Disapointement in Believers
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Reading:
26 So I do not run aimlessly; I do not box as one beating the air.
27 But I discipline my body and keep it under control, lest after preaching to others I myself should be disqualified.
Introduction
Ken Ham, of Answers in Genesis ministries, wrote a book about why so many kids growing up leave their faith by the time they get to college.
He wanted to know why.
In this book there were many statistical studies and surveys done.
The one doing the surveys wasn’t satisfied by his results and believed that it wasn’t getting to the details of why people left.
He kept adjusting the survey to be more detailed and focused.
He didn’t stop until he was satisfied that he got to the real answers to the questions.
He kept removing the generality to each question and decided to force a more definitive and thorough answer.
The main thing learned from the survey’s was that before middle school kids had already finalized their belief; but wore the mask until they didn’t have to anymore.
When they became adults and could boldly believe what they wanted instead of what was expected.
The major reasons or motivation for the kids to do this was:
Hippo critical churches
Being disappointed by followers of Jesus.
Do you know that you are going to disappoint someone else?
Could you ever fathom that your disappointment would impact someone in a long-term way like that?
Me either.
(?) Pastor Dave are you just going to beat us all up today for being disappointments to others?
No
I was a little more focused on those who disappoint us.
The premise:
Everyone is going to be let-down by others.
Everyone will be disappointed because of another persons choices, it is unavoidable!
We don’t measure the faith we follow by those who are following it, we measure it by the author of it!
Transition:
There was a king in the Old Testament who was a great King.
A king who all “Christianity” recognizes and is proud of.
He disappointed a lot of people, a whole nation, by his actions, even his family.
It is recorded for us in 2 Samuel 11.
We can look into a failure of king David’s and gain wisdom for things to pay attention for our own lives.
With David there was a:
Public Dereliction (1-5)
Public Dereliction (1-5)
1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
There was a time that was scheduled for battles throughout the year.
It says in the text it was spring.
Why?
Everyone here knows what winter is like.
Imagine living in a tent, traveling through mountains, waking up and dressing in your armor and swinging your sword on a field that thousands of others are doing the same.
More people would probably die from the journey then in battle to fight in a muddy and cold mess would be horrible.
The springtime makes war more bearable.
That is when the kings went out to battle.
This first verse gives us a full picture for what information is to follow.
Kings go out to battle, leading their men in the campaign, that was the standard.
What would it benefit the military for the king to be there?
It really boils down to: Chain of command.
How would the military know what the kings orders are for tomorrow if he isn’t there to ask?
They couldn’t call a time out to wait on the messenger to get back with the letter for the king’s orders?
It was best if the king were there to lead his armies in battle.
David did not, He instead sent:
His Proxy (1)
1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
David sent Joab in his stead which made him the leader for the military to follow.
Why didn’t David want to lead them?
Who knows; but we can see that in this moment he enjoyed the leisure of life as king.
Matthew Henry in his commentary makes a powerful statement about this moment right here, he says:
“When we are out of the way of our duty we are in the way of temptation.” - Matthew Henry
Joab was obviously up for the task since he took Rabbah; but David should’ve lead them.
Satan ceased the opportunity and provided David with:
His temptation (2)
2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
Picture the scene where David was:
His couch.
He was probably bored or realized that the sunset was coming soon so he walked out onto his roof.
Roof’s were flat and were typically used to relax and to view the surroundings.
Looking across any landscape can be beautiful from a lifted position.
Illustration:
I had the privilege of living in Utah, for a year.
While I was there I had the opportunity to climb mountains with a group of guys.
(Explain the rest)
When it was a climbing day I really looked forward to watching the sunset hanging from a rope on a rock face.
It was awesome.
I understand how looking across a valley at the beauty of all in view was desirable.
I can’t imagine what it would be like for a king to looking at all God had placed under his leadership.
While looking across all of his country, the king noticed a beautiful woman as she bathed.
Transition:
David already had many concubines at this point.
But he desired her beauty.
Satan knows exactly how and when to set the trap; but this one was a little easier since:
David had already compromised himself by setting aside the armor of God.
(?) What can we expect from temptations?
Temptations usually happen because we place ourselves where we shouldn’t be, a lot of times it is of our own doing.
13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am being tempted by God,” for God cannot be tempted with evil, and he himself tempts no one.
14 But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire.
David was being drawn away by his own lusts.
He didn’t fight against the desire he gave into his:
Selfish Failure (3-5)
3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.
5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”
David “inquired” about the woman.
Here is a person human he disappointed:
The person he had inquire of her.
This person knew exactly who it was.
3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
She first is stated to be the daughter of David’s favorite counselor Ahithophel.
23 Now in those days the counsel that Ahithophel gave was as if one consulted the word of God; so was all the counsel of Ahithophel esteemed, both by David and by Absalom.
David didn’t care he knew the law about adultery; but pursued her anyway!
He couldn’t stop until his desire was fulfilled.
Then she was with child.
When he heard of the child, out of respect he should’ve ran to the Lord and asked forgiveness.
In this passage we are shown 3 wrongs David chose to ignore because his desire was more important.
3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
“Wife of Uriah the Hittite”
She was married to a man currently fighting the war David should be at!
A man of duty and honor, when David had none.
17 “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male servant, or his female servant, or his ox, or his donkey, or anything that is your neighbor’s.”
These are the laws of the Lord and David ignored and gave into his desires.
