Preached Sunday Morning, August 23, 2009 by Pastor Marshall Stevens

II Samuel 11:1-4 - David’s sin with Bathsheba

When David did not do what he should, he ended up doing what he should not.

If a man such as David could commit such horrible sin, how could we think we are exempt?

In our series so far, everything about David has been very positive. We saw him exceptional:

• as a young man
• in his understanding
• in his zeal
• in his behavior
• in his influence
• in his prayer
• in his desire
• in his patience
• in his lamentation
• in his fear
• in his praise
• in his kindness

This is a chapter in the life of David that we all wish was not in the Bible. But it is.

The Bible is truth; and here David is exceptional in something that is very negative. We see here David’s exceptional sin.

His exceptional sin has two major parts to it:

• The sin with Bathsheba
• His efforts to cover his sin (next Sunday)

We are told in the New Testament that these things are written or recorded for our learning.

If a man after God’s own heart could commit such horrible sin then it stands to reason that any of us could!

David is not just a man who has no control over his passions. David is an example of a man that despite being godly still has a flesh that he lives in that is very weak.

A study of how this happened in the life of a man such as David would yield answers to how it could happen in the life of you and me. We want to consider how this exceptional man of God became exceptional in his sin.

The scripture warns: Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall – I Cor. 10:12

If King David could fall, then it could happen to any of us. Let us learn from David’s mistakes.

David did not just all of a sudden fall. The decision to commit this sin came as the result of other wrong decisions: decisions that may not have seemed all that bad at the time, but at the culmination of wrong decisions is a greater wrong decision.

1. The first mistake David made was not doing what he was supposed to be doing (vs. 1)

David was the king of Israel

It was a time when kings go forth to battle.

The king of Ammon had died. This king had shown kindness to David, and David wanted to return kindness to this king’s son who is the new king. So David sent his servants to convey his condolences to the new king of the Ammonites concerning the death of his father.

But this new king’s counselors decide that David is sending these servants as spies instead of ambassadors of good. So the new king takes the servants of David and has his men cut off half of their beards and cut their clothes off at their backsides.

This was a sign of great disgrace for these men. David has no choice but to go to war with the king of Ammon.

The new king realizes that he has made David mad, and he hires thousands of Syrians to help him fight against David. In the battle the Syrians are put to flight which causes the Ammonites to flee. The Syrians regroup and come against David again and he defeats them.

Now it is time to take care of the Ammonites who caused all of this in the first place.

Instead of David leading his armies out, he has his General Joab lead the soldiers and David stays in Jerusalem.

The first step in David’s sin was not doing what he was supposed to be doing.

Because David’s sin is a man sin, our applications today will mainly be to men. When a man does not do what he is supposed to do he has made the first step towards gross sin.

Here are some things that men are supposed to do:

• They are supposed to maintain a right relationship with God. This requires Bible study and prayer. A man who neglects this part of his life is in great danger; he is taking a step on the path of great sin. I am not saying that reading your Bible and praying will keep you from sin but it is a step on the path of righteousness and neglecting it is a step on the path of unrighteousness!
• A man is supposed to work and provide for his family. A man who refuses to work or wastes what should be used to provide for his family has started down the path of great sin; he is not doing what he is supposed to be doing.
• A man should take care of his family finances. When he neglects this responsibility he has moved towards great sin.
• A man is supposed to work around his home.
• A man is supposed to be the Spiritual inspiration and leader of his family.
• A man is supposed to make a great relationship with his wife.
• A man is supposed to be the discipline leader of his home.

When we neglect to do what we are supposed to do we are taking the first step to great sin.

It may not be that neglecting these things equates to adultery, but it is a step towards great sin.

2. The second mistake David made was to be in a place he should not be (vs. 2)

Not only is David supposed to be away at war, he is now supposed to be sleeping.

When sleep departed from him he used the cover of darkness to be in a place where he could see things that he should not. The Bible clearly tells us that men love darkness rather than light because their deeds are evil.

Darkness serves as a cloak for sin!

We have a society that allows men to use the cover of darkness or secrecy to see things they should not see.

• Watching television alone; at home or in a motel
• Surfing the internet with no accountability
• Making phone calls to numbers no righteousness man should be aware of

Clearly we have a very sensual society that provides men with plenty of opportunities to see things they should not!

Many a mom and or dad have sat in a room and watched things with their children that was wrong for them to watch and were oblivious to the fact that a fire started burning in their young boys.

Because David was not where he should have been, it provided him an opportunity to be where he should not be.

God help the parents that pipe television into their children’s rooms. No accountability equates to no restraint!

God help the parents who allow their children private access to the internet. My 5 and 6 year old granddaughters have not had much computer experience. But my daughter gave them a program for educational purposes and was amazed at how easily they moved around in that program and found parts of the program that she did not know existed.

Your child will have a computer savvy that you may not ever have. Don’t for one moment think that they cannot find stuff on that computer that you would never know how to find.

We had better understand that in our society we must be aware of the danger of allowing our children to be alone with other children who are older or more sophisticated about the things of the world. And even alone with adults!

