The Cover-up

Have your Bibles with you turn with me if you would take second Samuel chapter 11 we can start this morning just with one verse, verse five. Be going to the rest of the chapter through the sermon and the woman conceived and she said and told David.

I am pregnant that with me as we go to our Lord in prayer. Heavenly father.

In Proverbs 2813 you inspired David's son Solomon to write these words to cover sissy and will not prosper, but you confesses and forsakes essential, have mercy. Lord have often wondered if Solomon wrote those words with his dad in mind I wondered if David set Solomon down as a teenage boy and told him about the cover-up Lord to David tell his son that he was ashamed of his adultery was broken to pieces over the cover-up. Tell Solomon that he was guilty of conspiracy to murder an innocent man in order to hide his sin whether Solomon you that are not. Proverbs 2813 is a perfect picture of Solomon's dad Hugh covers a sin shall not prosper. You confesses and forsakes essential, have mercy.

David covered his sin, hypocritical cover-up quickly brought destruction into his life. Father, help us to learn from David's hypocrisy. Help us to be truthful in real even when we are ashamed and embarrassed. Often times we cower from this kind of openness and honesty. Help us to realize that you are the one we should strive to please and you see right through every cover-up. We pray this prayer now in the precious and holy name of Jesus Christ, amen. You may be seated. When Richard Nixon was on his deathbed he had a pastor friend to stop by to visit with him and set them beside his bed. Nixon knew that he didn't have long to live that his life was quickly slipping away and he said this past reset I made a lot of mistakes in my life. You know which one is the biggest one. The pastor said I would guess it would be the Watergate break-in and he said no it was not the Watergate break-in. But it was the cover-up. He said I lied about it.

I hid it. I tried everything I could to keep it oh away from people's knowledge and he said I believe with all my heart that if I just been honest if I had just revealed to everybody. My involvement in the Watergate break-in.

And if I had asked America. Forgive me. He said I believe they would have forgiven me, but he said America would not forgive my hypocrisy and would to God that I just been honest versus I read second Samuel chapter 11 and chapter 12. I have to think that that was David's confession is whale.

David committed adultery. A horrible, terrible sin, it was a CN that hurt deeply David himself. It hurt deeply. Bathsheba and her family and her David's wise it hurt his children. In fact, it had impact on every body that lived in Israel and was a citizen of that land.

It hurt them, but I won't you to know that I believe with all my heart that that that adultery was not as harmful and not as destructive as the cover-up look again at verse five and the woman conceived so she sent and told David and said I am with child for a couple of months. David had been living his life as if nothing had happened yesterday.

It involved himself in an adulterous affair but there was just a very few people that knew about it and just talking about it was not going on, and so David was just saying to himself I think I'll just kinda pass this along and not worry about it, not think about it too much. This is just water under the bridge now and I'll just put it out of my mind and kind of try to forget that it happened.

God help us never to do that. God help us never to be so spiritually lethargic that we want to quit thinking about unconfessed sin, but we need to have a sensitivity about us.

As such, a sensitivity that we would be deeply concerned in our heart. If there's unconfessed and unrepentant sin. That is not been dealt with. One day Dave is doing some paperwork. They are in his palace and he has a knock on the door and says who is it, and his servant says we got somebody here to see you and Dave Simpson, ammonium in this little domestic made walks in she walks in the the David's office they are and she closes the door behind her.

So there's nobody there but her and David, and she says, sir, you don't know Mason I am a servant of Bathsheba in Bathsheba has a message for you and Davidson. What is it her eyes well up with tears and she said Bathsheba wants you to know that she is expecting a baby. I can imagine David's opinion just drop into the floor, his face turns white. His hands begin to tremble and he says to the young lady. You can leave and she turns around to walk out the door. Then David stopped her and said ma'am said I want you to promise me right now that you will not tell us all about this.

Understand and she says yes sir. My lips are sealed.

David sits back in stunned silence as mine is poor enough hundred miles a minute and he's thinking to himself. How can I get out of this.