It wasn’t the most important detail.
4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.
5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”
David only thought of his lust and chose to ignore the lawful consequence of adultery on her and himself.
10 “If a man commits adultery with the wife of his neighbor, both the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.
22 “If a man is found lying with the wife of another man, both of them shall die, the man who lay with the woman, and the woman. So you shall purge the evil from Israel.
David disappointed many that day and it began by neglecting his duties as king in exchange for leisure, comfort and pleasure.
Connection:
David was derelict in his duties.
First to the Lord.
Second to the military.
Third to his wives.
Fourth to Uriah.
And his duty to all watching his life and his choices.
Transition:
David sinned in front of all those watching.
The king of Israel he was supposed to represent the Lord to the people.
He didn’t live up to his calling.
With a child on the way what will he do?
David could’ve sought the Lord for mercy and grace; instead he chose:
Personal Justification (6-24)
Personal Justification (6-24)
6 So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David.
David had a plan.
He would try and hide what was plain to others.
Note:
From our perspective it seems ridiculous to read what plan David had to cover up Bathshebas pregnancy.
But sinful choices often lead to ridiculous attempts to hide it.
In verses 6-24 we can find 2 attempts of David to hide his sin.
In verses 6-9 we read of:
Attempt 1 (6-9)
6 So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going.
8 Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” And Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
Joab receives an letter from David:
Send Uriah home.
Uriah made the 45 plus mile trip from Rabbah to Jerusalem, probably wondering why he was being called home.
Look what David says:
7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going.
This kind of information was readily available and easily accessible by way of a “runner”.
David instructs him to go to his house and wash his feet.
David had a full proof plan:
Have Uriah come home, get cleaned up, spend an intimate night with his wife while home and 9 months later everyone could believe David’s lie that it was Uriah’s child, including Uriah and even the servants who took Bathsheba for David.
Even if people believed that lunacy it wouldn’t erase all David’s efforts to have Bathsheba.
David sent some motivation for their evening with a gift.
Probably food and wine.
Only the attempt was nullified by what the honorable Uriah chose.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
Oops, that wasn’t part of David’s plan.
What would David do now?
Side note:
Have you ever noticed when a lie isn’t working out there are 2 choices:
Reveal the truth.
Try a bigger lie to cover that first attempt.
That is what David did:
Attempt 2 (10-13)
10 When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”
11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”
12 Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13 And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
The king wants the news: did it work as planned?
10 When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?”
Uriah is truthful.
He is loyal in times of war, opposite of David’s in this moment.
11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”
A good soldier will honor his fellow soldiers in their situations.
Especially since he was called away from them.
He is saying my brothers are in a less than comfortable situation, who am I to enjoy the comforts of home when they can’t? - In honor of them, I will not!
Also notice the sequence of importance to Uriah.
The ark (God is living in a booth which was a small temporary hut).
My leader Joab and my brothers don’t have any shelter, they sleep in a field under the stars.
Uriah puts importance where it should be, David did not!
David 2nd attempt is through liquid courage.
Get Uriah drunk, relax his inhibitions and he’ll go home.
David disguises motive with honoring Uriah.
12 Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13 And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
David’s second attempt to cover his sin failed again.
Uriah’s honor was firm.
There was no way for David to make him go home and be with Bathsheba.
David dug deeper into his depravity:
Bury it (14-20)
David made Uriah carry his own death sentence to Joab.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.”
David in just a few days went from adultery, to murderer.
He wasn’t even subtle about it to Joab.
Hear his desperation to create the appearance of innocence.
15 In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.”
Abandon Uriah in the battle to die!
Connection:
David’s attempt to hide his sin is deplorable.
16 And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.
17 And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting.
19 And he instructed the messenger, “When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king,
20 then, if the king’s anger rises, and if he says to you, ‘Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
21 Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?’ then you shall say, ‘Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.’ ”
Joab sent word that Uriah was dead, as instructed.
He jabs at David with a subtle nod to I know what you did!
Transition:
David’s sin isn’t entirely covered yet; but maybe he believes it all would be with the death of Uriah.
David takes to the task of:
Public Justification (22-27)
Public Justification (22-27)
David needed to pacify the public perception from those who knew of his failures.
He took Bathsheba to be his wife, then the child could be considered his since it was short time.
Know that God is not absent throughout all of this.
God is shown through all these scriptures.
We can hear God’s:
Subtle Voice
3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
The servants highlighted how wrong his inquiry was.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”
God tries getting our attention to redirect it from blindness.
Our desires can blind us from the truth.
The Holy spirit can refocus us, if we will hear Him.
David taking Bathsheba as his wife, to fix the perception the child would be legitimate.
That was a:
False Security
26 When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband.
27 And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
Even if people believed the lie, the lord was displeased.
Conclusion:
We all understand that disappointment affects peoples choices.
When someone is disappointed by believers they sometimes abandon their faith.
It is an understatement to say that David disappointed many people by his choices and actions.
David’s failure did not affect Uriah’s choice to have faith in the God he was fighting for?
We are all going to disappoint people.
Know that and accept it; and understand you can put in the effort to make it right!
Should those disappointments have control how we view God?
Who in your life has disappointed you that proclaims to have faith in Jesus?
Does that disappointment dictate choices you make?
It shouldn’t. Keep your focus on Jesus not people.
We don’t follow people, if we do, we will be disappointed.
Follow Jesus the author and finisher of our faith!
- Pray