2 Samuel 11

IT'S EASY!

 

What are some things that most human beings find easy to do?

 

What are some things that are easy for you to do either because you have natural ability or because you've practiced a long time?

 

What are some of the things that we find easy to do that we wish we didn't do? 

 

Examples: worry, overeating

 

Because it is so easy to do things wrong, that is to sin, I'm so glad that receiving forgiveness is easy.  That's why Jesus came to earth.  He died on the cross to pay for the sins which we could not atone for ourselves.  He took our punishment.

 

1 Corinthians 15:3-4 - For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; [4] And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures:

 

Now because Jesus already died for our sins, we simply and easily must put our faith in the Lord Jesus. This is a one-time transaction that brings about forgiveness and eternal life.   

 

Acts 16:31 - And they said, Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ, and thou shalt be saved, and thy house.

 

When a person truly trusts Christ as Savior, God the Holy Spirit comes to live inside, and a change takes place.

  

 2 Corinthians 5:17 - Therefore if any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new.

 

The new person has a desire and a capacity to live for God.

Living the Christian life is not as easy as becoming a Christian.

And, unfortunately, there are many things that are way too easy for us to do.

 

Our Scripture text this morning is 2 Samuel 11.  Here we meet an old friend, King David.

David, who killed the giant, Goliath, with a stone and a slingshot…

David who was called a man after God's heart…

David who often walked with God…

David who was the sweet psalm singer of Israel…

David who wrote many psalms including The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want…

 

However in 1 Samuel 11 we find a picture of a side of David we'd like to forget.  This is his dark side.  And do you know why we'd like to forget this dark side of David?  Because even as Christians we have a dark side!  We, like David, are capable of every sin in the book. 

 

There are some things mentioned in this chapter that David found to be easy.  These same things, if we are not careful, we will find to be easy as well.

 

IT'S EASY TO GET LAZY! - Vs. 1

 

Vs. 1 - Evidently the rainy season was over, and if there was war going on, it was time to resume the war.  David at this time was probably between 50 and 55.  His kingdom was well established, and he had a very capable general in Joab.

 

It was easy for David to decide to stay back in Jerusalem for a while, as his soldiers were out on the battlefield.  After all, he was the king.

 

In retrospect, I think David would have said, "I was being lazy, I should have been leading my men."

 

I believe it is easy for us to get lazy as well.

Staying home at the palace was much easier than the rigors of war for David.

And slacking off instead of being involved in Spiritual warfare is also easy for us.

 

Although salvation is free, Spiritual warfare is work!

 

2 Timothy 2:3-4 - Thou therefore endure hardness, as a good soldier of Jesus Christ. [4] No man that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life; that he may please him who hath chosen him to be a soldier.

 

1 Timothy 6:12 - Fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, whereunto thou art also called, and hast professed a good profession before many witnesses.

 

Ephesians 6:10-11 - Finally, my brethren, be strong in the Lord, and in the power of his might. [11] Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.

 

1 Peter 5:8 - Be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour:

 

How can you tell when you as a Christian are getting lazy?

·        When an emergency call to Heaven seems like a long distance call instead of a local call… Your prayer life has slacked off!

·        When dust collects on the Bible from Sunday to Sunday, because you don't read it in between.

·        When it's no problem to miss a morning service for any reason, when morning church is a routine I endure.

·        When I allow my thoughts to run to topics that God would declare off-limits. It's s fight to keep thoughts under control.

·        When time with my friends and family or watching TV is more important than fellowshipping with God, and hearing what he has to say on a Sunday Evening.

·        When I have no concern about the "little" sins that crop up in my life.

·        When living a holy life is not an issue. You don't even think about it!

 

You might wonder, "Why is getting lazy such a big deal?"

When you get lazy in your Christian life, you are letting yourself open for other problems, just as David did.

 

IT'S EASY TO GET LAZY

IT'S EASY TO LUST - Vss. 2-3

 

Vs. 2 - Now David's problem was not that he took a nap.  Business slowed down in the heat of the day.  Many people would have been resting in the hot afternoon and later resuming business. David was probably taking his nap in a structure, maybe a tent on top of the roof of the palace, where the cool air flowed. 

 

David's problem was that he kept looking at a lady, who instead of bathing in her hot, humid, house was bathing in her courtyard.  Probably there was a wall around the courtyard. David would have been looking down from the top of the palace roof, which was higher.

 

If the Bible says Bathsheba was very beautiful, believe me, she was very beautiful. 

 

At point this point, David had a decision to make concerning temptation.

He could flee the temptation, or he could continue to entertain thoughts about this woman.

 

Whenever temptation comes our way we have a decision to make.  We can flee the temptation or entertain it.  God has given Christians a great promise in 1 Corinthians 10:13 -

There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.

 

When God makes a way to flee, we should flee.  David could have walked away and not looked at this woman.

When we give into temptation, we give into lust. Lust is a natural desire such as eating or sexual desire taken to extremes. It is a normal desire that we give abnormal attention to.

 

Jesus warns just how dangerous immoral sexual desire is.

Matthew 5:27-28 - Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: [28] But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.

 

Vs. 3 - David wanted to know who this woman was.  Whoever answered him seemed to be also giving him a warning.  Here was the daughter and granddaughter of two trusted friends and the wife of one of his loyal soldiers.

 

You will notice when we are tempted to do something wrong, God will often send us messengers.  Many times the messenger God has sent to me has been Dottie. 

 

I may be tempted to react in anger to something or to worry over something I shouldn't worry over, and she has been the messenger from God that I should flee from such a course of action.

 

·        When you are tempted towards immoral thoughts, flee!