What can I do how I wonder if the words of Moses came to his mind. When Moses spoke to the tribes of Reuben Gadd the half tribe of Manasseh and Moses us knew that they had not fulfilled their obligation of moving into the promised land like they were supposed to. And David said to them, be sure this your sin will find you out. I wonder if David thought of those words is all this is going on and he's wondering is my sin going to find me out and then he kinda says to himself, well maybe not. Maybe nobody will know that this baby is mine, but David knows is there's a slight problem because in first Samuel chapter 16 verse 12, the Scripture says that David was ready and that's an interesting word.

It can mean red and complexion, but most of the time when that word ruddy is used, it meant red hair so that it may very well have been that David was redheaded. That's very unusual for a Jewish man in most of the Jews had very dark black hair like his son Absalom. But if David had red hair, then that might mean that if he had a son at that son might have red hair too and that would that would give him away. Lisa's maybe not. Maybe the baby will have all of Bathsheba's coloring it and maybe that won't happen and if he is the baby is redheaded said I can always just just denied. So he meets with Bathsheba in Bathsheba's terribly upset and Bathsheba said David what in the world we gonna do this will have to do anything said everybody will just believe that the baby belongs to your Uriah and she said no that'll never work. Uriah has been out in the battlefield for months and months. He is not seeing me, and he will know exactly what is happened and just then David said, will we don't have to worry about that because I will get Joe Webb my minister of war to send Uriah back in to give me a report on how the wars going and when he comes back I'll send them over to your house and then he'll meet with you and everything will be fine for point, someone to share with you today. The first point is this what power cannot do with verses 5 to 13 and the woman conceived and she sent told David I'm pregnant so David sent word to Joab seeing me.

Uriah the Hittite Joe absent Uriah to David when Uriah came to him. David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing.

How the war was going to. David said Uriah good and your house and wash your feet.

Uriah went out of the king's house and there followed him a present from the king that you ever thought about that.

David's committed adultery with his wife.

What is he do using the present present to you giving us a fruit basket talk about it. Adultery with your wife will make it up here me give you little prison. Uriah slept at the door. The king's house with all the servants of his lord it did not go down to his house. When I told David Uriah did not go down to his house. David said Uriah, have you not come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house. Uriah said to David Arkin. Israel and Judah dwelling blues in my Lord Joab in the service of my Lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house and eat and drink and a lot of my wife as you live in is your soul lives.

I will not do this thing and David said Uriah remain here today. Also tomorrow send you back to your are remained in Jerusalem that day and the next, and David invited him and he ate in his presence and right so that he made them drunk the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of the Lord that he did not go to his house, David had the perfect plan. This perfect plan had a flaw in it. He did not realize just what a man of integrity. Uriah was Uriah was extremely loyal to King David. He was extremely loyal to his fellow soldiers.

He was extremely loyal to God.

He came back he gave David the report of the military airport on how the war was going and then he went out to settle David's porch and he would not leave and he did not go back home. David questioned him about the essence of why if you not going back home you you need to go right now. You deserve a break. Your family needs to see you this would be a great time for you. I want you to go home and Uriah said emphatically. No I will not go. This would dishonor God and it would be disloyal for that. My fellow soldiers for me to go there on the battlefield and I would be back at home enjoying the pleasure. My family says no I will not do it. So David said to himself. This calls for drastic measures. And so David starts giving them alcohol to drink and one drink after another, till he gets them drunk PA think that this will lower his inhibitions at this will lower his resolve. But it does not. Uriah steel says no sir, I will not go home and he did not listen to what Richard Phillips is here in this scene with Bathsheba.

David wickedly employed his great power in his attempt to deceive Uriah. However, David would begin to learn what his power could not do.

Specifically, David's great power could not overcome a faithful godly man. We see David's failure and rooted in Uriah's response, but Uriah slept at the door. The king's house with all the servants of his lord it did not go down to his house.

When David learned of this act of self-denial.

He summoned Uriah again. Have you not come from a journey. Why did you not go down your house. Uriah answered the Arkin Israel and Judah dwelling blues in my Lord Joab in the servants of my Lord are camping in the open field.

