Monday 21st October
Read 2 Samuel 11:1-6
“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. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem.
2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman washing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, ‘She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’ 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, ‘I am pregnant.’” (NIVUK)
This chapter, and these words, are amongst the most significant turning points in the Bible, as significant as the fall in Genesis 3. Unsurprisingly then, the language of this tragic tale echoes the language of the fall. David ‘saw’ (v2b) that she was ‘good’ (v2c) and ‘took’ (v4) her, though the translation we are reading doesn’t capture this well.
Why is it such a turning point? Because up until this point David really has mostly ruled as a righteous, merciful and kind king, placing God’s will before his own and patiently waiting for God to act. Then, when he should have perhaps been elsewhere (v1), he succumbs to his desires, covets his neighbour’s wife, commits adultery and the kingdom ultimately unravels. Just like in the garden, David’s desires were placed above God’s.
Desire struck, David sinned, consequences followed. David was at the height of his powers and a moment of weakness struck him down. A moment of weakness that could just as easily present itself to us. One can’t help but wonder if James is thinking of this turning point when he wrote to God’s people.
“When tempted, no one should say, ‘God is tempting me.’ For God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does he tempt anyone; 14 but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. 15 Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.” (James 1:13-14) (NIVUK)
It is no wonder then that Jesus teaches us to pray for God’s will to be done and to not be lead into temptation…every day.
