Caught Red Handed, Part 1

Later Saul should build knows that the hand of God is heavy upon the this way Orlando slips into a mud puddle might enjoy the cool liquid for a moment before struggles to get out okay will slip into my final essay to himself. Man, I finally know this is living right children of God are never completely comfortable with sin and your sin exposed is one of the most painful experience after committing adultery. King David thought he could get away with this. He went so far as to commit murder as part of his cover-up.

What finally broke David was a confrontation by Nathan David's sin was forgiven, but sin has consequences. And that's our theme today on wisdom for the heart. Stephen Devi continues through his series on the life of David in a sermon that he's calling caught red by personally giving better time for the voice of the church that believes the gospel to be heard. There was ever a need.

It is this our fact, I was given an article by one of my staff pastors and talking about one of the largest ever roundups of a child pornography ring and dozens of people were arrested front page news that I have it on my desk this week as I repair to sort of open our study with this.

What made it even more startling to read was or see was that on the front page of the USA Today were mugshots of these individuals had been arrested individuals that you would expect, could be trusted individuals that should be trustworthy yet. Among those arrested hundreds are going to be caught up in this net, but among them initially. Here was a picture of a mug shot of a police chief, along with another police officer and nurse a paramedic and a great bearded middle-aged Jewish rabbi. The article said more than 600 desktop computers have been seized laptops, tablets, smart phones and other devices containing thousands of images and videos. These images and videos now pointing a finger of incrimination, undeniable evidence.

These individuals have been caught red handed. That expression began to swirl around in my mind, caught red handed little study to find out when it started its been used and is used to this day in a number of different contexts, typically not in a positive way. I found it it appeared for the first time in a 1432 the Scottish acts of Parliament under the reign of King James I and it was a new law that attempted deal with poachers who were killing deer on other people's property and the long red and I quote, although I have translated in the more current English. If the offender be caught red-handed.

He may be pursued and put to the knowledge of the landlord. In other words, there's no need for an expensive trial delay turnover. He literally in the blood of the deer on his hands is incriminating, undeniable evidence, little more than 300 years later, Sir Walter Scott, in his novel Ivanhoe use that expression red-handed and from there it just sort of picked up became a popular expression where Scott was referring to a hunter caught with blood on his hands having poached. A theory was caught red handed interesting as I did a little study of us to find other cultures have had similar ways of using this concept in Japan. Temple monks would paint on their coins, their money and invisible coding of sap from poison ivy so that any thief would eventually break out with an irritating red rash be detected by his red hands back in England, the redcoats worn by England's top-tier military can still see them parading around Buckingham Palace very expensive coats would often be stolen from woolen Mills's are read centuries ago more valuable than they are. Certainly, today they would be stolen while hanging on the lines just having been stained with red dye dry out and of course the thieves could be easily apprehended. The red dye visible from their hands also discovered that English nobles at the practice of dipping their expensive pistachios in this clear die so that if there servants stole any of them, their fingertips and tongs with turn right red being caught red-handed his travel down to us today refers to somebody caught either in the act or with the evidence of wrongdoing in their possession being caught red-handed. That is a is a metaphor for being caught without any excuse. There's no need for any denial, you are literally stained, as it were, with the evidence of your wrong your wrongdoing now in our last study. If you are with us.

We watched the elaborate cover-up of a man whose hands were stained. King David had taken another man's wife for one night, assuming he'd never be found out. Trouble is, she became pregnant and instead of revealing the truth.

David plunged into this downward spiral of cover-up that eventually led to a conspiracy with his top general Joab and the death of this woman's husband while in battle. We left our study and second Samuel chapter 11 where we were informed that at the end of the traditional period of mourning death of someone which would have been seven days.

David takes the widow and brings her into his harem as one of his wives and assumes that nobody is wiser, but there are eyewitnesses certainly Joab in general and I'll use it.

As I mentioned against him for the rest of his career there. Certainly the pregnant widow who joins him in this secret, but there wasn't another reliable eyewitness and we found out who at the end of the chapter simply put God Chapter 11 ends. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord even of the Lord wasn't apparently moving acting speaking. He was certainly watching. He could see the blood on David's body the end of chapter 11.

The student of the word assumes the chapter 12 Takes Pl. 5 minutes later and it doesn't it's a year later. Keep that in mind. By now the gossips of the palace staff and sort of settled down. They knew what he done, though they had no probably any evidence they figured it out a few cynics around the corner probably still you know, moaning. I told you that nothing would happen to David you know he's God's pet and it really does look like David is gotten away with adultery and murder but just in case you're thinking he did these at this moment in between Chapter 11 and Chapter 12. In that 10 to 12 month period time having the time of his life.

