David and Bathsheba

Well, I suspect we’d all answer - it depends. At times, confidence can be a good thing, particularly when it is well placed, and within the limits of your ability or knowledge. Of course, confidence can be a bad thing.

The classic case is the ‘P’ plater who thinks they’ve completely mastered the art of driving and so has the confidence to overtake three cars at once around a bend on Lemon Tree Passage Rd, and can even do it while sending a text message on the phone. Well, hopefully they’re not doing the last part, but unfortunately people have been caught doing some pretty amazingly stupid things.

And just for the record because I hate picking on young people, not all ‘P’ platers are like that.

One of the problems with confidence is that it can create blind spots. When our confidence exceeds our ability or our knowledge, we fail to see our natural limitations. And guess what - you are human, so you are limited.

Now that is a truth that can apply to most parts of our lives, but this morning I want to think about it with regards to our purity as Christians.

Now of course as Christians we know the truth that we are all sinners. It wasn’t that long ago that I went through the first eight chapters of Romans and this certainly came out in that.

We know that our thoughts aren’t pure. We know we are selfish people and things like greed, lust, anger, pride, and the like will constantly appear - more than we like to acknowledge.

That is all very true, but in acknowledging this, I wonder if we are almost blinding ourselves from a more destructive trap.

What do I mean by that? Well, in focussing in on what we might think of as lower sins, we start to gain confidence in our own ability to avoid the more destructive sins.

Now it’s probably worth noting at this point, we often talk about all sins being equal. Well that might be true in the sense that all sins lead us falling short of the glory of God, but we should acknowledge that some sins are more destructive than others.

You see, we gain this confidence that says: sure, I might be a sinner, but I can avoid those really destructive sins.

But I want to suggest today: be aware of your blind spot!

I personally know of multiple pastors who have had an affair that proved very destructive to their marriage and ministry.

The reality is, these are not isolated incidents. There are countless pastors throughout the country and throughout the world who are in good, bible-believing churches who have succumbed to sexual sin.

There are even quite a few high-profile cases. In fact, the roll call of high profile pastors who have had big falls from grace is becoming embarassingly long.

I could tell you the story of Ravi Zacharias, and you would probably shake your head and think - how could there be such a two-faced monster out there.

But I think its like the ‘P’ plater who does that crazy overtaking manoeuvre, but the majority of the time, he actually survives and doesn’t get caught. It’s a small risk, he thinks. His over confidence blinds him to how close to catastrophe he is flying.

Likewise we pay little attention to our less-destructive sins, not realising how close we are to falling down a huge rabbit-hole of full blown destruction.

The pastors I’ve known - they didn’t go seeking an affair. They were feeling isolated. They just did a bit of flirting. What’s wrong with flirting?

Well, today’s story is quite well known - we see David’s spectacular fall from grace - but as I explore this story, I want to highlight how simply it happened.

David the ideal king

Before we get to his fall, let’s just look at this man that we’ve been exploring over the last month or so.

Now, had I finished the series last week, it would have been almost like David was Christ himself. If we wanted to get picky, there might have been a few tiny examples where you might have been able to argue that David did something less than ideal - but for all intents and purposes, David has been the ideal character.

His the name that can see differently while everybody else is locked into a worldly way of thinking. He treats his enemies differently. He saw King Saul, the man intent on killing him, not as his enemy, but as the Lord’s annointed.

Last week I considered the time that he brings out Mephibosheth, the only person who could have has a legitimate claim to the throne, and far from putting an end to him, he restores land to him and gives him a seat at the king’s table.

King David is the opposite of everything that is wrong with the world.

But knowing this, makes today’s story all the more shocking.

If anyone has the right to feel confident in their own purity, surely it is David.

Well, in 2 Samuel 10, it is still this same classic David that is in picture. In chapter 9 it was the unlikely Mephibosheth he showed kindness to. This time, he is showing kindness to the foreign kingdom of the Ammonites.

Unfortunately, the Ammonites reject this kindness, and… well let’s just say it doesn’t end well for the Ammonites.

But it is with this backdrop that we come to chapter 11.

David’s fall

Here we find David in the capital Jerusalem, while is army is off doing their thing against the Ammonites.

David is relaxing - and after all, why not? Everyone deserves a break. And certainly there is nothing wrong with having a break.

Unfortunately, however, it is while we are on breaks that we can sometimes easily let our guard down.

An innocent mistake

On this occasion, David walks on the roof of his palace which would naturally have given him a great view due to it’s height.

