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January 25, 2022 12:00 am
Adultery doesn't just happen in a moment. It is born from a lustful mind that is allowed to go unchecked over time.
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Not only is she married, she's married to Uriah David you know him well. He's one of your mighty fact is a converted type fascinating man we know little of. But his name more than likely was changed at his conversion to Uriah means Yahweh is my light David your God is my God. They been fighting together on the same side, they watched each other's back for years what you think King sees the life of your back to today, we arrive at one of the darker moments in King David's life.
David was overcome with lust for another man's wife, and he committed sin with Bathsheba.
David thought this was something he could get away with, or at least cover-up today. Stephen Devi will teach us several important principles that we can learn from this account. This message is appropriately entitled, governed by lesser passions pierced the story of Marcus Anthony and Cleopatra has captivated the attention of generations over the past several thousand years.
This adulterous liaison between this Roman ruler and the queen of Egypt would become the father of the gossip mill the world over. And of course Hollywood in recent years had to tell the story to both Marcus and Cleopatra deceived their spouses and their empires, eventually allowing their lust to replace even their national loyalty and their kingdoms would never quite be the same effect. They would end up deceived themselves after losing a significant battle. If you study a little of biography you watch shows Marcus is stripped of his position and title with that defeat. He flees to Egypt to rendezvous with Cleopatra. Only when he arrives he is told that she has taken her life and he in despondency falls on his sword then as he lingers just before dying, he discovers that she was still alive. He is been deceived but it is too late. At one point in time Marcus Anthony was known as the silver throated orator of Rome this early Roman Republic from his demise will come the Roman Empire with Caesar. He was known as a courageous soldier strong leader, but the one thing he lacked even from his earlier years was strength of moral character and integrity effect while he was still young man his tutor famously shouted at him. The phrase, oh Marcus oh colossal child able to conquer the world, yet unable to resist temptation.
I imagine there isn't any biblical story that has captivated the attention of generations anymore. Over the last several thousand years than the liaison of King David with Bathsheba. What began with a look that led to lost that led to this liaison would would give birth to a legion of circumstances affected you could write over the caption of the next scene we find ourselves in our study of David's life. This same rather lamenting description David oh colossal child able to conquer the world. Unable to resist temptation so far in our study and were second Samuel 11 now in our study of the singer King of Israel. The record of inspired Scripture. If you been with us, you notice how often so much time elapses in just a few verses effect in one chapter he is a young shepherd boy who takes on Goliath in the next chapter. He is a seasoned warrior married to the daughter of King Saul.
Leading troops victoriously in the battle. It all happens in the space of 50 or 60 versus most of the time the biography of David is a blur. It moves at blinding speed and yet now, when you arrived at this chapter, God slows everything down. In fact, Samuel second Samuel is going to effectively devote two chapters to less than 10 month in the life of David. The narrative sort of slips into slow-motion.obviously wants us to learn some lessons and to learn them well from these moments in David's life if I could offer a lesson or two at the outset before we dive in one of them would be this. If David can fall so can we David into the courageous giant killer.
The, the ferocious, trusting, faithful warrior with abandon taking on the enemies for the glory of God. This loyal citizen to a corrupt king who waited for years in a hiding running for his life. A man who delighted with joy at the at the coming the return of the Ark of the covenant of God, poet, singer, who by now has written dozens and dozens of Salisbury loves to sing this adoration to the glorious creator God. If that man can fall. Why would we ever be overconfident in ourselves. Why would we ever think we can't, let me give another foundational observation and it's this no one falls in the soon in a moment that we gotta backtrack a little bit fact you can understand second Samuel chapter 11 to Yunus. It was been heating the oven for some time. You might right into the margin of your text somewhere around there in your notes a text he could go look at your leisure just right. Deuteronomy chapter 17 of the second time when we just reviewed quickly.
Moses predicted a time when the people of Israel would want to King and God revealed to Moses in the law.
Three prohibitions of these kings that would come to rule Israel and they were not allowed to multiply forces number two they were not allow allowed to to build a personal store of gold and silver, and number three they were not allowed to multiply wives in other words, the Kings were to model humility non-materialism and monogamy.
To do otherwise would effectively defy God's created order as well as abandon trust in his provision in his protection in his providence she multiplying horses related to military power increasing gold related to materialistic pursuits and multiplying wives related to moral purity and in this rather brutal, materialistic polygamist world that looks a lot like ours. The king over God's people was to set an example and by the way, we as royalties sons and daughters of the King should do none the less.
If you study this biography with this in mind these prohibitions. David will consistently slay the horses of enemy troops after his victorious battle over them. He will he will consistently bring gold and silver and dedicated to the temple, but when it comes to this matter of the opposite sex. He will fail. You might think Willy's two out of three. If this were baseball.
He be a superstar Moses in baseball.
Keep in mind, especially when you read the Old Testament that the what the Bible records isn't necessarily what the Bible condone often just simply states that you might have. If you been with us watched with a measure of confusion and I think I'm going to need to spend an entire sermon on the subject, polygamy, because that's next in our culture. But if you if you study this this biography you been confused not quite sure what to do with it.
