(2 Sam 11:2 NLT) Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath.
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” As I told you yesterday, I spent the last few months teaching on David’s life just to get to this chapter. In this chapter we get to discuss the event that almost ruined David, but it is also the event that helps us identify with this Biblical giant. The fact that David committed such terrible acts and then repented and recovered, coupled with the fact that the New Testament is kind to David (calling him a man after God’s own heart in Acts 13:22), gives us hope. This is just another reminder that God is in the business of making holy garments from flawed material. This is another reminder that our Holy and perfect God forgives and He is willing to work through imperfect people.
One day, while all of his fighting forces were out doing battle without him, David had idle time on his hands and he took an afternoon nap. After his nap the King decided to walk out onto the roof of his palace. I am sure he had done this hundreds of times. The view from atop the palace was certainly remarkable. As David looked out over Jerusalem, something caught his eye. He saw a woman naked, taking a bath. The woman clearly did not know anyone was watching, and while she was performing a seemingly mundane task, the King of Israel was peering down on her naked body like a perverted ‘peeping Tom.’ David could have done the right thing and looked away. After all, David was a man of God. God had been exceptionally good to David and he had been walking with God most of his life. The same God who delivered David from the mouth of the lion, the paw of the bear, the grip of the giant, and sword of his enemies, was watching David as he peered down on this unexpecting woman.
David had a to make a decision. At that moment, while he was looking down on the woman and God was looking down on him, he could have looked away, shook it off (men, you know what I mean), and went back inside his palace. After all, David had several wives already and if he had worked himself up he could have easily called for one of them. But this woman was not his wife and I believe that added to the intrigue. Not only that, but the Bible says she was a woman of “unusual beauty.” I am sure Bathsheba was gorgeous, but surely, a man who had fought so valiantly against lions, bears, giants, and warriors, could easily win the battle in his mind. Couldn’t he? I am sure he could, but at that second, at the critical moment when a decision is made, with the thoughts of both going after the woman or leaving her alone flooding his mind, David decided to pursue sin and instead of righteousness. We will stop here for today.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Everyone is tempted. David was ordained of God to be King and he had been walking with God for decades and he was still tempted. It does not matter who you are, temptation will come knocking at your door. The issue is not that the temptation will come, because it will come. The issue is: what are you going to do when you tempted to sin?
2. Your preparation will show up in your performance. When the temptation to do wrong comes it is too late to attempt to get ready for it. At that moment you are either ready and you resist the temptation, or you are not ready and you succumb to it. You can’t get ready in the moment. Therefore, you must prepare yourself daily, prior to these critical moments, so that you will be ready when they come. And believe me, they will come.
3. Spiritual warfare takes place in the critical moment when a decision is made. When you are facing a critical decision — a decision that will either please God or disappoint Him — don’t think that the decision will only be mental. There is a spiritual aspect to our walk with God and the devil will do everything he can to bring you down. Spiritual forces will be at work, prompting, prodding and poking you towards the bad decision. But if you are “prayed up,” and you already committed your day and your way to the Lord, angelic protection will also be at work to shield you from the enemy. The point is this: in the moment when you have to make a critical decision, don’t think that there are not spiritual forces at work to attempt to get you to go astray. Don’t be ignorant of the devil’s tactics (2 Cor 2:11).
Closing Confession: Father, You are Holy and Perfect and You know that I am not. I am only righteous, because I have been forgiven and made righteous. I am only holy, because You have cleansed me with the Blood of Jesus. But as a Born-Again believer, I make every effort to live right and blameless in Your sight. I seek to be led of Your Spirit daily. I seek to align my will with Your will for my life. I seek to make decisions that line up with Your Word. And I seek to please You in all my ways. I know there is a devil and I know he will tempt me with evil. The enemy will do all he can to get me to go astray. But I won’t wait until the moment of temptation to attempt to get ready. I get ready now. I put Your Word down in my heart daily. I hide Your Word in my heart, that I might not sin against You. I make a conscious decision to get Your Word through my eye gate, looking at it daily. I also make a concerted effort to get Your Word through my ear gate, listening to it at every opportunity. I know that as I get Your Word down in my heart, I am preparing myself for those moments when I must make critical decisions that will either take me towards or away from Your will. I also pray daily and I invoke angelic protection over me and my family, so that we are shielded from the hand of the enemy. I declare, by faith, that I am ready for this day and for all that will come my way. I make decisions that are pleasing in Your sight, because You have been preparing me, all my life, for the critical moments I will face. When posed with good and evil, I choose good. As for me and my house, we shall serve the Lord! In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
