"David & Bathsheba": 4/1/25

The Daily Sword 4/1/25

Good morning gentlemen!

My quiet time was in 2 Samuel 11 this morning…..

“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.” (2 Sam 11:1)

This is the account of King David’s greatest moral failure with Bathsheba….He lusted after Bathsheba from his rooftop, had her brought to him, took her, laid with her, and impregnated her…..

When King David found out Bathsheba was pregnant, he did all he could to conceal his sin….

First, he had Bathsheba’s husband Uriah brought home to Jerusalem from battle “to give King David a report” of how the battle was going….Then David told Uriah to go home to his wife….

But Uriah was a great leader and man of valor. He refused to allow himself the comfort of a night in his own bed, and the pleasure of a night with his wife when his men were still in the field of battle…. Therefore he slept on the ground at the door to the King’s house….(2 Samuel 11:9)

The next night King David got Uriah drunk in an attempt to get Uriah to go home to his wife….Again, Uriah did not….(2 Samuel 11:12-13)

King David could not risk having his sin exposed, so he plotted and commanded to have Uriah killed in battle….(2 Samuel 11:14-17)

Uriah was a friend of David….One of King David’s 37 closest named mighty warriors, and a great man of character (2 Samuel 23:39)….Yet David had this great man, close warrior, and friend killed to conceal his sin….

What happened to the great King David here? A man that God spoke of saying, “I have found in David the son of Jesse a man after My own heart, who will do all My will.” (Acts 13:22)

I find the answer in two statements in verse 1….

“In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle….But David remained at Jerusalem.” (2 Samuel 11:1)

What caused this mighty man of God, the man after God’s own heart, to fall into this sin?

David was not where he was supposed to be, and He was not doing what he was supposed to be doing….

By the way gentlemen, it’s usually when we’re not doing what we ought to be doing that the enemy attacks us with temptation….He puts a “Bathsheba” in our path….

As King, he should have been in battle with his men but instead stayed in Jerusalem….

Why is that? Notice where King David was in the late afternoon….“It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch….” (2 Samuel 11:2)

Not only was David not where he was supposed to be physically….He wasn’t where he was supposed to be spiritually, mentally, or emotionally….

David was an accomplished King with a mighty empire….He was obviously “comfortable” in his palace in Jerusalem….His comfort led to complacency….All fueled by pride…..

I can see King David scanning over the horizon of his empire saying, ”Look at what I have done, look at what I have, look at all my wealth and belongings, I am the King! I don’t need to go into battle with my men…I will send them….They can handle it….I will stay here and bask in the glory of all that I have an all that I have done….!”

That’s “Fallen Man 101” right there gents! Let me ask you, because of pride can we as men point to “self” and have the same thoughts as David did on that rooftop? Most certainly!

“I am the CEO, COO, GM (fill in your title)….I make XXX dollars….I have a house in XXX….Look at all my stuff….Look at my influence….Look at what I’m in charge of….Look at my skill and talent….Look at my career of accomplishments….Look at all my titles….Look how good I am at XXX….Look at what I do for God.” The list goes on and on….

What’s the common sin denominator running through those statements? Pride!

Pride is one of satan’s greatest weapons and tools he uses against men….It’s in the top drawer of his tool chest.

He used it in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve…. Before that, it was his own pride that led to his fall and him being cast out of heaven….(Ezekiel 28; Revelation 12; Luke 10)

Satan uses pride to his advantage…he waits like a lion, plots, strategizes, plans, and he waits for the ideal time to strike.

Notice the sequence of events with David….

David’s accomplishments filled him with pride, which bred comfort and complacency….

Which then led to a bad decision, resulted in sin, and then led to a series of more bad decisions and sins…..

That’s the journey that pride will always lead you, ”Bad decisions….Sin….More bad decisions….More sin….”

David was not where he was supposed to be or where God wanted him….David also lost sight of the fact that his position as King, his accomplishments, and all that he had was because of God’s blessing, God’s favor, and God’s doing….Not his.

This was the man who as a boy killed mighty Goliath with a sling….At that time he recognized and trusted it was God’s power and strength that gave him victory….

Now puffed up with pride, trusting in himself, basking in his own glory, which led to lust, sin, murder, and conspiracy. All of which, “Displeased God” (2 Sam 11:27).

Pride is a slippery slope gentlemen! Let’s be careful of the ugly head of pride that can rear itself in our lives….Let’s be careful when we “scan our empire….”

It can lead us to a prideful heart, then to comfort and complacency, then to a series of bad decisions and sins, and a place we don’t belong….

Satan will always use that open door of a prideful heart and put a “Bathsheba” in front of you. Whatever your “Bathsheba” might be….

All things good in your life, all accomplishments, all titles, and all positions are blessings from God. Stay surrendered in that mindset continually! For it’s in that mindset that humility and gratitude will abound!

Just like David was supposed to be engaged….We are called daily to our “arena of conflict”, and we are called daily to be “agents of change” for Him….

Gentlemen, first make sure you’re where you should be, and you’re doing what you’re supposed to be doing….Then let’s beat back the pride, complacency, and comfort that can arise so easily….

And lead us to a place like it did King David.

Let’s be humble and surrendered men that step forth and impact our sphere’s, realms, and world all for God’s glory!

Lay your pride down and go make it a great day for Him!

Love y’all,

-dino