A Thought on David’s Sin

Back yet?

Recently, a pastor friend read this chapter to a group of men, and I listened as he explained the account. How the springtime was a time for war, and King David sent Joab and his servants, but he himself stayed back.

While he stayed back he looked upon Bathsheba and lusted.

Then he committed adultery with her and murdered Uriah.

We all know the account. But here is the interesting thing. David’s sin did not start with lust or murder.

It started when he broke his routine, when he disobeyed God and stayed back.

He was supposed to go to war. That was what Kings did at that time of year, and that is what the Lord expected of him.

He stayed back.

When he should have been leading his army to victory, he let his servants do that…and he saw a woman.

And lusted.

And committed adultery

and murder…

So I looked at my routine. And I notice, or realized, that the times I am most prone to sin is when my routine changes or when I turn my back on what God would have me do.

When I sleep in and miss devotions.

When I call in sick and have the house to myself.

When I don’t lead my family in prayer…

When I skip church…

All these things (and more) typically lead to me engaging in some sort of sin…and yes, these are all small compared to leading an army into battle.

But I guess my question is this, are we being diligent in the things the Lord would have us do? Or are we sending our servants to do our jobs?

This Sunday… are we going to skip Church? Send our spouses and sleep in? Call in sick? Or would we do what the Lord would have us do?

Routine. Discipline. They are good things. The Lord bids us to come and worship. What will be your response?

“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…When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband. 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.”

SDG