(II Samuel 11:2, 11, 15, 27)
I. Concentration: on lusting after another man’s wife.
1. One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, . . . (v.2)
2. Uriah said to David, “The ark, Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” (v.11)
3. In it he wrote, “Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” (v.15)
4. After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord. (v.27)
II. Meditation: on loyalty not being reciprocated .
1. While King David’s Israelite army was off to war, he remained in Jerusalem; on a sleepless night he finds himself on the palace roof; a distance away he sees a beautiful woman bathing; inquiries tell him she’s Bathsheba, the Hittite Uriah’s wife.
2. David sends for Bathsheba, sleeps with her and she becomes pregnant; he has Uriah returned from the war; if Uriah sleeps with his wife his sin will be hidden; Uriah is so loyal to King David he will not return to the comforts of home while duty calls.
3. King David gets Uriah drunk the next day, but again he stays with his master’s servants; David resorts to sending Uriah back to the war, this time to be set up to be killed.
4. A messenger reports the casualties of war, among them the death of Uriah; Bathsheba mourns her husband’s death, then David marries her and they have a son; God is very displeased – David has broken 3 commandments (Deuteronomy 5:17, 18, 21).
III. Revelation: on taking responsibility for our actions.
1. Satan often show us things that should be out of our reach; as Christians, let us ask God to strengthen us so we will reject evil, regardless how enticing it might be.
2. Instead of trying to cover up our sins - let us repent, ask forgiveness and resolve not to repeat bad choices causing additional sins.
3. Genesis 17:1 tells us “I am God Almighty, walk before me and be blameless.”; therefore we should not to try to hide our sins by putting blame on others.
4. As Christians, we are blessed to have the Word of God available to us in every language and translation; we have no excuse for not knowing what displeases Him.
IV. Application: As a Christian, I need to:
1. Follow God’s Way; not be so willful as to invite evil into my life.
2. Make good choices, but when I sin fall before God repenting and asking forgiveness.
3. Take responsibility for my actions and not shift focus to others by blaming them.
4. Continue my daily time in God’s Word; become a better person by pleasing God.
Death To The Poor Little Lambs
(II Samuel 12:4, 5, 9, 24)
I. Concentration: on how the rich can oppress the poor.
1. “Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him.” (v.4)
2. David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, “As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die!” (v.5)
3. “Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites.” (v.9)
4. Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him; . . . (v.24)
II. Meditation: on not underestimating another’s love.
1. This poor man had a precious ewe lamb, a dearly loved pet; while the rich man had many sheep he took and slaughtered the poor man’s only lamb (II Samuel 11:4a).
2. When David heard this story he was extremely angry and vowed death to the rich man.
3. Imagine how difficult for Nathan to tell King David it was who did this to Uriah by taking his wife and putting him in the front line to be killed by the enemy.
4. God pronounced 3 judgments on David – one being the death of his son; God takes away David’s sin, allowing him to have another son with Bathsheba, whom He loves.
III. Revelation: on a misuse of power.
1. Never think what we have is more important than what others have, nor underestimate the love and value they place on their own – family, friends, pets, possessions.
2. We need to consider that some of our actions could have lifelong effects on others.
3. We can be in a difficult situation when we have to deliver a tough message to a person of power or authority; as long as the message we are giving is supported by His Word we know we have Him standing beside us and supporting us.
4. King David is a perfect example of how God still loves and forgives us – even after we have sinned and then repented; remember . . . God chose us (2 Thessalonians 2:13) to serve him.
IV. Application: As a Christian, I need to:
1. Respect what belongs to others; never minimize its important to them.
2. Make sure my actions do not cause cruelty to others; remember that what we do (good or bad) can leave a lasting impression.
3. Remember that a cruel person who has earthly power has no special authority under God to mistreat His children; stand up, stand firm, but be cautious and careful.
4. Be ever thankful to God for bringing me back from the precipice of darkness.