But with such a height, turns out his view contains more than it really should.

As he gazes over this great city, he gaze catches a glimpse of something.

Did he just see some naked skin.

Naturally, he takes a second glance. He sure did. Turn out is a woman washing herself. Actually, turns out it is a beautiful woman washing herself.

At this stage, we could probably assess that all is innocent. David wasn’t seeking this.

It was just an accidental view.

The Red flags

Well, David sends someone to find out about her.

Now what’s going through David’s mind at this point? I wonder whether his over confidence in his own purity is actually allowing himself to think he has a pure motive. Maybe he’s thinking he’ll explain the simple error and make sure it doesn’t happen again.

Unfortunately, David has become unaware of a blind spot in his ability to be pure.

David finds out her name is Bathsheba, she’s the daughter of Eliam, and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.

Right there, if David hadn’t been blinded, he should have heard three red flags saying - moral danger ahead.

Firstly, her name should have alerted David. The name Bathsheba literally translates as “daughter of an oath”. Red flag number one.

She also the daughter of Eliam. Who is Eliam? Well, quite likely it’s the same Eliam we later learn is one of David’s mighty warriors, who also happens to be the son of Ahithophel, one of David’s trusted advisors. This girl has connections. Red flag number 2.

She’s also the wife of Uriah the Hittite. She is someones wife. End of story. She is not someone you can entertain any possible sexual thoughts about. This is regardless of who her husband is, but as it turns out, Uriah is also one of David’s mighty warriors who is very loyal - we’ll hear more about him soon.

Adultery

David misses these red flags. This great and upright leader becomes blind to what should be so obvious.

David has her brought over, and and just like that, he commits adultery.

The description is so simple. Very little details. Just a simple fact.

We might want to argue motives. Was David in a troubled state? Was Bathsheba being provocative? You know what though? However you want to spin it, David slept with her, and that was that.

Even at this point, perhaps David is thinking - I shouldn’t have done that, but there is an important detail we’re about to find out - Bathsheba is pregnant - and it is very clear, David is the father.

Uh oh!

The Cover up

Now in hindsight, this is where David should eat some humble-pie. Come clean and fess up.

Problem is, the punishment for adultery is to be stoned. Now we can’t have the king being stoned to death can we?

This calls for a cover up. David’s a smart man and the solution is clear. Bring Uriah home. He’ll sleep with his wife. The parentage of the child will be ambiguous. Life carries on. All is well.

Ah, here’s the blind spot again. You see, David doesn’t do the destructive sins. We know that. He knows that. We need to keep the narrative clean.

But the cover up fails - twice in fact. Uriah refuses to sleep with his wife while his men are in battle. Even when David gets him drunk, he refuses.

There’s something ironic here. Uriah is being more pure than our hero. In fact, did you notice it was Uriah the Hittite? The Hittite’s were foreigners. Sure he is fully embedded as a Jew, but this person with foreign heritage, is showing this ideal king up.

Murder

David should be brought to his senses, but this shows how bad the blind spot can be. David can’t let this happen. David’s not a bad man.

To prove his not a bad man, he ironically does one of the most reprehensible thing. He has Uriah killed, and he tries to do it in a way that will look like an accident.

David is digging a hole that is very deep, and he’s blind to the complete destruction that he is causing in his wake. If only he can keep his reputation.

Finally, with a secret letter sent to the army commander Joab, Uriah’s death is expertly arranged.

Finally, we can put this whole affair behind him. After Bathsheba mourns Uriah’s death, she becomes David’s wife. All is good.

But it’s not. The final sentence of the chapter hangs heavy “But the thing David had done displeased the Lord”.

Repentance

I wonder if there is some secret in your life. Perhaps some sexual indiscretion that you are not proud about. Something that if it came out, you would be very embarrassed.

The reality is, you might very well be able to keep that indiscretion hidden. No one may ever know.

But God does, and for David - this is about to hit him in the face.

The rebuke

It happens through the prophet Nathan. Nathan comes and tells him a little story.

It’s a story of a rich man with many sheep and cattle, who steals the only lamb off a poor man.

David is rightfully shocked by this story. In fact, David is angered by the injustice. After all, David is pure. David is the good king. The rich man should die, David says, because he did such a horrible thing and had no pity.

What happens next, must have hit David hard.

Nathan says: “You are the man!”

David’s facade has been smashed. Quite likely he’s believed his own lies. David only does the little sins. Not the destructive ones.

