The Case of the Open Window Shade, Part 2

Today on Insight for living from Chuck Swindoll was with God, but with forgetfulness of God. There was no resistance to Satan lost other than flight every struggle against loss in one's own strength is doomed to failure.

Therefore the Bible teaches at times of temptation in the flesh. There is one command file when a man or woman chooses to cross about violate their vows.

The consequences are nothing short of devastating. But offenders really intend to blow up their relationship, their demise often begins with subtle concessions today on Insight for living Chuck Swindoll will continue a message. He started yesterday about a familiar scene in second Samuel chapter 11, after a season of enormous success, King David violated his own convictions and the results provided profound warnings for generations to come. Chuck titled today's message in the case of the open window shade. David is a man of God. He remains a man of God after Chapter 11. Just like before it, and he has lapsed. This night we will see into sin and his sin has a devastating consequence on his family on his rain and on his nation, no person suddenly becomes base. There's no such thing as sudden adultery. It happens over a long haul. David's life is like a neglected seawall standing constantly against the barrage of the tide in the waves in the rocks and the churning of the sea. Finally, in a weakened moment crumbles at his feet and he pays it terrible price. Let's go back before second Samuel chapter 11 to chapter 5. Look at verse 13 with me to show you the black backdrop that led to this sin because I don't want to have the idea that he suddenly fell. He didn't some chinks in his armor had already begun to form. Look at second Samuel 513. Let's take verse 12. David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel and that he had exalted his kingdom for the sake of his people Israel is a David realized that he realized the hand of God was on him, he realized the Lord's blessing was there. Meanwhile, David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem after he came from. He brought in more sons and daughters were born to David that I read that rather glibly because it seems to be the way it is written, the first word of the of the sentence suggests that it was sort of an afterthought.

Oh yeah by the way, come to think of it. David added concubines and wives to his harem. This was in direct contradiction with Scripture but you know who in the kingdom is going to blow the whistle on that kind of person who in the kingdom can say David's if all because look at his track record to decades of the selling character.

So what if he takes a few more women and marries him and increases his number concubines.

So what turn your heart. They turn the heart of the king from the Lord is what Deuteronomy said somehow something happened to break down his integrity. That's the first problem polygamy second vulnerability between chapters 5 and 11 you will read of nothing but a success story. He is at an all-time high. He is fresh off a series of great victories in the battlefield.

He has reached the peak of public admiration. He has ample money incredible power remarkable same further and further and further up to the clouds is the life of David mean you can't point a finger factorization at him in the backwash of all this David is vulnerable and I don't know but what he is beginning to believe his own track record.

Because when you get the Chapter 11.

He is indulging himself. That's the third chink in the armor indulgence.

See verse one of Chapter 11 we find David in this elegantly furnished bedroom. The first says when the kings normally were to go out to battle. But David sent Joab and his servants with him and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Robert but David stated Jerusalem. David's in bed, not in battle. Our greatest battle is not working hard is when we have a lot of leisure got time on our hands and were bored in the spring of the year when were yawning and stretching and get the sleep out of our eyes and we can't sleep at night and we make those fateful decisions that haunt us.

It's a spring of the year and the man is indulging himself beyond the place of wisdom belonged in the battle. So I pushed the bedspread back not able to sleep.

He stretched himself beyond couple of times side looked around the room.

Nothing good on TV that night and he thought, well, I need to take a walk.

It looks like a nice night to be out in the air so he walks on the roof pushes aside the drapes and steps out oriental monarchs. By the way would frequently build on the second story their bedchamber and have a door that opened onto what you and I would call a patio roof and it was often occasional. It was occasionally elegantly furnished place to sit in the place to have leisure with the family with the wife, with men and counsel. It's up up above the public demands and away from the streets, and often it was a it was secreted so that people could not spot him up there and that's where he found himself that that unforgettable night we read that he walked around on the roof of the kings house and that he's enjoying the the scenes and sites that he hears in the distance and splashing in perhaps the humming on the lips of this very beautiful woman living just beyond the palace just with insight of his own backyard. The verse reads from the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful in appearance. The Bible never pads the record when it says a woman is beautiful. She's fabulous when it says she's very beautiful. She's a knockout.

She is just beyond description. Rarely will the Scriptures include the word very and when the do rest assured it is not an exaggeration to pause and say two things at this point the males major source of stimulation is visual females major source of sexual stimulation is touch. The female is far more discriminant than the male. The male sees a body without any discriminating concern for the character within the body.

So says Dr. James Dobson. In essence, the sheer biological power of sexual desire and a male is largely focused on the physical body of an attractive female second thing I want to say is that you women need to know that you need to know that your physical appearance is is the nemesis of the man.

