’s pen, and it will not return to you empty, but will accomplish what you desire and achieve the purpose for which you sent it.
Please pass this on if you think others may benefit by it.
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