With the Word of the Lord, those lies come crashing down.

The punishment

And it is not without consequence. Nathan proceeds to inform David of what the Lord will do as a result.

Our sins will bite us.

The sword killed Uriah. The sword shall be part of David’s family.

David slept with Uriah’s wife. David’s wives will be given to someone else to sleep with.

Repentance

David’s eyes are now open. He has a choice before him.

He can dig deeper. Use more spin. He can show how his actions aren’t that bad. How in actual fact, he’s done a lot of good, and that good far and away out weighs the bad his done.

Or, he can fall on his knees humble himself, and do what he should have done much earlier in the story.

In 2 Sam 12:13, he finally utters the words: “I have sinned against the Lord”.

David recognises what his done. He has gone against God’s good word.

This is no mere apology to save face to the public. Just read Psalm 51. This is a heartfelt recognition that he has made a mess of things.

Son dies

Nevertheless, the son born as a result of this affair dies.

But we begin to see the David we previously knew.

What’s different? It’s not that David suddenly remembered how to be pure. Rather he remembered that this is not about him. He remembered that he can’t do anything in his own strength.

You see, what David did next was a complete humbling. His child was sick. In fact, he’d been told he would die.

Yet David went without food. He went without the normal luxuries. He lay on the ground at night in sackcloth.

In fact, ironically, he’s following the lead of Uriah the Hittite. Remember when David was trying to use Uriah to cover his mistake. He wanted Uriah to sleep with his own wife. But Uriah refused all luxuries while his men were fighting.

It is only in this state of humility that we can lose the blind spots.

It’s the state of saying, I can’t do this on my own.

Restoration

Now there is something remarkable about this whole story.

You see, this was

a spectacular falling from grace. Any independent observer, even a non-Christian, could look at David’s act and say they were reprehensible.

Yet, as big as this fall was, God’s grace is even bigger.

David was restored.

He is given a new son to Bathsheba, none other than Solomon, who we all know will feature later in the Biblical story. David’s fortunes are turned around.

Why did this restoration happen?

You see, we could start to wonder, particularly after we’ve just finished reading about the previous King, that is King Saul, whose downfall started with something much less destructive in nature, but he didn’t get restored.

The answer is actually quite clear. David humbled himself. Saul didn’t.

Application

Now this morning, there are really two components to the message I want to give.

Warning

The first is a warning. You are not immune from falling down a destructive pattern of sin.

That includes me.

If you have somehow managed to avoid any particular destructive sinful pattern, don’t think it’s because of your own ability to be pure. It’s by the grace of God.

It doesn’t take too much to see how letting a small lustful thought can quite quickly bloom into something much bigger. Or allowing that hatred in your heart to spin into something you quickly regret.

Any righteousness we have is actually the righteousness of Christ. Without that, the destructive patterns form around us quite quickly.

So the first thing is to be aware of the blind spots in your life. To be warned that your only one step away from a big fall.

Humble yourself

But in understanding this, we need to recognise this truth with the next one.

While you will fall, and possibly in a very spectacular way, God’s grace is even bigger.

But, by very definition, grace is undeserved.

You see, the most important thing that we all need to recognise is that when we fall down this inevitable patterns, we can not pull ourselves out. Now matter how good we are at spin. No matter how many tracks we can cover. We will only make things worse, just like David did.

There is only one thing to do. The one thing that David could have done at any point and it would have stopped the downward spiral.

Humble yourself before God.

That’s what King Saul failed to do. But it’s the reason that even though we have this incredible story of failure, we still think of David as a true biblical hero.

He’s not a biblical hero because of his ability, his a hero because he shows us what it truly means to humble ourselves.

The reality is, no matter how bad that thing in your past is. Or how big a potential fall in the future is...

… God’s grace is bigger. You just need to humble yourself.

It is humility that will take the blinders off our eyes and help us avoid the fall in the first place. But also humility that will allow us to be in a position to see God’s great grace in action.

Conclusion

This story should be a real wake up call for all of us. I don’t think anyone ever thinks that they are going to have a spectacular fall. Most of us have too high opinions of ourselves.

But this blindness just means that as we start to fall, we don’t realise what’s happening.

The answer is humility.

And that can be hard because it goes against the very grain of our being.

But know this. No matter how big your fall, God’s grace is even bigger.

We can know this for sure because of the great sacrifice of Jesus Christ, who died and rose again for us.

You are forgiven.

So let me pray...

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