Men cannot handle the way some of you dress you need to know that you are responsible in the family of God for your attire, your demeanor. My question is why in the world didn't Bathsheba draw her shades.

That's not meant to be funny, why in the world that she be knowing that behind her was the roof of the palace upon which David would frequently walk Raymond Brown in his work on David's life, says this attractive woman cannot be entirely excused. Bathsheba was careless and foolish, lacking in the usual Hebrew modesty or she certainly would not have watched in a place where she knew she could be overlooked from her place.

She would often have looked out on the royal palace and must have known that she could be seen if David had gone to war he would not have seen her if she had thought seriously about her action, she would not have put temptation in his path. It is so very important today in our society. When anything goes. But if you want to be part of the answer rather than part of the problem you work in cooperation with righteousness.

That means you give thought to what you by before you buy it and where it ladies and that means man when you happen upon a very beautiful and alluring object. You do not linger, not even David in all godliness could handle it was too big for Dietrich Bonhoeffer was killed.

He was hanged at the age of 39 in a Nazi prison camp SS black guards hanged them on April 9, 1945 before his death. Dietrich Bonhoeffer left a legacy and like few man. His papers have stimulated deep thought is this keen thinking German scholar put theology into the shoe leather of life in this civil book entitled temptation. He strikes at the heart of the problem that you and I along with David wrestle with. Don't let your mind wander, you'll miss Bonhoeffer's wisdom in our members. There is a slumbering inclination toward desire, which is both sudden fears with irresistible power desire seizes mastery of the flesh all at once a secret, smoldering fires kindled the flash burns and is in flames.

It makes no difference whether it's a sexual desire or ambition or vanity or revenge or love of fame or power, greed for money at this moment God is quite unreal to us. Remember those words at this moment God is quite unreal to us, he loses all reality and only desire for the creature is real. The only reality is the devil doesn't fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God. The lost dust aroused envelops the mind and the will of man in deepest darkness, the powers of clear discrimination and decision are taken from us. The questions present themselves as is what the flesh desires really stand in this case and is it really not permitted to me.

Yes, expected of me now here in my particular situation to appease desire. It is here that everything within me rises up against the word of God. Therefore, the Bible teaches at times of temptation in the flesh. There is one command flee flee fornication flee idolatry flee youthful lusts flee the lust of the world.

There was no resistance to Satan and lost other than flight every struggle against loss in one's own strength is doomed to failure now say to you that if you do not run you will fall. It's only a matter of time. I have given that counseled so many times and I have had it heated by only a few. It is the only counsel that works for me. If you try to find it. You will fall. It's only a matter of time. David still in the roof of the palace as it stood perhaps four weeks before and in the night air with no one else around. He lost all cognizance of who he was or what would happen if he fell into that sin. God was quite unreal to him as the smoldering desire down inside burst into flames, and he forgot that he was the king of Israel. He forgot that he had a track record that was unsullied forgot that he was in fact the old man of God, the statesman, the Who's Who in the history of Israel essay tonight in light of who he was and how he failed to take heed lest you too Paul man, you will never fall. If you do not take a second look. Never. Not only did David take a second look.

He was staring for a period of time. Verse four verse three David sent, and inquired about the woman noticed the report.

Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Ely M the wife of Uriah the Hittite. I think that's significant. This softwood servant came back with a good deal of wisdom normally you would give the genealogy of a person without relation to their mate, you would give the name of the person father's name. The grandfather's name, and on occasion the great-grandfather, that's how they did it in Israel. But in this case, the servant says David.

She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Ely M. The wife of Uriah. She's married David. I feel that the servant knew the thinking of this man. He knew the master it seemed the harem it what's David operate with women he couldn't handle it. He knew he couldn't handle it.

He said David she's married, she's a wife.

I don't believe David linger long enough to even record that in his mind until later when that name Uriah would haunt him.

But that moment David turned all powers loose said no to all the things that you and I know he should've said yes to and yes to all the things he should've said no to any sent messengers and took her and when she came to him.

He lay with her and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness. She returned to her house Bible is very honest about its men and women comes right to the point and reveals the situation. Let me say at this delicate moment and I won't linger here needlessly.

You would be foolish if you were to think that there was no pleasure in the act. This act carried with it a great deal of all the excitement stolen waters are sweet and he is the king saw himself in the pleasure of this private moment and thoroughly enjoyed it.

I have a feeling Bathsheba did to you read nothing of a struggle.

This is not a rape. This is an agreeable act but highlight Hebrews says the passing pleasures of sin occur pleasures are gone within a matter of weeks.

She comes to discover the inevitable verse five she conceived sent and told David. I am pregnant, you know friends. The devil never tips his hands and temptation listen to that.

