(Read 2 Sam 11:6-14)
This morning we continue our series “Grace that is Simply Amazing.” Once David got word that Bathsheba was pregnant he knew he had a mess on his hands. Not only had he sinned against his God and violated his own integrity, but the fact that he had taken advantage of one of his own men’s wives was a secret that would soon get out. David had to do something, so he devised a plan to get Bathsheba’s husband Uriah home from the field. David’s hope was that Uriah would sleep with Bathsheba and when the pregnancy would later come to light, he would think that the baby was his own.
David sent word to his military commander Joab to send Uriah the Hittite to the King and Joab complied. For Uriah this would have been a strange request. For an average Soldier to be summoned by the King was clearly out of the norm. Uriah arrived at the royal palace, not knowing why he had been summoned. David had to come up with something, so he asked Uriah how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing. Uriah gave the King an update and David then said to Uriah, “Go on home and relax.” David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. However, covering up sin is seldom that easy. Uriah refused to go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard.
When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him again and asked, “What’s the matter? Why didn’t you go home last night after being away for so long?” Uriah’s reply makes me proud. I have served in the United States Army for almost 23 years and I can certainly identify with Uriah on this and see how he was a good leader. Uriah told David, “The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.” Uriah was showing that he was a loyal military man and a man of integrity. David had to come up with a Plan B. So David said, “Okay, well stay here tonight and tomorrow you may return to the army.” That night the King invited Uriah to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn’t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Even while intoxicated Uriah stumbled his way to the palace entrance again and slept in the barracks with the palace guard.
So what does this mean to you today? A few things:
1. Sin begets more sin. Sin is upward (against God), transgression is outward (against man) and iniquity is inward (against yourself). David committed all three when he committed adultery (against God), he violated both Uriah and Bathsheba (against man) and he violated his own integrity (against himself). Once he did this, David had to commit more sin to cover it up. One sin leads to the next, and the next, and etc.
2. Getting into sin is much easier than getting out of it. Satan will make it very easy for you to get into sin, but once you do, you will find that getting out of it is not as easy. No matter what David tried, he could not get Uriah to sleep with his wife and the plan he had to get out of his mess kept failing. That’s how it was for David and that is how it will be for you if you succumb to the temptation to sin. Tasting of sin is easy, but attempting to get out of the mess that sin creates is not always easy. A few minutes of sin can cause you weeks or even months of trouble.
3. It’s much better to avoid a mess than to deal with it once it’s made. I had a conversation yesterday with my cousin about the 10 Commandments. We were discussing how the Lord’s Commandments (not just the 10) benefit US more than they benefit Him. The Lord gives us instructions in his Word to help US. If we obey those instructions we will live a happy and blessed life. But if we fail to, we will get into things we shouldn’t get into and we will find that getting out of them will be a challenge. So, it’s much better to simply obey the Lord’s commands up front, avoiding the messes altogether. If you do this, you will enjoy the blessed benefits of living in accordance with God’s will.
Closing Confession: Father, Your Word says that if I love You I will keep Your Commandments. I do love You and by Your grace, and with the help of the Holy Spirit, I live a life that is pleasing in Your sight. Now that I am Born-Again, I may not be sinless, but I will surely sin less. I avoid the trappings of sin, because I know one sin leads to another and another. I don’t even open the door to sin, because I know that a few minutes of sin can lead to weeks of trouble. I obey Your Word, I listen to Your Spirit, and I walk in the Holiness wherewith I have been called. I have sinned enough in my life to know what the ramifications of sin are. I don’t need to learn that lesson any more. I abstain from even the appearance of evil, I live right in Your sight, and I avoid the messes that sin creates. By doing so I protect myself and my family. I seek to honor my upward relationship with You, my outward relationship with others, and my inward integrity with myself. I am Your child and I am called by Your name, You are my Lord and You have destined me from greatness. I want to maximize the purpose and potential You have placed down inside of me, and I know that in order to do so I must live by Your commands. I declare that I will and I declare it by faith. In Jesus’ name. Amen.
This is Today’s Word! Apply it and Prosper.