Joe then go to my house to eat, to drink a lot with my wife as you live in is your solely as I will not do this thing, but Uriah was not a covenant child of God. He was not born that way. He was born as a Hittite he was born into paganism. He was born into a into heathenism so to speak. He did not have the privilege of being born as an Israelite. He was a Hittite Hittites worship their own false gods. The Lord got a hold of of Uriah's heart and Uriah came to know him believed in the Lord trusted in him put his faith in him and the Lord turn his heart around and filled him with great character and integrity. Uriah's noble answer to David had to sting David's heart. David had a head caved into lust he'd given into full-blown adultery.

Taken his is God and himself and his family and that she was family and just put them to the outside of his mind, so you didn't have to deal with it as a used Uriah's wife is a plate away Uriah on the other hand, would not even go home to legitimately enjoy his wife because he believes that I would dishonor God and it would not be fair to his fellow soldiers and remember who David is. That is the king of the most powerful nation on the face of the earth when David said jump people said how high that's the kind of power he had, but he says to two Uriah I want you to go home. Uriah says no I will not do it for Uriah believe that King Yahweh was greater thinking David and it was more important to be obedient to Yahweh, to Jehovah that was to be obedient to David. You could almost hear David's thought why compromise my convictions and on the chain.

If I can compromise so can you and Uriah would not budge, but that's what we need to be. We need to be non-butchers. What we need to be non-compromisers we need to be people who will stand for steadfast truth and just be tough so as powerful as David was his authority and his power could not force Uriah to compromise his convictions and takes us to point to what power can duplicate verses 14 to 26 in the morning. David wrote a letter to Joab and send it by the hand of Uriah and the letter he wrote set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting and then draw back from him that he may be struck down to die in his Joab was besieging the city. He assigned Uriah to the place we knew they were, but there were valiant men in the middle of the city came out and fought with Joab and some of the servants of David. Among the people fail Uriah the Hittite also died then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting and he instructed the messenger when you're finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king, then if the king's anger arises, and if he says to you, why did you go so near the city to fight. Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall who killed Abimelech the son of Drew.

The shift did not. A woman cast in upper Millstone on him from the walls of the diet.

The best why did you go near the wall, then you shall say your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also to the messenger win came and told David all the Joab it's in the detail. The messenger said to David, the men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. Then the archer shot at your service on the wall. Some of the king, servants or dead in your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. David said to the messenger the show. You say to Joab do not let this matter displease you for the sword devours now one and now another strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it and encourage him when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead. She lamented over husband David was not ready to face a public shame of his sin. He also knew what Leviticus chapter 20 verse 10 says it says that that adultery is a crime that is punishable by death. Now only read those words to you from Leviticus 2010 and I can imagine. David should have been just shaking in his boots. When he read those words, if a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor. Both the adulterer and the adultery shall surely be put to death. Did David know that Scripture absolutely, he did, but in the white-hot heat of temptation, he was able just push it away as if it really didn't matter.

But now the consequences of his sin or slackening right in the face. And David said to himself I don't want to die. But if Uriah dies and I will have to die David's mind begin a horror like a top. Something's gotta work. There's got to be some way out of this thing so we sent Stanley writes out a message in the message. Each skill is sent to Joab because I want you to take Uriah putting in some precarious position after on the battlefield so that Uriah will be keeled.

He takes that message EE he rolls it up and then he takes a string and he ties it, and then he gives it to Uriah and says I want you take this back to Joab and so Uriah is the courier of his own death message puts how sad is that David knew that Uriah was such a man of integrity that he would never think to open that message up to Joab and read it to himself on the way back. David knew he wouldn't do that. So got back to Joab, Uriah the enhance the message to Joab. Joab unravels it in opens it up and he reads the message that he looked set Uriah. Their eyes meet and he realizes that route, Uriah has no clue as to what's on that death message Richard Phillips had unbelievably great insight here and he says some things here that I had not thought about what you listen this carefully. We can only imagine the grim satisfaction that Joab felt when Uriah delivered the seals message in the general ran David's Royal instructions to send the valiant soldier to his Tuesday half is possible that news of David's sin with Bathsheba had spread from the palace servants to the Army headquarters and such information tends to do whether or not Joab understood the full situation.