Think again. Psalm chapter 32 gives us a peek into his heart to solve the David will write later describing that here. During the cover-up will have time and let me just quickly quote one or two of the lyrics.

He says this Blessed is the man whose transgression is forgiven until he starts. Then he goes into detail when I kept silent.

That is when I covered up by sin.

My bones wasted away through my groaning all day long for day and night your hand the speaking God was heavy upon me. My strength was dried up like a hot summer day, not having the time of his life is buried with guilt. One commentary put it this way he's not relaxing is not sipping lemonade on his patio count on his sleepless nights, he can see his sin written across the ceiling of his room as he tosses and turns, he sees it written across the walls.

He sees it on the plate retried choked of his meals he sees on the faces of his counselors and his wife that she but he has become a miserable husband and irritable father, a poor leader and a song, less composer. He is living a lie but he cannot escape the truth will put his miserable the passing pleasure of sin has long since passed. Can't shake it by the way, that's the mark of a genuine believer sexually spells hope David. He's miserable. According what will write later to solve the can't shake the guilt and shame these he knows that the hand of God is heavy upon think of it this way. Alanna slips into a mud puddle might enjoy the cool liquid for a moment before struggles to get out a pig will slip into a mud puddle and say to himself man I finally home. This is this is living right. The children of God are never completely comfortable with sin. He found that to be true to the timing of God's delay, but it's perfect it's many years now. David's source is concerned, there are no visible stain it's time for God. With that chapter 12 notice verse one and or then the Lord sent Nathan David became the woman said to him, there were two men in a certain city.

The one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had very many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought any brought it up and it grew up with him and with his children to use the each of his food and drink from his cup and lie in his arms and it was like a daughter by the way, if you're an older believer, you read through the story. Slow down for a minute if you're reading for the first time you'll notice that Nate is not coming to David like we use older Bibles.

It is think okay David on the delivery will parable in your gonna find yourself in the parable, he doesn't announce that he begins to tell the story as if it happened in any any really pours on the emotional language does any as he describes the bond between this little lamb and this poor man to see his children. This is their pets.

Did you notice he's doing things for his little lamb that you would not do for your pet. More than likely he's letting it do notice eat right off his plate and drink right out of his caught, you would not let your dog do that right. You wouldn't you wouldn't your cat would do without permission and the demand refills. But that's another story.

Okay, you probably wouldn't do that Nathan.

By the way is using words loaded to the Hebrew year with implication. We point out a couple in verse three he said that this little lamb lay in his arm. That word is never used between a pet and the owner. It's a word commonly used for a man embracing hugging his wife so already. He's he's sort of noodling around the edge. He also do something else. The phrase that comes next that this lamb was like a daughter that's actually the same Hebrew word the first part of it that you find in the name that she but the lamb was like a bat to him and that must've arrested, perhaps unconsciously, David's heart pricked those first four that there came a traveler to the rich man he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or her to prepare for the guest to come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who would come to him again. Nathan is using loaded words. In fact, the word for traveler here that I read is a word for someone who was walking around. It is a different kind of work for someone traveling from home to some location it's it's actually work for some reasons. Walking around in the interesting thing is that it appears that same verb in the Hebrew language back in chapter 11 to describe David who was walking around his roof again. Nathan is his London here. David isn't necessarily connecting the dots. But but there is something happening to him emotionally because he responds with rage, notice verse five. David's anger was greatly kindled against the man. He said the Nathan as the Lord lives.

The man was done. This deserves to die and he shall restore the lamb for fall because he did this thing and because he had no pity given my David just sentenced himself before we get there. Don't you find it interesting to see in David our own ability to condemn others for doing less than what we have done ourselves quick to see in someone even the slightest sliver of what we do in coming down so hard the Lord Jesus talks about this and this is another sermon that I just want to drop it in. Here's an aside.

Matthew seven how is it that we can see the splinter of Lord in someone's eye when we have a theme protruding from our own. The splinter in the beam by the way are made out of the same thing the same substance would in other words, the person who sends the most in some area is able to spot that same sin in someone else's life even though it's only a fraction of there's the rich man stole something.

David is incensed when he steel all I am what David steel all life a man's life that she still die. Why well because he stole something he had plenty of because he acted without pity towards only to defend himself because he abused his power to do whatever he wanted because he ripped the family apart with grief yes all the above. David just comes off his throne and he splatters enrage as God lives (got into it, but God lives that mandated that deserves to die and you can just imagine Nathan causing perfect is David's sentence just reverberates around the palace wall gets quiet. Nathan looks David in the says in verse seven, you are that man that rich man is. I can imagine the David's jaws well for said probably dropped open. He probably blinked a couple of times looking at Nathan inquisitively first and then his eyes open wide with sudden recognition. He probably slumped back to his throne as his heart begin the beat against his chest. He didn't know that anybody knew outside of the close circle that kept the secret getting thought of the fact that God knew he knew God knew the prophet of God has just arrived to spill it.

