Sermon - August 24, 2014 - The Story Week 12 - The Tragic Pivot in David's Life

Chapter 12, I am just amazed at how quickly our journey through The Story is going. I pray you are seeing how each part of scripture we have reviewed so far is tied together and how they all support God’s ultimate plan. Remember He loves us and wants to spend eternity with us, so everything He has done, everything He has orchestrated through history is to achieve that goal.

Once there was a little boy who lived in the country. They had to use an outhouse for a facility and the little boy absolutely hated the outhouse because it was always hot in the summer, cold in the winter, and it stank all the time.  So the little boy decided that, because the outhouse was on the bank by a creek, he would push the outhouse into the water. After a spring rain when the creek was fully swollen, the boy knew it was time to push the outhouse into the creek.  He got a big stick and he pushed and the outhouse toppled into the creek and floated away.  Later that night his dad told him that they were going to make a trip out to the woodshed. The little boy knew that meant a spanking. He asked his father why and the father said, "Because someone pushed the outhouse into the creek today, and I think it was you. Wasn't it, son?"  The boy answered, "Yes, it was, Dad."  Then the little boy thought and said, "Today, Dad, I read in school that when George Washington cut down the cherry tree, he didn't get into trouble because he told the truth."  The father responded, "Well, yes, son, but George Washington's father wasn't in that cherry tree.”

Most of us have never toppled an outhouse, but all of us can identify with the little boy in three ways. First, we have something inside us that wants to do wrong. Second, our lack of goodness affects others. And, third, there are always consequences to our choices. We see all these things at work in The Story. We discover that David has it all. Everything he does turns to gold. He defeats enemies time and again, shows kindness to Jonathon’s son Mephibosheth, and expands his kingdom. The world is at peace and David is at rest in his palace. Then we learn in 2 Samuel 11 that David lets down his guard and makes some tragic choices that cause a pivotal shift in David’s life, family and kingdom.

Last week, we saw how David went from being a shepherd boy to being a warrior to a king. He is known as the greatest king the Israelites have ever had. Some say he completed the conquest of the Promised Land begun by Joshua, defeating the Philistines, Arameans, Moabites, and others. David fought many battles, and defeated many kingdoms. He was also a gifted poet and he wrote most of Psalms. He was compassionate, he was just. But more than anything, David loved God. The Bible describes him as a man after God’s own heart.

David let his guard down, even as a man after God’s own heart, he fell into sin and had to deal with the consequences.

2 Samuel 11:1-5

“11 In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. ² One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. ³ So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he reported, “This is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite.” ⁴ David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness. Afterward, she returned home. ⁵ The woman conceived and sent word to inform David: “I am pregnant.”

David was not doing what he should be doing. He committed adultery with Bathsheba, Uriah’s wife, and she gets pregnant.

So what does David do, he tries to cover it up. He quickly summons Bathsheba’s husband figuring if he is home, no one will ever know the child is David’s.

2 Samuel 11:9-11

“⁹ But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house. ¹⁰ When it was reported to David, “Uriah didn’t go home,” David questioned Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a journey? Why didn’t you go home?” ¹¹ Uriah answered David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers are camping in the open field. How can I enter my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live and by your life, I will not do this!”

David tried to get Uriah to go spend some quality time with his wife, but he was not going to do it. He even tried to get Uriah drunk so that he would go home to his wife but it did not work. Uriah, a man of integrity, refuses to be rewarded while his fellow soldiers are out in the field.

David is now feeling the pressure. His sin is catching up with him and so far his attempts to cover it up are not working. So instead of trying to convince Uriah to stay home, he sends him back to the front lines but not with the purist of intentions.

2 Samuel 11:15

“¹⁵ In the letter he wrote: Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest fighting, then withdraw from him so that he is struck down and dies.”

Uriah dies in battle and David takes Bathsheba as one of his wives. David thinks everything is back to normal, he thinks his sins are covered up. BUT God loved David too much to let things appear normal.

