When It Starts to Unravel
David has gone from drifting to blowing through yellow lights. And everything is going according to his plan. He sees Bathsheba, finds out who she is, sends for her, has sex with her and sends her home. Done.
And then the first cracks start to show in his plan.
Bathsheba sends word that she's pregnant. Up to this point, it's been David doing the sending. He finds out it's not so good when you're on the receiving end. This wasn't in the script.
How you respond when things start to unravel will determine largely how bad things get.
At this moment David could choose the end the whole thing. Apologize to Bathsheba, her husband, his own family, the nation, God, whomever. He could call the whole thing off and end it right here. But he doesn't do that.
Instead, David says, "I can handle this. I'm the King. No one needs to know about this. I'll take care of it."
Sin always does this. It refuses to stay on the script. It takes on a life of its own and refuses to be controlled by you. You start out being in control of it, but eventually it begins to control you. And it does so by promising the same old thing: You can be in charge. In essence, you can be God.
Here's David doing all the sending, moving people here and there like pieces on a chessboard. First it's bring that woman to me. Then it's bring me her husband, and I'll fix this mess. Then, when Uriah refuses to cooperate it's take this letter (which contains your death warrant) to Joab.
The same man who sang praises to God, defied the enemies of the Lord and danced with all his might at the thought of God's presence is now filled with deceit and hypocrisy and violence. David was thoroughly committed to a strategy of cover-up.
When it starts to unravel, when the consequences of your sin first show themselves, you will find yourself in one of two places: honesty and repentance or cover-up and more sin. The path you choose will determine just how bad it's going to get.
And then the first cracks start to show in his plan.
Bathsheba sends word that she's pregnant. Up to this point, it's been David doing the sending. He finds out it's not so good when you're on the receiving end. This wasn't in the script.
How you respond when things start to unravel will determine largely how bad things get.
At this moment David could choose the end the whole thing. Apologize to Bathsheba, her husband, his own family, the nation, God, whomever. He could call the whole thing off and end it right here. But he doesn't do that.
Instead, David says, "I can handle this. I'm the King. No one needs to know about this. I'll take care of it."
Sin always does this. It refuses to stay on the script. It takes on a life of its own and refuses to be controlled by you. You start out being in control of it, but eventually it begins to control you. And it does so by promising the same old thing: You can be in charge. In essence, you can be God.
Here's David doing all the sending, moving people here and there like pieces on a chessboard. First it's bring that woman to me. Then it's bring me her husband, and I'll fix this mess. Then, when Uriah refuses to cooperate it's take this letter (which contains your death warrant) to Joab.
The same man who sang praises to God, defied the enemies of the Lord and danced with all his might at the thought of God's presence is now filled with deceit and hypocrisy and violence. David was thoroughly committed to a strategy of cover-up.
When it starts to unravel, when the consequences of your sin first show themselves, you will find yourself in one of two places: honesty and repentance or cover-up and more sin. The path you choose will determine just how bad it's going to get.
posted by john alan turner at 10:45 AM
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