Dangerous decisions: David
But David remained at Jerusalem (2 Samuel 11:1).
Sometimes we can forget we are in a spiritual battle. Whilst we are on earth, this battle does not end. In his letter to the Ephesians, Paul brings before them, and us, the riches of what we have in Christ, and the depth of His love for His Church: “Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her” (Ephesians 5:25). In the next chapter, he describes the spiritual battle we are in and the need to wear God’s armour.
In Judges 7 God instructed Gideon to choose three hundred men to defeat the Midianites’ vast armies. God chose these men based on how they drank water! Did they dip their heads into the stream, absorbed in the pleasure of the moment, freely drinking fresh, cold water in the heat of the sun? Or did they gather the water and drink it from the palms of their hands, whilst staying entirely alert to what was going on around them? Only three hundred men were alert! We often feed birds in our back garden and very occasionally put food out for the gulls. It is interesting to watch them suddenly appear from nowhere. These relatively large birds swoop in groups but do not immediately take the food. They are always wary of landing in an enclosed garden where their sight line is obstructed and danger may be lurking. Sometimes the temptation of the food overrides their fear, but some fly on, not wanting to risk their lives meeting a cat, for the sake of one meal.
At the beginning of 2 Samuel 11:1, David, who had kept his father’s sheep safe from wild animals, destroyed Goliath, saved his people, and shepherded a nation, stopped going out to battle. In the peacefulness of Jerusalem and in one moment of idleness, he plunged himself into dreadful sin. He could not sleep, because he was not tired from fulfilling his responsibility to lead his people in confronting and defeating enemies. He was no longer the warrior, but became prey to the lust in his own heart. Evil never sleeps and never tires. Satan does not need a large door to walk into our lives. David was the recipient of God’s love and blessing, but his spiritual life came crashing down by looking at a beautiful woman and not walking away.
Joseph, robbed of everything and a slave, was persistently pursued by Potiphar’s wife. But he defended himself so strongly: “How then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:9). David was eventually brought to repentance. In anguish, he said to God,
“Against You, You only, have I sinned,
And done this evil in Your sight”
(Psalm 51:4).
But he could not alter the terrible harm he had caused. David’s sight line was obstructed because he placed himself in danger. Joseph, wherever he was placed, never forgot he lived in the sight of God.
David’s bitter failure teaches us many things. No one is so blessed that they cannot fail. We should not remove ourselves from our responsibilities or forget we are in a battle. We should not place ourselves in spiritual danger and should always recognise the flesh in us. We are capable of making the most dreadful mistakes. When temptation comes, we must repel it immediately or run from it, but not be drawn in by it. If we live in the conscious knowledge that we are in the sight of God, we are blessed and protected. If we fail, it is knowing we are in the sight of God that we are led to repentance (Luke 22:61-62). His love never fails (1 Corinthians 13:8).
