Read Through the Bible in a Year 2018 Day 97: David's Temptation

Good afternoon, everyone!

There is a lot I could talk about from my reading of 2 Samuel 8-12.

However, I want to focus on one part today.

David and Bathsheba.

Now, you may have heard teachings on this, and what I say may not be new (nor is it a teaching, come to that). Still, I hope you get something out of my reflections today.

2 Samuel 11:1 - Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.

Now, I want to pause here. Notice the last sentence? David stayed at Jerusalem. This was the time when all the kings went out to battle. And we've already established that David was a great warrior. He fought many battles, and God was always with him.

David wasn't where he was supposed to be.

It is my belief (belief only) that if David had gone out to battle with his men, then this great sin would never have happened.

But, despite people's choices, God's plan can still prevail.

So, David stayed at home while his men went out to war. And he was on his roof one evening when he saw Bathsheba bathing.

Now, why was she bathing in full view of the king's roof?

I'll let you draw your own conclusion there.

And David knew she was married, but he had a weakness for beautiful women. So he sent for her, and lay with her, and she conceived a child.

So, David sent for her husband to try to cover it up. But her husband was honorable. He would not go home to his wife while his brothers were out fighting. David tried to get him drunk and send him home, but Uriah's honor won.

So David did something really dishonorable. He sent Uriah back to Joab with a letter. In the letter, David told Joab to send Uriah to the front in a place where he would surely die.

Uriah delivered his own death sentence.

Oh, David. What have you done?

Once Uriah died, and Bathsheba's period of mourning was over, David sent for her and made her his wife.

Now, I'm not hating on David. It seems like he did part of this in order to save Bathsheba from being found out. Remember, in those days, a woman who had committed adultery was put to death. 

I'm also not condoning what he did either.

And neither did God.

Even though David was a man after God's own hear, even though he was God's anointed king, he was still accountable to God.

And God was angry.

In chapter 12, Nathan the prophet rebuked David through a hypothetical situation.

When David passed sentence on the hypothetical situation, Nathan revealed that David was the guilty man. And he revealed God's punishment.

Well, first of all, David's household would no longer be peaceful, but full of strife. 

And David fell on his face and admitted his guilt.

And I believe that is what saved him.

That's what saves all of us. When we admit our guilt, confess our sins, and ask for forgiveness earnestly and sincerely, God will forgive us, and we will not die the eternal death.

Such is the case with David, though I think Nathan meant it a little more literally and immediately.

Nathan assured David that he would not die, but that the child he conceived with Bathsheba would.

Later, Bathsheba and David had another son: Solomon.

I bet you've heard of him. We'll get into his story later.

For now, I want to conclude with what I learned from today's reading, or the verse I began with.


2 Samuel 11:1 - Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.


Temptation is not impossible to resist, even though it is difficult sometimes. But I know from experience that if we are somewhere we aren't supposed to be, if we have ignored something we are supposed to do, or if we entertain sinful thoughts too long, temptation becomes harder to overcome.

I know because that was me for a long time. When I was in the wrong place, doing something I knew I wasn't supposed to, or just thought about things I knew weren't of God, temptation came upon me so strongly that I felt I couldn't escape its grip. And too often, I gave in.

One day I'll share the full story with you. But for today, know that this is not a rebuke, nor am I condemning you. 

I don't know your story. But I know this:

Jesus wants to save you the way He saved me. Only Jesus saves, but we have the choice to let Him. The more we let Him into our lives, the less room there is for sin to dwell.

And remember, sometimes we make mistakes. Just ask forgiveness earnestly and sincerely, and let Jesus into your life a little bit more. Soon, you won't even think about the thing that tempted you so badly. You won't even have the urge to do it anymore.

I hope you'll join me tomorrow when I read 2 Samuel 13-15.