David has been caught effectively read him.

David had stains on his heart that it already begun to eat like corrosive rust away this peace and joy is communion with God is or something. By the way friend that you hope never gets out. As you look at the text by the way, this is a just look at David's to look in the mirror of the word it ourselves or something is there some stain you're hoping never gets detected. Is there some evidence that you hope never surfaces. One of the prophet of God by the name of Nathan showed up at your doorstep this afternoon. What would happen to the palms of your hand.

The beating of your heart. One author told the interesting story of a man named Rogers Kayden head happened not too long ago I clicked it. Put it away, pulled out, that would be the timely illustration when Pope John Paul II died.

Rogers and others do this like a pretty decent living off purchased all web domain, assuming it would be needed later that web domain, he purchased he registered as www.Benedict 16., and he waited. He guessed correctly that would be the pope's new name the new pope's.

He knew that Rome would want it.

He watched as another name Pope Benedict 16., and sold on eBay for $16,000 you wishing you had the idea yourself do it. He figured that his would be worth more money and it would be. The article said in a surprising twist, Rogers informed the Catholic officials who came knocking. They did that he didn't want money. He was a Catholic himself and one of the church to have the domain instead he wanted two things he wanted a free night in the Vatican hotel and he wanted complete absolution, no questions asked.

For the third week of March 1987.

Makes you wonder what happened on the third week of March 1987.

Whatever was that man carrying is being buried by he didn't want the news out but he just wanted wiped away.

I wonder if you're hiding something from God is a business practice. God would never honor or your spouse if they found out is it up a relationship you are nursing along. Shouldn't have is a test score. You didn't deserve his diploma that you didn't learn could be a an award you didn't merit a resume where you didn't completely tell the truth. Is it something from the past you've never admit it isn't something like David that when we look at the text like this.

It surfaces in your hands feel stained all over again. It robs your joy in your sleep and your communion with God because you know deep down God knows to what happens next is the ultimate solution and it isn't found in some churches absolution the church can't wipe stains away before David can interrupt Nathan saying anything.

What were often remiss in not noting is that Nathan continues on and deliver some consequences to David's sin. There are three of them first bike and put it into a sentence form violence and death would become a part of David's household done in verse 10 now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house because you despised me and taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife. Now if you study the final years of David's reign. From this point forward the sword never never stops swinging never murder among the royal family will become the scandal of Jerusalem's Gary front page.

It would it would make a serial show fit for 21st century television staying the legacy of David's reign. Secondly, not only will violence and murder become part of his household, but elicit lust and immorality affected the very next chapter lust and rape will enter the palace grounds among members of the royal family. David will be powerless to remedy it like it's going to end an even more murder. There will be immorality that David would never dream of why because his children will see his compromise and his sin and they will take it a thousand miles further than he would've ever wanted to run with it because that mud toddlers home to and they'll excuse themselves on what they've seen their father.

That's one of the challenges and penalties of being a parent, or even being a leader in verse 11, Nathan says, thus says the Lord will hold I'm going to raise up evil against you out of your own house and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor. This is by the way judgment on David's ongoing sin. Having more than one wife. He this neighbor shall lie with your wives in plain view verse 12, you did it secretly, but I will do this thing for all Israel before the sun always guys can allow a sinner to take what David did secretly prorated. This is going to be fulfilled by Absalom, David's son, as he overthrows his father's throne are temp stupid in the meantime about to as David is running for his life.

Absalom takes David's harem pitches attends on the top of the palace roof and the files.

All of them sexually is a show his power now and and certainly his utter contempt and hatred for his father. I can remember my father often telling us for boys my father farm has the rural wisdom.

At times he would often say to us as we grew up that we could not so life of wild oats and pray for a crop. Even though David will be forgiven. There is still the principle of reaping so there are some consequences that will linger for the believer is asked forgiveness continually take strength if anybody thinks David gets a free pass seven read the rest of C and King David is learning that lesson the hard way. We need to be the kind of people who run from sin and when we do sin, we need to be the kind of people who are quick to confess our sin and seek restoration from God. There may be consequences for our sin, but facing those consequences is far better than leaving our sin on confessed Stephen's not quite through with this lesson, but we need to stop here and resume this lesson tomorrow.

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