August 4, 2018 Saturday

“1 ¶  It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2  Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. 3  So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4  Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. 5  And the woman conceived; so she sent and told David, and said, “I am with child.” 6 ¶  Then David sent to Joab, saying, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7  When Uriah had come to him, David asked how Joab was doing, and how the people were doing, and how the war prospered. 8  And David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah departed from the king’s house, and a gift of food from the king followed him. 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. 10  So when they told David, saying, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “Did you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?” 11  And Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and 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, “Wait here today also, and tomorrow I will let you depart.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13  Now when David called him, he ate and drank before him; and he made him drunk. And at evening he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. 14 ¶  In the morning it happened that David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 15  And he wrote in the letter, saying, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.”” (2Samuel 11:1-15 NKJV)

            As Christians we often are afraid of doing the wrong thing but we can also get into trouble when we don’t do what we are supposed to do.  David should have been out with the army but by staying home he sinned and destroyed many lives!

            A Christian once said “If we spent more time doing the good we would have less time to do the bad!”  When we are outside of God’s will we are much more susceptible to sin and can end up doing things we never would have thought possible! 

            David probably would never have thought he was capable of getting one of his military leader’s wives pregnant and then murdering him!  The man who was a Hittite was faithful to Israel and to David was set up to be murdered while he was at the battle David was supposed to be at!

            Uriah revealed his honor as he said “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing.”

            This statement should have shamed David but instead it took him to lower depths to resort to murder to hide his sin!  David still did not go to the battlefield but sent a note to his general (by Uriah!) to murder Uriah on the battlefield so it would not look like murder!

            Are you at the battlefield or letting others fight the spiritual warfare?  Are you robbing the life of those who are doing what you should be doing?  Do non-Christians live a more caring and loving life than you?

I went to the Men’s breakfast at Asbury and it was a good message and good food.  I am getting so weak and my condition is causing more trouble for Bonnie especially.  I really do not know how to make it easier and my brain is getting fuzzier.  God please guide me!