Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 11; 2 Samuel 12; Psalm 51; Matthew 23
Scripture: 2 Samuel 11:2-3
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her...
Observation: David didn't go to fight with his army -- he stayed home -- kind of a vacation from war. And one night he couldn't sleep. (Of course if you've just been laying around the palace all day, why would you be tired?) So he gets up and takes a little stroll around the balconies of the palace roof. From his high perch, he can look down on the whole city. And he sees a beautiful naked woman taking a bath. His desires are stirred. He should have gotten off the roof at that moment and taken a cold shower (by the way he had many wives that were available to meet his sexual needs). But he is curious. Actually he is lustful, but he acts curious and takes one small step to satisfy his curiosity. And this step leads to other steps and David ends up committing serious sins against God and horrible trespasses against others.
Application: One step at a time, we can get ourselves into some real bad situations. I once knew a woman who had an affair with someone who she first connected with by dialing a wrong number! Think about all the steps that lead from a wrong number to an affair. And think about the steps that lead David from a first glance to adultery, conspiracy, and murder. Don't indulge your curiosity -- to look, to hear, to know, to experience -- steer clear of sin.
Prayer: Lord, what a sad chapter in the life of David! Help your people to learn the lessons of this tragedy and maintain purity and holiness in their lives. Help me to be pure in thought, word, and deed.
This I pray in Jesus’ name, Amen.
