Today's Treasure:
"Uriah said to David, 'The ark and 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!' "
2 Samuel 11: 11
Read 2 Samuel 11: 1 - 27
Why did David bring Uriah home?
To cover up his (David's) sin. He wanted Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba so he would not question who the child belonged to
Have you ever felt someone was faking an interest in you for an ulterior motive?
In what ways was David probably faking interest?
I am sure David was pretending to care about the needs of Uriah. He wanted to make him feel special and relaxed so he would return home and sleep with Bathsheba. Did you also notice that a gift from the king was sent after Uriah as he returned home.
2 Samuel 11: 1- 17
There is a stark contrast between the character of Uriah and that of David. List some of the characteristics of each
Uriah:
He was self-less
He respected the presence of God (the ark) and his men
He did not put pleasure before commitment
David:
He was selfish
He did not respect the presence of God
He was away from his men; therefore, he did not respect the men that were fighting for him
He put his own pleasure before commitment
How did David involve Joab in his grievous sin?
He had Joab send Uriah home for the initial attempt to cover up his sin
Then, he had Joab carry out his orders for Uriah's death
Did you note in the scripture that poor Uriah even carried his death sentence back to Joab for David?
Complete verse 27:
"After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord."
We must take into account how far this sin removed David's heart from God:
1. David resisted many opportunities to repent of his sin and lessen the charges against himself
After his sin with Bathsheba, how might David have behaved with repentance and integrity?
He should have repented to God, confessed to Uriah and asked for forgiveness from Bathsheba
Why do you think David didn't stop and repent? You might consider the answer from a personal standpoint by asking yourself, "Why have I not at times stopped and repented in the earlier stages of sin?"
Fear overwhelms us to a point that we do not think rationally. We think more of what others will think of us than what God thinks of our sin. I was made aware of a statistic that just took my breath away. Do you realize that more abortions occur in Christian families than secular families? Can you believe that? At first, I just knew it had to be wrong! After considering it for a while, it began to make sense. It all applies to this point. Christians should be the first to fall before our knees and confess our sins to God. We should love and embrace individuals who make the mistake of conceiving out of wedlock, and help them repent of their sin. We should not use our energy judging them, but we should help them overcome the circumstances and show them the example of love that we should be. Instead, we often tear these individuals down with gossip and judgment. We make them feel as though they cannot overcome what has happened to them. This is why people who are not strong enough in their faith to know this treatment by fellow Christians is wrong choose abortion to take care of the situation. However, people who are strong enough to turn to God, repent and accept being embraced by supportive fellow Christians are able to turn this situation into a beautiful opportunity to grow closer to God. They do not have the sin and regret of an abortion to overcome on top of the initial sin!!!
2. David was unmoved by Uriah's integrity
According to Psalm 78: 72, how had David once shepherded his people?
with the integrity of heart
When Uriah set the example of integrity that he displayed for David, David should have fallen to his knees and begged for forgiveness. Instead, he was only reminded of the person he was choosing not to be. This made anger and a need for victory over the situation grow inside David. He disregarded the consequences and chose to make the situation worse. Uriah had to die to pay for a sin that he was completely innocent of.
3. David tried to cover up his own sin
Have you ever gotten tangled in a web of sin while you tried to cover the first one? What emotions did you feel during this season of you life?
Shame and loneliness
Who is blessed according to Psalm 32:1?
"Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered"
Who did God inspire to write Psalm 32?
David
God covered our sins on the cross. He clothed us with forgiveness and mercy that we will never be able to understand on this side of heaven. When we try to cover our own sins, it shows disrespect for the very fact that Jesus Christ died on the cross for us. He didn't choose to take the nails just to look good to "man". He chose to take those nails for a very personal and intimate reason...his deep love for each and every one of us. We have the privilege of allowing that shed blood to cover us when we sin.
4. He involved many others in his sin
How often do we do this? No, we may not have been responsible for death of an individual, but boy does misery love company. When we are eaten up with guilt over our sins, we often turn to others to help us justify it. Is that not pulling them into the sin with us? David used messengers to bring Bathsheba to him. He used Joab to send Uriah home and then eventually carry out Uriah's death. He took away the purity of Bathsheba's marriage. Can you see how "one little sin" did so much to so many people? If you commit a sin, the best thing to do is own up to it on your own. Don't drag others down with you! I think Christ has some pretty strong words to say about this that involve a millstone, your neck and some water.
What are we to do with this information and the sting of our own failures reawakened in our hearts? First Corinthians 10: 11 - 12 gives us several reasons why God has given us accounts like David's. What are they?
They happened as examples and warnings for us to keep us from falling prey to these sins
In Him
Tiffany
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