hlester@bellsouth.net  

When I journey through the Bible I sometimes linger on some of the heroes of the Bible. Oftentimes I wish I could be like the Apostle Paul or perhaps like David of old who was called the “Apple of God’s Eye”. Perhaps I would find myself thinking of Jonah or Abraham or some other patriarch who had done great exploits in their journeys for the Lord. 

But in my thinking or in yours, if we said they were all heroes we would be looking through rose colored glasses, as each one had their human failures just as you and I do. I think of the Apostle Paul, mighty man that he was and yet he stood by for the stoning of Stephen. He was not always Paul but once was known as Saul and persecuted the Christians.  

There was Noah who got drunk and yet he built God an ark that saved a remnant of God’s creation. Was he a hero or just a man who loved and obeyed God? I dare say he was a man as you and I who was totally sold out to God at the time of the building of the Ark and therefore was able to follow God’s design to build an ark that would withstand the greatest flood the world has ever known.  

How about Jacob who cheated his brother? Could we call him a hero? No, I think he was a coward who ran from his brother Esau but one day God got a hold of his heart and he not only returned to his brother but brought much wealth with him.  

2 Samuel 11:1-15 - tells the story of David and his short comings. Here was a man anointed from his youth. As a youngster he had slain the mighty Goliath and now we find him as a general over Saul’s army. David was a man blessed by God of whom it was said “He’s a man after God’s own heart”. But he was not perfect. As we read these scriptures, we find that David was very much human. with human failures. David’s sin both shocks us and surprises us. Up to this point we have read about the great things David had done. But now, we will see another side of David. Let’s walk through this passage and see what makes David human. 

Here is the first clue at the end of verse 1 – “David remained in Jerusalem.” Now, one might wonder if Kings go out to battle why David was at home. Well, it is true that Kings generally lead their men into battle but this battle was close enough to Jerusalem that David decided to stay at home and have Joab report to him daily on the battle. BIG MISTAKE! Maybe David wasn’t feeling good, or maybe he was nursing an injury. Maybe he was unconcerned because he felt his men had everything under control, or could be he was just plain lazy. For whatever reason David was in the wrong place at the wrong time. He would have been safer in the midst of a fierce battle than walking alone on the rooftop.  

Let’s read Verse 2 – David was tempted! We can all relate to temptations. We all face temptations, some of us every day. Maybe we are tempted by small things like an extra scoop of ice cream, or maybe it is large things like lust, gambling or habits. We are all tempted in some way. If we give into the temptations they only increase. There are 2 lies that Satan wants us to believe.

1. Just once won’t hurt.
2. Now that you have ruined your life, you’re beyond God’s use and you might just as well enjoy sinning. Sin is always fun at first.

Verses 3-5 – David not only looked and lusted, but he invited it into his house with him. If you have a weakness for ice cream, don’t buy a gallon and take it home with you. If you are an alcoholic don’t buy a case of beer. If you are a gambler, don’t go to the bingo hall. David sent someone to get Bathsheba. He knows she is married but he sends for her anyway. Then he goes from the frying pan into the fire. Whoa! just like that she is pregnant. Just like watching a soap opera isn’t it? Of course David “being a man after God’s own heart “does the right thing and fesses up to her husband. Right? Well, let’s see. He sends for Uriah the Hittite and says “Hey you have been fighting a great battle for me. Why don’t you take a break and “go down to your house”? Yeah! go down there and get the heat off of David, sleep with that woman and you can believe the child is yours. Well, Uriah has integrity and He’s having none of that. David wanted to cover his sin by tricking Uriah, but it didn’t work.  

Verse 11 – David even got Uriah drunk and he still didn’t sleep with his wife. What a loyal servant! So, David’s sin was getting worse by the day. Now he decides to send Uriah to the front lines with a letter of instruction as to his demise. Let’s recap here. First: David has been home while his army is off fighting. Second: David was in the wrong place. Third: David gives into temptation and commits adultery. Fourth: David sends him home to sleep with his wife one night and gets him drunk another night. David tries to deceive Uriah twice, so he pulls out all the stops and had Uriah bumped off.  

Here we have a tragic account of one man’s fall from blessings to punishment. We see it happening all the time even in our day, from the president on down to sports figures. Look at Bill Clinton, Magic Johnson and others who are guilty of committing adultery. Famous people like stars and athletes, people in power like Kings and Politicians are very easy targets. David had been on solid ground. He had been chosen of God, but he lost sight of all that with one look in the wrong direction. Here was first a little temptation and David is lured a little closer away from solid ground to the edge, with each successive lie, David takes another step closer to the edge. Then another and yet another step and before long he is at the edge. Then with murder. He is going over the edge. He’s tumbling down the rocks.  

Probably the problem all started in the very first verse of these scriptures when “David remained in Jerusalem”. David was in the wrong place. We as Christians must learn to stay out of harms way. If something is going to tempt us then we must avoid it. We must stay in the “Will of God”. If we are searching for the Will of God, we will be that “Woman or Man after God’s own heart”. All of the men in the Bible were not real heroes, most were just common men who sold out to God. Jesus was the only man who ever came into this world and left it sinless. So, we must do our best to be the best for God we can be and walk our daily walk the best we know how. 

Copyright 2003 by Rev. Betty J. Lester