If my children were young, would I allow them to attend sleep-overs? NO

Some of you will say, but I know this family real well. David was a man after God’s own heart and he easily fell into gross sin. Many an adult has appeared to be godly only to find out some horrible hidden sin in their lives. In the fleshly, wicked society we have we must be ever vigilant as parents.

David was not doing what he should have been doing, and it led to being where he should not be.

3. His third mistake was looking at what he should not be looking at

From the rooftop, David saw Bathsheba bathing herself.

He saw nudity in some degree. It was wrong for her to be in a place where she could be seen, and it was wrong for him to be in a place where he could see.

Our God is the creator.

He is wise and His creation is proof of His wisdom. He created us in such a way that the female body is rather fascinating to the male mind.

God made it possible for men to enjoy this fascination; it is called marriage.

“ Marriage is honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” (Heb 13:4 AV)

When I married my wife, she became my portion. In fact, listen to the words of Proverbs 5:15-20 on the subject of husbands and wives:
“15 Drink waters out of thine own cistern, and running waters out of thine own well.
16 Let thy fountains be dispersed abroad, and rivers of waters in the streets.
17 Let them be only thine own, and not strangers’ with thee.
18 Let thy fountain be blessed: and rejoice with the wife of thy youth.
19 Let her be as the loving hind and pleasant roe; let her breasts satisfy thee at all times; and be thou ravished always with her love.
20 And why wilt thou, my son, be ravished with a strange woman, and embrace the bosom of a stranger?” (Pr 5:15-20 AV)

• My portion, my cistern is my wife.
• I am not to drink from another well but her.
• She is not the portion of any other man.
• The way God made her is for me to enjoy, not any other.

When a man looks at a woman in some degree of nudity who is not his wife then he is violating the law of God.

She is not his to look at. It is a violation of the marriage bed whether or not you are married at this point. Isn’t it sad that we have a nation that makes it so easy for a young man to violate his marriage bed before he is even married?

Ladies, let me warn you about not putting on modest apparel.

Some of you provide an opportunity for a man to see and think about things that are a clear violation of his marriage bed. Don’t think for one minute that Bathsheba was innocent in all of this, and neither are the women who dress in such a manner as to reveal or accentuate what should only be revealed or accentuated to their husbands!

David was not doing what he was supposed to be doing; that led to him being where he should not have been and provided him an opportunity to see what he should not have seen.

4. His fourth mistake was thinking what he should not have been thinking (vs. 2-3)

When David saw Bathsheba, instead of removing his eyes from her, he kept looking.

• He discovered she was beautiful to look on.
• He then sent and enquired about her.
• He had set his mind on her, causing his mind to dwell where it should not dwell; he allowed it to think what it should not think.
• And even when in his investigation he found out she was married to another man he was too far down the path of gross sin to stop. His mind was beyond his control.

I believe his last chance to avoid this gross sin happened the moment he saw her.

He could have at that point looked away and moved away. But when he allowed his mind to dwell on her a whole scenario of sin came into his mind. And I am sure that his mind made it seem so wonderful.

“ The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it?” (Jer 17:9 AV)

I don’t believe in governmental mind control, but I do believe in Holy Ghost mind control.

We need to get to the point that we learn to take our thoughts and bring them into captivity. If not they will bring us into captivity.

To bring each thought before the Lord to make sure that each thought is approved of God. He knows our thoughts, and we will be judged for our thoughts.

One of the commandments is to not commit adultery. But Jesus said that if a man looked on a woman to lust after her that he had committed adultery already in his heart.

We need to learn to change what we think to make sure it meets the Lord’s approval.

David was not doing what he should have being doing which led to being where he should not be.

David then saw what he should not see and began to think what he should not think.

5. Then we find David doing what he should not do (vs. 4)

David commits adultery.

This is forbidden by scripture. David had gone from not doing what he should to doing what he should not.

How could this man after God’s own heart do such a horrible thing?

I think it becomes more absurd when you realize David had multiple wives. There is more here than just the call of the fleshly desire. It is called evil concupiscence: a desire for what is forbidden. A man who allows such passions in his mind will not be cured by getting married. Marriage does not provide the flesh with what is forbidden!

Let us remind ourselves that adultery of any kind is still sin!

Conclusion:

This is a hard message. There is nothing of a positive message in the sin of David; but it is written for our learning. When David did not do what he was supposed to be doing it led to him doing what he should not be doing.

This lesson causes us to realize that if it could happen to him, it could happen to us!

Wherefore, let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall!

We need some men that will determine with the Lord to do what they are supposed to do:

• To not be where they are not supposed to be
• To not look at what they are not supposed to look at
• To not think what they are not supposed to think
• To not do what they are not supposed to do

If you are on the path of gross sin get off!

Let me remind you that God will forgive David of this sin. It will cost David dearly, but God does forgive him; it will cost God dearly to forgive David. Jesus Christ will have to shed His blood as a covering for David’s sin. Jesus Christ will give His life and rise again!