However, he knew that David would never again. Lord it over him in righteousness, Joab, and encourage David's wrath over the murder of Abner when the leader of the northern tribes had tried to sue for peace, David shame Joab for that sin, cursing his nephew publicly and causing him to trudge mournfully before Abner's casket during the state funeral the next time the two men, Joab knew exactly how he would look David and I David's sinful refusal to repent of sin and brought him all the way down to Joab's bottom feeding level and the general was only too willing to accommodate the royal descent so Joab obeys David he sends Uriah out to precarious position on the battlefield. When Uriah's killed but not only is Uriah keeled her several other soldiers killed along with when I speak of David's sin. I usually mention the adultery and I usually mention the murder and conspiracy to murder of Uriah but I very seldom think to mention the other soldiers that died as a result of it. We need to understand that those soldiers that died or also will. David's account so the news came back to David Uriah the Hittite is dead. David breathes a sigh of relief.

Okay good that's over with mail and that we can move on.

I can bring Bathsheba back in the my how she can be my wife and nobody will think a thing about it Bathsheba with the time of morning and then after time of morning. She moved back in with David became his wife and and bore a son and were not told whether or not David told Bathsheba what he had done were not told her she knew about this conspiracy have Uriah keeled David had worked all the details out commanded Joab to do that there some of scholars that believe that she probably had to know because the timing was nonaccidental there. Some scholars who actually believe that she had fallen so in love with David at this point in time that she was part of the plan that she help David in concocting that plan. Verse 25 says this.

David said to the messengers, thus you shall say to Joab do not let this matter trouble you for the sword devours now one and now another strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it. I don't know about you, that rubs my further wrong way. David's attitude just absolutely stinks. David is told that Uriah a few others are dead.

He says well just go back to Joab at tennis stuff happens all years that they died but that's what goes on when when you're in a war.

Some people die. Some people live and just act so casual about it like it really just doesn't matter is dead soldiers and wives and children at home now did not have a daddy now did not have a husband and it's just absolutely heartbreaking. David ordered their dance and shrug their show his shoulders and said well this kind of stuff just happens.

He could have cared less. When lesson this should be to every single one of us who are in positions of leadership and authority is horribly wicked to ever use God-given leadership and authority for sinful selfish purposes.

This is why Peter tells elders in the church and in first Peter chapter 5, if they are not to leave his dictators and not to lord it over the flock, but they are to lead a servant and servants in there to lead with discernment, spirit who is it that can abuse God-given authority parent can do that a teacher can do that coach can do that a supervisor at work can do that a preacher can do that, folks.

When that happens, we need to know.

It's always wrong before God.

But whatever it's done. Uriah's been killed.

Bathsheba is now David's newest wife and David thinks that he's home for even it's not. It's okay that he's gotten away with the sin, but that's what power can do. It was ungodly political power. We have people in the prosperity church the day the name it, claimant or church that that believe that there almost invulnerable twice as long as we have faith and would have held that wealth will live a long life. That's a lie. It's not always happen that way. In fact, in and out Matthew chapter 10 verse 28 Jesus said don't fear that one can only kill the body but not to solve but fear that one who can kill body and soul, inhale, listen, don't think that godliness will keep you out of persecution. Godliness will lead you right into persecution. Second Timothy chapter 3 verse 12 says all who live godly in Christ Jesus will suffer persecution. So David uses political power to orchestrate the death of Uriah that was power political power that he used, to get his way. But it did not stop the consequences of his sin.

The third point that I want to mention is the power of sin committed verse 27 in the morning was over, David sent, and brought her to his house and she became his wife and boring the son.

But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord is a problem, a problem that David was not considering and this is true in every cover-up. We may have things from people. But we can't hide things from God I the last statement that is made in in this chapter David should soon. It says that is the thing that David had done displeased the Lord pastor friend of mine said it this way secret sin on earth is open scandal in heaven. God knows everything were doing only give you a few verses to ponder as we are closing this up. Galatians 67 be not to see from God is not mocked. For whatsoever a man. So with that shall he also reap. Proverbs chapter 28 verse 13 he covers his sin shall not prosper, but he confesses and forsakes his sin shall have mercy. Proverbs 15 three the eyes of the Lord are in every place for holding the good and the evil. Some hundred 39 verse 12. The darkness in the light are both alike to the Lord. Second Timothy chapter 5 verse 24.

