What an incredible book! The stories...the people...the events. All there for us to read. And you know what the funny part is? God did not leave out all the juicy stuff. Now before you think I'm turning the Bible into an ancient version of the National Enquirer, I'm not. You know if I had written a book about myself, I would not put all my dirty laundry out there for everyone to see and read about. I would have built myself up and made myself look like the real hero that I'm not. But here in this book, God shows us the frailty of humans. That at the best we can do, the best we can think....at the top of our A-game, we are sinners in need of a Savior.
I taught last night at the Bible study from II Samuel 11.The chapter begins like this:
In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army...............But David remained in Jerusalem.
Sounds innocent doesn't it? Maybe David was sick. Maybe he was tired. Maybe he was bored. The problem is that David wasn't where he was suppose to be. You know what? That gets us in more trouble than anything else............not being where we are suppose to be. Oh, it doesn't have to be a physical location.. Our thoughts can be where they aren't suppose to be, entertaining ideas and temptations. Our hearts can be where they are not suppose to be, having affections for things and others that wish to take the place of our devotion to God alone.
Thing is, with King David, his not being where he was suppose to be created a series of events that spiraled out of control and would affect his life and his family for the rest of his days. Let's take a look.
1.) David didn't go out with his army.
2.) David was bored so he took a late evening walk on the roof of his palace.
3.) Had David been where he was suppose to be, he would not have seen Bathsheba taking her evening bath.
4.) David has her brought to the palace. Here we see the culmination of David's giving into to the thoughts and temptations that he allowed to form in his mind and heart. He has now brought sin into his very place of dwelling.
5.) David has sex with her.
6.) She becomes pregnant.
7.) David conspires to manipulate Bathsheba's husband (who is in the army) with a pass to go home and be with his wife. David figures that once home, Uriah (the husband) will have relations with his wife and David will be off the hook. "It isn't my baby.....He was just home on leave so it has to be his".
8.) David runs into a man of principals. Uriah refuses to go home. Plan A fails.
9.) David turns to plan B.
10.) Have Uriah killed in battle.
11.) Mission accomplished. Uriah killed.
Do you see how an entire series of events were set in motion just because David wasn't where he was suppose to be? Man! I've got to guard myself and not allow myself to be lax for one moment. Not allow my thoughts to dwell where they shouldn't. Not allow my heart to loose focus on God.
Think on these things....and oh yeah....
Be where you're suppose to.
God on you.....
mb
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