One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 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.” 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. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.” — 1 Samuel 11:2-5
We have talked about how sin often enters your life slowly. We also talked about cultivating an attitude of repentance, checking yourself regularly.
How would King David’s life have been different if he had done that? His sinful attitude began before this passage. When other kings went to war, David shirked his duty. He took naps and strolled around on the roof instead of leading his men in battle.
Bathsheba was not doing anything wrong. There was often a privacy fence around the flat roof of a home, and people put water in tubs to let it warm in the sun. People could see Bathsheba bathing only if they were looking at her from above, which David was. The palace was higher than the other homes, so he had a clear view.
David did not look away, but asked about her. Even after finding out she was married (David also had multiple wives), he sent for her, and slept with her. It was unlikely she felt she could refuse. He got her pregnant, and had her husband killed to cover his sin.
Do you think you would be fulfilled if you could just have something (or someone) you know is off limits? Instead of being content with what God has given you, you want more. If you could have that one thing, you would be satisfied. Covetousness. What God provides is not good enough, so you go on the prowl for something you think is better. Do you struggle with wanting something off limits?
To Think/Pray About Today
What do you covet? What do you think would make you happy and whole if only you had it? Can you cultivate an attitude of gratitude to God for what He has given you? We may never have everything we want in life, but God does provide.
Prayer Focus: Feed the Ville
Cedarville United Presbyterian Church 