Some man sins are open beforehand going before to judgment and some men sins follow afterwards put these verses tell us they tell us the coverups do not work, that they tell us that that coverups might seem to be a temporary answer, and they might give you a sense of security for a while with a will end up taking you to your distant demise. Why, because God blesses people too much to let hypocrisy to let them get away with hypocrisy… Too much for that.

The Scripture says that Jesus is truth, not just any half-truth, not just that he believed truth that he is truth because Jesus is truth. He cannot deal with phoniness and hypocrisy and ran over in Romans chapter 8 verse 29. The Scripture says that we were predestined to be conformed into the image of his son. We were predestined in order that we might be like Christ.

So God has the obligation to chisel away the phoniness and the hypocrisy in us in order that we might become like Christ. What is God do that one of the reasons he does it so that the world can see that God's people. God's children are different than the world's children, Jennifer McGee said that someone asking a question. One day, said cannot I truth Christian get drunk. And J. Vernon McGee says yes.

A true Christian can get drunk and he was a little bit shocked to secure a true Christian, get drunk and get away with J. Vernon McGee says that's where the rub is. Each of the men of this world can get by with it in this life, because the Lord does not spank the devil's children. The sin the Lord takes his own children to the woodshed when they sin and Dr. McGee said take it from one who has been to the woodshed, he said, I personally know the Christian cannot get by with sin Davis get ready to find that out because for several months, deceiving himself into thinking that the cover-up has worked. Too bad he couldn't have read that last statement, and second Samuel chapter 11 that says the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. Listen carefully.

Sin will take you further than you want to go. It will keep you longer than you want to stay and it will cost you more than you want to pay 5.4's the power of grace John chapter 10 verse 28 to 29 given them eternal life, and they will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand. My father who was given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of the father's hand. First Corinthians 1012 says let him. He thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. Why God give us second Samuel chapter 11, he didn't give us this chapter, in order that we might have a better understanding of David's personal life.

He didn't give us his chapters that we we would be better at Bible Jeopardy. He gave us this chapter to tell us if this man after God's own heart.

If the apple of God's eye. If the killer giants if the writer of Psalms could see in this heinously and so could we push we have all seen in the come short of the glory of God. There is none. No, not one. All of our righteousness are as filthy rags before the Lord. All we like sheep have gone astray, each having gone to his own way. We have this chapter to remind us to flee youthful lust and Proverbs chapter 4 verse 23, King Solomon said watch of your heart with all diligence for out of the heart flows. The rivers of life. Five chapters before this David is bringing the ark of the covenant back into Jerusalem.

He is dancing before the Lord he so excited he's worshiping so fully that you take the ark of the company's output in the tabernacle of David, and he is so filled with the spirit of God and he's just think this is the greatest spiritual experience that is overhead. If you'd walked up to David on that day and if you had said to David David in just a few years you still a man's wife to commit adultery with her and I have him put to death.

This man is a faithful servant. You, but you gonna put that man to death in order to try to cover your sin. David said David would've said that could never happen.

It did happen, it happened to David and thinks it can happen to us.

So when we do we prepare we throw ourselves on the mercy in the grace of God we get up every morning and we put on the whole armor of God, we get serious about sin we get serious about repentance and then we stand on the promises that Jesus gave in John 10 Jesus said, I given them eternal life, and they will never perish, neither show anyone snatch them out of my hand. My father, who is given them to me, is greater than all and no one is able to snatch them out of my father's hand people. That's the promise that we need to be scanned and on. If we stand on that promise. All he'll shake us spring it was father.

There have been times not been too enamored with David his bonus, his faith, his toughness attempted me to make a hero out of him. Today's passages remove that temptation you not call me to make David my hero is not led me to idolize David or any other sinful man.

You've shown us that David is a sinner and desperately needed a Savior just like we do. Father, help us to have no heroes but Jesus keep reminding us that we are nothing but sinners saved by grace, and the only one we should worship is Christ help us not to be discouraged by David's failures, but learn from them. Help us to see past David to the true Savior on the cross and our Savior now who is seated on his throne and glory.

40 is the precious and holy name of Jesus that we pray. Amen