Nathan, a prophet of the Lord receives a message for David and comes to him and confronts him privately. He tells him a story of a rich man who takes a poor man’s only lamb. David was angry and declares that the rich man must pay 4 fold for that lamb that he took.

2 Samuel 12:7

“⁷ Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.”

David is confronted with his sin and with the consequences of those choices. He is hit squarely between the eyes with what he has done. Unlike his predecessor Saul, David does not make excuses for his sin.

2 Samuel 12:13

“David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.”’

David acts like a man and fully confesses his sins right there. No wishy washy beating around the bush passing the buck or kicking it down the road… it stopped with David. ‘I have sinned against the Lord.’

Psalm 51 was written after David had been confronted by the Prophet Nathan and I think it shows us that David comes clean with God.

Psalm 51:1-12

“¹ Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. ² Wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. ³ For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. ⁴ Against You—You alone—I have sinned and done this evil in Your sight. So You are right when You pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge. ⁵ Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. ⁶ Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within. ⁷ Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. ⁸ Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. ⁹ Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. ¹⁰ God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. ¹¹ Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me.
¹² Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit.”

We read that David is forgiven for his sinful behavior but there are consequences in his personal life and in his kingdom.

As far as the consequences in his personal life we see three devastating things happen in David’s life.

In Chapter 12, the son of Bathsheba dies. The child who was created through the act of adultery does not live. David pleads with God, but the consequence as painful as it is stands.  

Later in Chapter 13 we read about how David’s son Amnon is obsessed with his half sister Tamar and forces himself on her. This leads to another brother Absalom killing Amnon.

In Chapter 15 we see that David’s son Absalom rebels against David. Partly caused because David did not deal with Amnon himself.

This leads us to the consequences that have impacted the kingdom that God gave David.

Absalom’s rebellion against David leads to him fleeing and living in exile as Absalom takes the throne of Israel.

Eventually David is given his kingdom back but as a father he is heartbroken once again. First he was betrayed by his son Absalom and then his son is killed dead. Which then lead to another one of his sons, Sheba, to revolt against him. Sheba’s life was also cut short to end the rebellion.

Second Samuel Chapters 12-20 are filled with consequences that are started with that pivotal movement when David gave in to sin and betrayed God’s command. A man after God’s own heart had a lot of trouble and heart break.

With all of this turmoil, David handles all the consequences with dignity. David’s relationship with God is restored.

We read in:
1 Chronicles 29:10-13

“¹⁰ Then David praised the Lord in the sight of all the assembly. David said,
May You be praised, Lord God of our father Israel, from eternity to eternity. ¹¹ Yours, Lord, is the greatness and the power and the glory and the splendor and the majesty, for everything in the heavens and on earth belongs to You. Yours, Lord, is the kingdom, and You are exalted as head over all. ¹² Riches and honor come from You, and You are the ruler of everything. Power and might are in Your hand, and it is in Your hand to make great and to give strength to all. ¹³ Now therefore, our God, we give You thanks and praise Your glorious name.”

David learned to Love and Praise the Lord during the Good and Bad in his life. That is a wonderful lesson that each of us need to apply to our lives.

I don’t want to forget about Uriah this morning. We should live our lives like him, noble warriors whose actions speak of the integrity we value. We say we are a Christian, but our actions needs to DECLARE it!

Now, What can we learn from David and this chapter of his life?

When we sin, and we all we sin, we must do 3 things….

            Admit our sins honestly to God

            Live with the consequences with dignity
            Experience the forgiving, restoring grace of God

We also need to avoid being like Saul who tried to make excuses for his sins. Hey, we are human, it is going to happen.

Accept it; you are going to sin.

Confess it; lay your sins before the Lord.
Deal with it; there are going to be consequences for our actions.
Let God Forgive it; God Loves you way too much to leave you in sinful despair. He is going to lift you up and cover you in His grace.

Accept it, Confess it, Deal with it, and let God Forgive it!

 
Thank You for reading!

God Bless,

Robert