He marries Michael, the daughter of King Saul and he watched his EE sort rescues Abigail this damsel in distress after name all that husband of hers dies of a heart attack and if you cut it cheering on the fact he scoops her up but you're wondering why God's hammer doesn't fall somewhere in their honeymoon Scriptures are or silent, leading many effect that had men tell me that's justification for their lifestyle that polygamists heard from them and read them that they would say that David is actually setting an example, but then David marries ahead of any not sure where to file that one then moves to Hebron and asked for more lives now your your filing cabinet just can't handle it, and along the way you discoveries picked up concubines was one little kids that cucumber vines and he is really not finished you will finish the Bible will not wipe out the sin, our spiritual forefathers hears is that lesson the outset of our study.
None of us follow the sin in a moment.
It usually is a series of decisions compromises the builder grow made over a period of time that are compartmentalized that are justified to rationalize that or even sanitized in a flawless, just the next step in the direction you been heading you don't fall in the sin you walk in the sin, not to this point in David's biography.
He has suffered many obstacles and difficulties. In fact, he's been at his his best as he in this climb. One author writes it this way. Look at him now. He's had a humble beginning. He's he's been a giant killer.
Two decades now of leadership choice men in the right places. A military force every photo respected and large boundaries that now reached 60,000 mi.².
No defeats on the battlefield exports imports financial health. A beautiful new home plans for the temple of the Lord.
So what if he married a few more wives and privately created a harem who would complain. By the way there's another lesson there at the outset that I want to record David is about to pursue yet another woman when he has a harem and a multitude of wives. Here's the lesson. Sexual desire is never satisfied outside God's created design. It only increases and digresses and destroys for bid lost is like someone dying of thirst while begging for salt.
David's lust and polygamy and sexual compromises have eroded his integrity. You didn't read about it.
I mean you saw verse hereto, and you scratch your head, but the hammer done fall and I guess everything's all right there wasn't any hammer.
There was an issue dropping in the honeymoon of wife number six or concubine number 12, but it is now beginning to fall.
It's now beginning the full he's about to take a step, he would never himself been able to imagine you could entitle the first half of David's life. The triumphs of David.
This chapter is the hinge in his biography and you can entitle the second half the tragedies of David, the kingdom will never quite be the same effect. The failure of the average Bible student or Christian to understand that this chapter spells the end of his triumphs in the beginning of his tragedies will most likely fail to connect the dots of his coming.
Loss of family relationships. The coming political firestorm intrigue and crime that will include murder and rape, jealousy and abandonment and treason and disloyalty, and multiple murders to come will never connect the dots and what you understand this chapter in its context and end. By the way, you'll also miss dad of his genuine confession and repentance and the amazing grace of God that you understand this correctly. Numbers one. In the spring of the year, the time when kings go to battle a throwaway line, though that's a hint.
David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they ravaged the ammonites. That means that creamed seizures Rohrbaugh but David remained in Jerusalem.
It happened late one afternoon when David arose from his bed couch was walking on the roof of the Kings houses pause there for a moment. The authors hinted at several things we ought to take note of. First of all, David was not in battle. He was in bed. Had he been where he belonged. Perhaps this episode with Bathsheba might never have occurred and isn't it true that sometimes her greatest battles with temptation, when things are going so well now at a future date is commander will convince him did not go into battle because the enemy is targeting David to kill him is not happening here.
David is is most vulnerable to the bait of Satan's board with the mundane chores of a predictable days.
There's more leisure than necessary. He's luxuriating in his new palace. His army is is mopping up one more victory.
All believe need to pray about it. He's resting comfortably, physically and metaphorically on his past rock accomplishments. Life couldn't be easier, and the writer doesn't want us to miss this.
He's lounging in bed in the late afternoon.
There is nothing wrong with an afternoon nap. Excavations have revealed the eastern monarchs frequently built palaces on top of palaces that built garden's beautiful garden. Some of them have been drawn out for contemporary audiences to see hard to imagine what they would do.
They would build open sided column supported dining rooms and bedrooms where they could enjoy from their flat roofs of their palaces. The cool evening breezes in the evening a king would be able to walk around his rooftop garden and some privacy above the noisy streets below. He's protected but from which he can see his kingdom scrolling around, that's exactly where David is at this moment and it happened first to late one afternoon when David arose from his bed couch was walking on the roof of the king's house that he saw from the roof.
A woman bathing and the woman was very beautiful that the biblical record. By the way, isn't gonna write a Hollywood script but it it doesn't exaggerate when it says that she was beautiful. It means it.
In fact, were told that she was very beautiful but one Old Testament linguist pointed out the fact that the Bible rarely uses the word translated very and I checked it out myself went to the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the Old Testament and and discovered that that word very easily translated exceedingly only appears about 12 times in the New Testament the Bible doesn't exaggerate. So when it says that she was exceedingly beautiful she is a perfect storm.
She is perfect for this last step and I would agree. By the way with others that she bears some responsibility in his wonderful commentary on the life of David, which I've enjoyed reading Chuck Swindoll writes on this text here. Bathsheba was careless and foolish from her own home. She would often have looked out to the Royal Palace nearby. She would have known that she could be seen whether she knew it or not, will never know.
