2 Samuel 11: Only Following Orders.
Many people feel sympathy for the person who commits a crime under pressure or coercion. Perhaps Bathsheba fits this category. She could hardly help being beautiful, and in all probability she was bathing quite innocently when she caught David's eye. To complicate matters, the king- not just anybody- summoned her to sleep with him. The king's word was law, and had Bathsheba refused him she might have expected severe penalties- perhaps even death.
Certainly, Bathsheba suffered for what she did. She lost her husband and her child. Did she join with David in his repentance? The Bible does not say. After bearing another child, Solomon, she received no further mention in Scripture until the very end of David's life, when she supported Solomon's bid for the throne. The one really notable thing Bathsheba accomplished in life was the wrong thing- her affair with the king.
The way the Bible tells the story, David bore the chief responsibility for this national scandal. He initiated the adultery, followed it up with murder and suffered the consequences throughout the rest of his life. When we consider how the repercussions of David's actions affected the entire nation, however, we can see why "I was only following orders" is no defense. Although Bathsheba was in some ways a victim, her failure to resist a sinful situation made David's sin possible.
Life Question: Are there any situations in which you are tempted to "just go along" with sin because of pressure?
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Sometimes I struggle with living out my faith when I'm away from the church and the WT/ praise band gang. These friends, who are all so incredibly dear to me, make it so much easier for me to "do/ say the right thing". But when I find myself out in the secular world...at my job/ hanging out with my other buddies on occasion, it can be rather easy to regress into a conduct that is contradictory to the message that I hear each Sunday. I know that Christ wants me to be genuine in all that I say and do, and I shamefully admit that this is something that I really need to address in my life.
1 comment:
It is always before me: that is the battle that goes on in my heart. It seems the easiest way that comes from my human nature is the way that wars against God's will. If I do not carefully consider my way, it leads to a destructive path. My workplace is filled with such traps as it would be easy to follow the crowd there. David's temptation could fall on any man if he does not consider the destructive nature of such a choice. If David had thought through the downfall this would bring to his family; I'm sure he would have left the temptation at the start. Sexual sin in a man's life effects all of his heritage. It brings death to everyone it touches. I guess that first look in the wrong direction was not as harmless as King David may have first thought.
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