·        When you are tempted to say things you know you shouldn't say, flee!

·        When you are tempted towards unkind acts flee!

·        When you are tempted to lie or cheat, flee!

·        When you are tempted to be angry or bitter, flee!

·        When you are tempted to abuse your body, flee!

 

1 John 2:15-17 - Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him. [16] For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world. [17] And the world passeth away, and the lust thereof: but he that doeth the will of God abideth for ever.

 

We will either love the Father or love the world.

When we love the world we give into our lusts.   

   

IT'S EASY TO GET LAZY

IT'S EASY TO LUST

IT'S EASY TO LET GO! - Vs. 4

 

The longer David looked, the more David lusted after Bathsheba.

The more David lusted after Bathsheba, the more likely he was to commit an immoral act.

 

We are the same way.

The more we look at, lust after, and/or think about doing something wrong the more likely we are to actually do it.

 

Vs. 4 tells us the sad story briefly.

David let go. He gave in. He listened to Satan's urges instead of heeding God's restraints.

 

That's how sin works.

 

James tells us how the process works.

James 1:13-15 - Let no man say when he is tempted, I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man: [14] But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. [15] Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

 

My friend, if you are entertaining sin and dwelling on temptation in your mind and heart, be assured that you will give in and do something wrong.

 

Would you rather deal with a forest fire when it is first ignited or when it has been burning for several hours?  Silly question -  right?  A forest fire is best controlled when is first ignited.

So it is with sin, deal with it right away.

Flee from temptation!

Confess and forsake your evil thoughts and lusts before they turn into evil deeds.

 

IT'S EASY TO GET LAZY

IT'S EASY TO LUST

IT'S EASY TO LET GO! - Vs. 4

IT'S EASY TO LOOK OUT FOR #1 - Vss. 5-27

 

Of course, #1 is ourselves. We like to protect ourselves so our evil thoughts and deeds never come to light.  There is a problem with that way of thinking, however.

 

Luke 12:1-2 says in part …Beware ye of the leaven of the Pharisees, which is hypocrisy. [2] For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; neither hid, that shall not be known.

 

David tried to cover his sins with more sin, and we're still talking about it today!

 

Vs. 5 - David received word that Bathsheba was pregnant.   

 

David now had a choice to make.  He could have confessed his sin to God and man, probably made some sort of restitution, taken his lumps and gone on with his life.  It would not have been an easy path to take, but it would have been the best.

 

Instead, David, looking out for himself and trying to save himself from owning up to his sin, chose a different path.

He chose to try and cover up the sin.

 

Vss. 6-8 - Do you see what David was trying to do?  He designed a plan so that Uriah would sleep with his wife, and therefore think that the child was his.

 

There were at least two problems with that plan.  First of all, Uriah was a loyal soldier.  In his mind, Uriah was in active military service. And secondly, God, because He is a just God, and because He loved David, wouldn't not let David off so easily.

 

Vss. 9-11 - Uriah would not go down to his wife, when other soldiers were in the heat of battle.

 

Vss. 12-13 - David even got Uriah drunk, hoping to get him in his drunken state to go down and sleep with his wife.  This too, failed.

 

David was having a hard time with his cover up.

And when you try to cover up your sins, the same thing will happen.

Proverbs 13:15 - Good understanding giveth favour: but the way of transgressors is hard.

 

To what extent will people go to cover up their sins?

They will often go to great extents.  David went as low as you could go.

 

Vss. 15-17 - David had Uriah killed.  Uriah was a loyal soldier. Uriah was a valiant man. And in the process, other innocent soldiers died with him.

 

But Uriah was in David's way for a cover up. At this point David was as callused as could be.   

 

Vss. 26-27 - David completed the dastardly deed.  He waited for the wife's time of mourning and then brought her into his harem as his wife.

 

When we try to cover up sin in front of God and man, we can do some pretty nasty things.

 

We can steal.

We can cheat.

We can lie.

We can commit character assassination.

We can commit literal murder.

We can have complete disregard for the feelings and well being of others.

 

We can be totally selfish.

 

·        Many a marriage has been ruined because a person has cheated on his partner and tried to cover it up.

·        Many a friendship has been ruined because a friend has sinned against his friend and tried to cover it up.

·        Many a family has been ruined when a parent has sinned against his children and then tried to cover it up!

 

IT'S EASY TO GET LAZY

IT'S EASY TO LUST

IT'S EASY TO LET GO! - Vs. 4

IT'S EASY TO LOOK OUT FOR #1 - Vss. 5-27

IT'S EASY TO LIVE A LIE

 

David lived a lie.

He pretended that Uriah's death was normal.

He pretended to legitimately marry Bathsheba.

 

He probably attended worship services as usual.

He probably gave the impression that he was serving the Lord and was a loyal king and family man.

But because he was covering something up, he was living a lie.

 

Many Christians are living a lie.

They are allowing sin to fester in their lives and are covering it up.

What can they do about it?

David was eventually confronted with his sin and he confessed it.

As we'll see when we continue our study of David's life, he paid dearly for his sin.

The best thing we can do is deal with our sin, now, and throw ourselves on God's mercy and on the mercy of those that we have hurt.

 

Proverbs 28:13 - He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.

 

Psalm 32:5 - I acknowledged my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid. I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah.

 

1 John 1:9 - If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

 

IT'S EASY TO GET LAZY

IT'S EASY TO LUST

IT'S EASY TO LET GO! - Vs. 4

IT'S EASY TO LOOK OUT FOR #1 - Vss. 5-27

IT'S EASY TO LIVE A LIE