Nepaug Bible Church - http://www.nepaugchurch.org - Pastor's Evening Sermon Notes - http://www.nepaugchurch.org/ev/ev20021020.htm

1 AND 2 SAMUEL: GOD'S SOLUTIONS TO PROBLEMS IN OVERSIGHT
Part XLVIII: Learning To Guard Our FOCUS To Avoid Disastrous Sinful Failure
(2 Samuel 11:1-4)
  1. Introduction
    1. When we study David's sin with Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11, it is easy to "point the finger" at David's failure, thinking we can never fall for such flagrant sin that creates so much havoc in a believer's life.
    2. However, such great sin rarely stampedes into one's life -- it usually arrives following other factors that lead the believer into overwhelming temptation to such sin.
    3. 2 Samuel 11:1-4 goes beyond supplying the facts of David's temptation and fall into sin to expose the "other factors" that led him into temptation's dangerous path. We study these for our own helpful insight:
  2. Learning To Guard Our FOCUS To Avoid Disastrous Sinful Failure, 2 Samuel 11:1-4.
    1. David fell into powerful temptation that ended in his committing adultery by viewing Bathsheba bathe in her house's enclosed courtyard from his tall palace rooftop overlooking her home, cf. 2 Samuel 11:2b-4 with Ryrie Study Bible, KJV, footnote to 2 Samuel 11:2. (Bathsheba did nothing wrong in bathing this way: in that era and culture, the enclosed courtyard was considered part of the home, so she bathed at night by "lamplight" rather modestly, not expecting to be seen at that time by others, Ibid.)
    2. However, David had relaxed his guard on his focus on God's will that allowed the temptation to occur:
      1. First, David failed to focus on his divine calling as king, putting himself in temptation's pathway:
        1. The first verse of chapter 11 dramatically critiques David's staying home when he, like other kings usually did in the spring of the year, would usually go forth to solidify their realms in war, 11:1.
        2. In the context, we learn from 2 Samuel 10 the current war had been started by the Ammonite mistreatment of David's ambassadors sent to comfort king Hanun of Ammon, 2 Sam. 10:1-7; 11:1.
        3. We learned last lesson that God had allowed this conflict to arise to expand Israel's boundaries as far as the Euphrates River in accord with the Abrahamic Covenant, and to do so by having David's forces get into a war to defeat the Arameans and Ammonites, cf. Gen. 15:18 with 2 Sam. 10:16-19.
        4. Hence, had David been out on the battle lines as was his calling before the LORD, he would not have been in temptation's way regarding his eventual adultery with Bathsheba!
      2. Second, while at home, David spent time in idleness, leaving himself vulnerable for temptation:
        1. We know David had been idle while staying at home, for he arose from off his bed where he had been relaxing to walk around on his palace roof, 2 Samuel 11:2a.
        2. Had David at least occupied himself with his royal administrative duties while at Jerusalem, he would have been up during the day preoccupied with his duties only to recline tired enough to sleep. That would have kept him out of temptation's way as well.
      3. Third, having gone to the rooftop, David allowed his gaze to shift where it should not have been at that time of day, putting him into temptation's pathway:
        1. As David's palace stood above the other houses of the city, and as his roof easily exposed the private courtyards of the town below him, he would have known it would have been immodest to let his gaze view anything below him in the evening!
        2. However, David let his gaze shift to where it should not have been, and temptation's force only hooked his sinful nature's lusts, leading him into the most disastrous sin of his career.
Lesson: David failed to guard his FOCUS on GOD'S WILL, on living a PRODUCTIVE life and on AVOIDING temptation's lure once its opportunity came along. In so doing, he left himself open to sin.

Application: (1) Like Paul warned Timothy several times in 1 Timothy, we must watch that we "pay heed" to God's Word and gifting and job assignment (1 Timothy 4:13, 14-16) versus "paying heed" to things like endless myths (1 Timothy 1:4), indulging in physical lusts [alcoholism (1 Timothy 3:8)] and even deceiving spirits and demonic doctrines (1 Timothy 4:1), all to succeed in God's will versus making shipwreck of our lives, cf. 1 Timothy 1:19-20. (2) If we CATCH ourselves getting involved in SIDE issues apart from our divine assignment, or idly getting into temptation's way, WHEREVER we are, we must see the DANGER of our COMPLACENCY, and RETURN to God's will IMMEDIATELY!