9/17/2010 5:20:56 AM
SPIRITUAL DIARY
My Worship Time Focus: Imagination
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: 2Sam. 11:2b
Message of the verses: “-and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.”
“You heard that it was said, you shall not commit adultery. But as for myself, I am saying to you, everyone who is looking at a woman in order to indulge his sexual passion for her, already committed adultery with her in his heart.” (Matthew 5:27-28 Wuest’s Expanded Translation)
Dr. Wiersbe writes: “Lead us not into temptation’ was the prayer David should have prayed. By lingering and looking, David tempted himself. By sending the messengers, he tempted Bathsheba; and by yielding to the flesh, He tempted the Lord.”
As I wrote in yesterday’s SD it was that second look that got David in trouble. When sin enters the mind it is the easiest place to do something about it, for there has been nothing done physically yet. As far as temptation, that was what happened to David at first when he first looked at Bathsheba bathing and that would have been the best time to rid his mind of the temptation, for temptation is not yet sin, but David took that second look and then did not think of a way to rid his mind of her. I’m sure that David knew the story of Joseph who ran from temptation when he was confronted and that would have been the thing for him to do, run to another part of his palace. I guess that thing that disappoints me the most about this is that David acted like one of the kings of the world when he took Bathsheba and slept with her, for this would have been something like several of our former presidents have done as they used their power corruptively. David however when confronted confessed his sin and that makes me happy for the good example that he set in doing that.
My Steps of faith for today: “Taking every thought to make it obedient to Christ” is from the last part of 2Cor. 10:5 and it is a most difficult thing to do, for it is something that takes practice and patience when you fail to do it.
I have to write about one more thing David could have done that is probably not in any commentaries, but something that I have thought about since I have struggled with this problem for a very long time. What I am thinking about is that David had many wives and concubines that could have satisfied his sexual desires when he looked lustfully at Bathsheba and although it probably would have been sinful for him to be thinking about Bathsheba when sleeping with one of his wives or concubines the results would not have been the same, for Uriah would not have been killed by David and therefore the other bad things that happened to David would not have happened.
Now we come to a more difficult problem, well at least humanely speaking a problem, and that is what probably would be called the providence of God, for God could never cause someone to sin, but according to Romans 8:28 God causes all things to work together for our good and for His glory. In God’s providence God would chose Solomon to be the next king of Israel to keep the line of David going, and God loved Solomon very much and this is expressed in His Word. I see this problem in my mind, yet I trust the Lord to work all of this out, and one more thing, and that is that David had great difficulties in his life because of his sin with Bathsheba, so even though this was in the providence of God, David still experienced the pain.
My Steps of Faith for Today:
1. Continue to remember to take every thought captive in obedience to Christ.
2. Give myself to the Lord for worship and service.
3. Trust the Lord to guide and direct my path and also to continue to teach me, and for me to learn contentment.
9/17/2010 6:00:16 AM
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