Week 14: Running From Sin
Weekly Reading:
I Samuel 27 - II Samuel 14
Opening Prayer
Father God,
As we go into this week, I know that I have run from sin in the past. We all have, and we need your tender forgiveness and grace always. Please give me the courage to stand up to sin and admit to my sin instead of running from it. I can never run from You, Father, as You know my heart.
Amen
Study
David was a good man, a man of God, who bravely led his people. But even good men fail, and David failed and failed significantly, and he tried to cover his sin and run from his sin.
Chapters 11 and 12 of II Samuel show a man broken by his sin. We open chapter 11 on a day of victory after a winter of rest. The Israelites just conquered the Ammonite Army and sieged the City of Rabbah.
David was feeling pretty good. He just got up from a nap. He walks on his balcony to overlook his city, only to see a beautiful woman bathing. David immediately sent for her even after being told she was married. He had sex with her. The woman, Bathsheba, became pregnant by King David, as her husband was away. Israel would know she committed adultery, and she and David would be known for their sin. The punishment of sin is a public stoning until their death.
To cover his sin, David sent for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah. David schemed to get Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba to explain the pregnancy. But Uriah was a man of honor and refused to go home; the ark was out; the armies of Israel and Judah were not home with their wives; why would Uriah get the honor and privilege. Uriah refused to go home no matter how much David tried to persuade him.
When Uriah’s honor would not allow him to betray his troops, David sent him into battle and asked Uriah to be placed on the front lines setting him up to die. In II Samuel 11:24, Uriah died when archers killed some troops with arrows.
God was disappointed with David as he ran from his sin, trying to cover it up and hiding his mistakes. God sent Nathan to tell a story of a rich man who took advantage of a poor man. David was angry with the rich man and said the rich man would need to die. Nathan told David; the rich man is you. You, David, took advantage of Uriah and killed him in battle.
David did not get stoned for his sin, but he lost much as a result. David lost his sanity at some point, his son Absolom would rebel against him, and his house was in turmoil. David sinned in secret; however, all of Israel would see him pay for his sin in his public struggles.
We have all been there: Telling a lie, trying to cover it up, running from the truth.
But, God sees us, as we saw last week. God sees our hearts and our motives:
A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart. To do what is right and just is more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice. Proverbs 21:2-3 (NIV)
If we had forgotten the name of our God or spread out our hands to a foreign god, would not God have discovered it, since he knows the secrets of the heart? Psalm 44:20-21 (NIV)
God’s preference is for our motives to be free from sin. God wants us to own up to our mistakes, take responsibility, and be authentic and honest in our interactions with others.
In the end, we see that God never leaves his people and we cannot run from his love. In II Samuel 12:24, we see David remembered in the birth of Solomon, his lineage, and the family line to the Messiah.
Closing Prayer
Father God,
I know that I lack integrity sometimes, and I may be untruthful or say something that hurts someone’s feelings. Please give me the wisdom to see what this sin does to myself and others. Give me the courage to pray for forgiveness. You know the secrets of my heart; there is nothing that can be hidden from You. Forgive me, Father, for sins known and unknown.
Amen
Homework
From what are you running away?
Is there an unconfessed sin in your life?
Choose now to pray to God for forgiveness, and also forgive yourself.
