Your reading assignment for this lesson is found in 2 Samuel 11; and read the whole chapter. Then read chapter 12. It seems to me that the greatest earthly value of salvation is peace and spiritual joy. Take away joy and peace, and nothing else has any meaning. There are various things that can still your joy away. For some it may be an unhappy home life, for others it could be pressures and stresses from a job. It could be health, debt or even some vice that you have become involved in. The fact is, there are many ways in which the devil can fill our lives with the cares of this life and make us forget that God is a God of peace and comfort; and that it is in Christ that our joy is made full.
No child of God who is in sin and out of fellowship with the Lord has any peace or joy. The thing that took away David’s joy was the lust of the flesh. Sin will sever your fellowship (not your relationship) with the Father in an instant. 1 John 1:1-6 teaches us that, sin takes us out of fellowship, but repentance will just as quickly put us right. Be sure to read this passage.
Are we any different than David? He was not only a great king over God’s people, but a great man of God. He could easily be acclaimed as a spiritual giant; yet David, like ourselves had weaknesses as well. Though you may not have the same exact temptation as David did, let us look now at his experience and see if we can benefit from it. Our object is to allow the Holy Spirit to speak to us from His word that we may have “joy unspeakable and full of glory.”
I wish to examine two things that will teach us to keep our eyes on the Savior and not on the world. Then, the only thing that will restore our fellowship once lost.
David’s Sin and the loss of joy. Look at the circumstances which created the problem, 2 Samuel 11:1-5. Several things we may notice that Satan used to lure David into the perfect storm of temptation. Keep in mind that the devil did not make David do anything, but simply put the temptation before him and the thoughts in his head. Verse 1, David tarried behind while his army went to battle, thus creating the occasion for the sin. First, he failed to follow the path of duty, “at the time when kings go forth to battle.” Second, he basked in the luxuries of the palace rather than endure the hardships of the battlefield. Third, what he failed to realized was that his greatest enemy was not on the battlefield, but right there on his own terrace. Fourth, he had left off his battle armor against the Ammonites, but much worse, he had left off his spiritual armor. Ephesians 6:11, “Put on the whole armour of God, that ye may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”
In verse 2, David walked upon his terrace after his afternoon nap, perhaps having no thoughts of the battle or anything else; therefore, we may notice the steps of sin. An empty mind is an empty room for the thoughts of folly. David did not glance at the woman and look away and ask the Holy Spirit to restrain his desire, but continued to look and watch her bathing below on her own private terrace. Some may reason that the woman should have used more discretion, but she didn’t and David was responsible. Many women use little discretion in their dress to attract the male eye, but that isn’t a valid excuse to lust. Notwithstanding, the woman will give an account to God for her premeditated, licentious behavior.
Secondly, David took action to facilitate a personal encounter. It is certainly one sin to watch with a lustful eye, but yet another sin to take further steps toward adultery or any kind of fornication. A poison vine, left unchecked will soon overtake the fence and spread to the other side. James 1:14, “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin:…”
Thirdly, David took the woman into his bed chamber. Hebrews 13:4, “Marriage [is] honourable in all, and the bed undefiled: but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge.” Any, and I repeat, any kind of sexual conduct between a man and woman outside of marriage is sin. Any, and I repeat, any sexual conduct between two men or two women is sin period, there is no marriage option. This was not a new law just introduced by Paul, this is basic and an explicit part of the Ten Commands; therefore, we see the aggravation of sin. God willing we shall continue this lesson next time. Don’t forget your reading assignment; read again and take some notes and bring them to class next time. E-mail, johnpruitt@frontiernet.net