And it probably wouldn't matter. David did see her and when he should have turned away. He he looked again in his looking turned into lusting she lust is never satisfied anyway.
It always craves more verse three and David sent, and inquired about the woman.
In other words, can add her to my hair and one said the messenger said is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of a lie am the wife of Uriah the Hittite this messenger. By the way, deserves a medal's answer is loaded with with warnings earliest form of notice.
Just give her name, the form of a question that translated into English means one of the world are you thinking what you say isn't this Bathsheba the daughter. Although I am Bathsheba. The name Woodley translated know much about her but it means daughter of seven, more than likely means the seventh daughter alignment is wife and seven daughters. She's one of them. She's somebody's daughter she's somebody's daughter she's the daughter of a lion's where it gets interesting to me, lie am was the son of ahimsa fell his SL was the trusted counselor of King David working out working to meet him again in this biography. It's interesting to me that this chief counsel artifact it explained to me this week. I finally got it explained to me why the fellow will later abandon David switch sides side with Absalom and give Absalom the correct advice. Had he followed it he would've gotten the throne. He said here's how you need to kill your dad, Absalom ignores is advising that there will even take his life. Why does he end a life of such a respectable career and then leave David for Absalom.
Why because he's been seething for years because of what David did with his granddaughter and ripping his family apart. Messenger is finished. Not typical in elections in the Middle East will begin with the name. Perhaps the father at the grandfather, the spouse is rarely included.
He saved that for last. Verse three she is the wife of Uriah the Hittite.
In other words, that beautiful lady down there is married, that you stopped him cold, but his heart and culture is so much like ours were a wedding band is nothing but a minor obstacle in the way. Not only is she married, though, get this. She's married to Uriah David you know him well. He's one of your mighty men is one of the 37 that track all the way back to those days of hiding out from Saul running for his life.
These are faithful men, who gave everything the David David you know Uriah she's his wife. Fact is a converted Hittite fascinating man we know little of. But his name more than likely was changed at his conversion to Uriah. It means Yahweh is my light.
David your God is my God. They been fighting together on the same side they've watched each other's back for years. David what you think King she's the wife of Uriah.
He knows with David's thinking, which is why he comes back and effectively says David you can do this. She's the granddaughter of your trusted counselor. She's the wife of one of your faithful friends as if to say you cannot be serious. David is undeterred. His mind now governed by lost this lesser passion.
He has set reason and logic aside in faith and worship and fellowship as Dietrich Bonhoeffer once wrote in his book entitled temptation rights insightfully listen to these words, he says in our members. There is a slumbering inclination toward desire, which is both sudden and fierce. When a secret, smoldering fires kindled. It makes a difference whether it is sexual desire or ambition or vanity or revenge or love of fame or power or greed for money this matter. At that moment, when the fires kindled.
This God loses all reality.
Satan does not fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God and the powers of clear discrimination decision taken from us there on that rooftop. You need to understand. David doesn't hate God is choosing to forget God in his judgment and clear thinking become the casualties is only one verse of the text informs us of their encounter can be hard to write a script for a movie out of this one. When I told anything really. When I told her she was surprised by his advances or if she resisted. When I told the David charmed her or threatened or not one word is recorded between the effect in the Hebrew language. It's little doubt that God is boiling it down to brute verbs. That way, verse four David sent messengers took her. She came to him. He lay with her. She returned. No connection, no conversation.
Just cold heartless, selfish, uncaring, lust but do want to point out one thing the, the author Scripture wants us to get in my text. It's an parenthesis which I skipped to go back to it in the middle of verse four simply says that she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness getting that correct will determine our our application. Some translations imply that she remained in David's house until she ceremonially purified herself from sexual intimacy.
According to the law delivered in that would lead me to obviously make application affected even though the sin they put on a religious show as if they cared about the law of God. They cared about God with people and soon often do I have had individuals involved in immorality say I have never been closer to God in my life right now. We pray together we read the Bible together. Amazing absolute loss discretion certain ever found yourself in the position trying to cover-up your sin he tried to maintain a façade of godliness, but your sin was driving you away from God. We know in our hearts that we can't fool God but it's tempting to want to try and it's tempting to try to fool the people in our lives. I'm not glad that King David fell into sin, but I am glad that God preserved the account for us to study because seeing David as a fallen man who gives into temptation can help us not only is this passage a good reminder for us to avoid temptation, but it also instructs us on how to deal properly when we do sin. There's more to this lesson with the conclusion is going to have to wait until next time were just about at the end of our time for today between now and then we'd love to hear from you. If you have a comments a question or would like more information you can send us an email if you address it to info@wisdomonline.org it's always a delight for us to hear from our listeners and learn how God is using this broadcast to bless and encourage you in your walk with Christ.
Once again, that's info@wisdomonline.org and I hope that we hear from you today. That's all for today. I'm Scott Wiley and on behalf of Stephen and the entire wisdom team. Thanks again for joining us.
Don't miss the conclusion to this lesson. Next time on wisdom