The devil always get you on the front end but he dessert you in the end he presents to you the beautiful person the beautiful body the alluring desire the fun and excitement and adventure of stolen waters, and he convinces you that that is where it's at. But he never does tell the heavy drinker tomorrow morning there'll be a hangover. Furthermore your about to break your home up to Tahiti never tells the drug user and you know overdoses is possible.

Watch out for the emotional devastation. This is gonna take on your life. You never tells the thief to get caught friend. You do that you pay for it never tells the adulterer, you know, pregnancy is a very real possibility just blanks that out of the mind and then when all of it comes due. He's gone. FB Meyer writes these words one brief spell of passionate indulgence and then his character is blasted irretrievably. His pieces vanished.

The foundation of the kingdom imperiled the Lord is displeased and great occasion is given to his enemies, to blaspheme David I.

Correct. When David got that news. He had a decision he could take one of two courses he could call and his counselors and openly admit as a man of integrity would do admit to his counselors. Man, I want you to know the whole truth, and then with them, he could go before God and declare himself openly as completely contaminated sinful, guilty, and declare it to the nation, I have sinned, and God would have dealt with him one way all the consequences wouldn't have been re-erased but certainly there would have been a maintenance of integrity or and he chose the second, he could've gone the route of deception and hypocrisy, which ultimately would lead to murder. Now when you are in the midst of panic you don't make wise decisions. I want to file with the man. He is lived out this passionate night and as far as we know that's the only night and suddenly the news comes back and hits in right in the middle of his head. The woman is going to have a baby and he thinks what I do. So he chose the alternate route of deception and hypocrisy. I just read along with me and I want you to feel with the whole scene of this the emotion of it verse six Davidson to Joab saying send me Uriah the Hittite.

So Joab sent Uriah to David. I got understand Joab, but he's a Caesar swift, clever Marine out there in the field like Col. up for bird colonel and he is he is smart and here's Joe and he's already threatening David.

If you recheck second Samuel three you know the Dave's little uneasy with this guy in the cloud he carries and here's Joe about the feeling gets a message sent Uriah home is not a naïve selling Joab's body Joab's is bright and he's clever and he's malicious and he can maybe can be malignant, and so he sees the report any since it sends Ely sent Uriah back. Remember that now. Keep that in your mind.

Joab send Uriah Kate, the husband of Bathsheba comes home really want your I wanted your why with his wife. Here I was gonna go this way because Uriah is a faithful soldier, whose heart is with the men in the field that Uriah will not cooperate in verse 14 turns the plan. Here we are now in about the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab and send it by the hand of Uriah Pl., Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battles and withdraw from so that he may be struck down by you keeping count the sins lost adultery, hypocrisy, murder in the Holocene of cover-up in the kingdom that Israel has never known under David. Even though were running out of time for today, I'm pleased to let you know that were devoting much more time to David story, including the dramatic showdown.

When Nathan confronted the king Chuck Swindoll titled this portion of our study. The case of the open window shade and if you like to learn more about this ministry, we invite you to visit us online@insideworld.org riveting stories like the one you heard today remind us that the wisdom of the Bible is timeless and it speaks to both sinners and those who confront centers and is one of the many reasons that Chuck Swindoll's biography of David, has become so widely read like this teaching series on the radio's book is also called David a man of passion and destiny. One of your fellow listeners recently told us I've read Chuck's book on David twice.

It's one of my favorite books. Another explain how Chuck's biographical studies have become a resource for teaching a class in any case, Chuck's book would make a great summer. We because it chronicles the dramatic story of David from his assent to the highest ranking Israel and even the darker moments of joy, such as the one shown described today to purchase a copy of Chuck's biography on David us a call if you're listening in the United States: 800-772-8888 or visit our website@insight.org/offer these daily programs are made possible not to the purchase of resources, but the voluntary donations from grateful listeners like you, and during the summer months when many are away on medication. We are especially grateful for your consistent support to give a contribution today. Call us if you're listening in the United States called 800-772-8888 or go to insight.org/donate ticket from Chuck's window. There is nothing quite like the beauty of the great frontier wide open sky pristine glaciers with various shades of blue and turquoise mingle with the towering pine tree all manner of wall to Alaska is truly a masterpiece of God's creation been to a lot of places and seen a lot of but honestly, nothing compares to the beauty in Alaska. God's come with us on the inside for living ministries cruise to Alaska July 1 through July 8, 2023 you like me, created by God, let yourself get lost in the majestic spend quality time with those you love. Allow God to refresh your soul as you reflect on his word and his goodness in your life to learn more, go to insight.org/events call this number 1-880-447-0444.

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