2 Samuel 11:1-12:1-7 M. Kelly
six lessons
1. Idle time can be a dangerous time.
It was spring time when kings went out to battle, David stayed home. His fall starts with being idle. v. 2 David rose from his bed in evening. He's been sleeping all day and now gets up. It appears he had some idle time.
The question: What shall I do with my idle time today has led many to ruin.
David was killing time while his men were risking their lives on the battle field.
If we don't have anything to do, the Devil will find evil work for us to do. When we are out of the way of duty, then we are in the way of tempation. The industrious man has no time to sin while the idle man has lots of time to sin.
2. The eyes are a gate way to great sins.
David induges with his eyes and then gets in trouble. There is no sin in seeing, but the sin is in the looking. The eyes are the gateway to temptation. We begin to lust. Do we give it a home and play with it in our mind? That's where the trouble comes in. David should have turned away. James 1; Matt. 18; We need to guard what we see and what we allow our eyes to see.
Women especially should be descrete in what they allow to be seen. We live in a culture that is out of control this way. Women who dress in such a way to draw attention to themselves are as much a problem as the men who look. It's sinful.
3. Notice what one sin leads too. More sin!
Bathsheba is bathing where she can be seen. Bad idea! David has idle time and sees her and that leads to his imagination being inflamed and he sends for her. He isn't planning to turn from his sin at this point. He is informed that she is married. That should have been the end of the matter.
Sin weakens our desire to stop sinning. Sin loves to multiply itself!
David takes her and she gets pregnant and then David schemes how he will cover his sin even to the point of murder!
4. What a blessing that God sends us messengers to rebuke us!
God will not let one of his true children continue in sin.
Nathan the prophet comes to tell David a parable. God sent him. The parable is about the rich man and poor man. The poor man had one little ewe lamb and the rich man took it from him. David said he should have to pay restitution up to 4 times and that he should die. Nathan told David that he is the man!
It was after Nathan rebuked David that he wrote Psalm 51.
5. God's mercies applify our guilt in sinning against him.
2 Sam. 12:7-9 God reminds David of all that He had given him and if David had considered all this, he would not have been discontented and taken Bathsheba.
6. Sin has consequences. v. 12:7
David's sins are forgiven but even his forgiven sins have consequences. The son Bathsheba bore died.
Psalm 51
This is the Psalm David wrote after Nathan confronted David. We often say, "Lord teach us to pray" Here we have a prayer example from one who was humbled because of his sin.
4 Lessons
1. Notice how far a godly man can fall.
David is a man after God's own heart and he fell. Be reminded that godly people can fall in the worst ways into the worst of sins. David fell into adultry and murder, corruption, drunkeness, conspiracy etc.
Don't be surprised when people of God fall...don't be ingnorant of the fact that God's people can fall into sin. See how frail the strongest of the saints are. This is why we are commanded to put on the full armour and to be alert.
There is no level of maturity where a Christian is exempt from falling into gross sin. Let him who thinks he stands take heed that he not fall. Sins nature is to destroy and it remains in all of our hearts. We are only strong when we realize how weak we really are. Pride goes before destruction and a haughty spirit before a fall.
2. Sins that go unconfessed and unrepented of make our bones ache.
David has known no peace because God will not allow his children who live in sin to live peaceably. David tried for about a year to live peaceably with his unconfessed sin. It didn't work.
If you can live peaceably for great lengths of time in known sin then it is likely you are not one of God's people.
3. We must own all our sin.
He doesn't make excuses for them. V. 1 my transgressions....my sins. He takes responsibility and ownership of his sin. True repentance owns its sin. v. 4 I have sinned... Notice how many times he says I, my etc in regard to his sins.
We must be broken because of our sins against God. Many are sorry they have sinned but not because they sinned against God, but because they are now having to experience the consequences of their sin.l
4. True faith does not trust in self.
David throws him self upon the mercy of God. He is not trusting in himself to atone for his own sins. He pleads for God to blot out his sins. God can only do that where there is an atonement made.
David is not pleading for time to make it up. There is no making up for sin with God. The wages of sin is death.
True faith looks to the work of another...the Lord Jesus Christ who made an atonement for our sins.
It is an attack on God to try to be good enough long enough to atone for our own sins. Grace by definition is undeserved. Trusting in the One who can cleanse you is truth faith. Only God can create a new heart. You can't be good enough to earn God's acceptance...the Bible points you to Christ and you are commanded to believe on the Lord Jesus Christ. This is the only way to God's good graces.
David's sins were the worst kind but there is forgivenesss with God...not that we can go on sinning, but that we may fear Him and reverence Him. It is amazing grace. David's faith is so strong that in the midst of realizing his sin he has the faith to turn to God to be cleansed from it.
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