Checking her out

So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house. – 2 Samuel 11v3-4

One of the problems with ‘just one look’ is that it is rarely enough. David saw this beautiful woman bathing in her garden in the cool of the evening. His first problem was looking long enough to notice that she was beautiful. But, even if David had stopped, dealt with his lustful thoughts, and moved on things would not have gone where they did.

The problem is that he did not stop there. He began plotting his sin. He worked out a plan to fulfil the desires of his flesh. He asked around. Someone said that she was Uriah’s wife. David knew that Uriah was away. He was out fighting the battle that David himself should have been leading.

Well, now the plan was in place. No one would refuse him because he was the king. No one but Bathsheba and few servants would ever know. He could sin and get away with it. It seemed like it was prefect.

He sent for Bathsheba. She came to David. He fulfilled his desires. Done and dusted. No one would ever know.

We look at David and wonder how he could be so stubborn and foolish. We wonder how a man after God’s own heart could have such evil plans.

Are we really any less guilty than David though when we don’t nip sin in the bud? We encounter temptations regularly. We then decide what to do. Do we stop it right there, or do we, like David, decide to carry on and sin.

David made a foolish choice. Lets be warned so that we don’t do the same.