Photo by: Joe Tempesta

David’s Fall

As the individual that anointed both Saul and David as Israel’s first two kings, Samuel documents the life of a great biblical man, David (2 Samuel:10-20).  While David was a great warrior and a faithful man, he was also subject to typical male temptations.  In this documentary, special attention is made to the temptation and ultimate sin trespassed by David with Bathsheba.  This story, although thousands of years old has contemporary applications, if we’re willing to learn from other’s mistakes.

After David had committed adultery with Bathsheba, he recorded his repentance to the Lord in Psalm 51.

1 Have mercy on me, O God,

       according to your unfailing love;

       according to your great compassion

       blot out my transgressions.

2 Wash away all my iniquity

       and cleanse me from my sin.

3 For I know my transgressions,

       and my sin is always before me.

4 Against you, you only, have I sinned

       and done what is evil in your sight,

       so that you are proved right when you speak

       and justified when you judge.

5 Surely I was sinful at birth,

       sinful from the time my mother conceived me.

6 Surely you desire truth in the inner parts [a] ;

       you teach [b] me wisdom in the inmost place.

7 Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean;

       wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.

8 Let me hear joy and gladness;

       let the bones you have crushed rejoice.

       and blot out all my iniquity.

10 Create in me a pure heart, O God,

       and renew a steadfast spirit within me.

11 Do not cast me from your presence

       or take your Holy Spirit from me.

12 Restore to me the joy of your salvation

       and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.

13 Then I will teach transgressors your ways,

       and sinners will turn back to you.

       the God who saves me,

       and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.

15 O Lord, open my lips,

       and my mouth will declare your praise.

16 You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it;

       you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.

17 The sacrifices of God are [c] a broken spirit;

       a broken and contrite heart,

       O God, you will not despise.

18 In your good pleasure make Zion prosper;

       build up the walls of Jerusalem.

       whole burnt offerings to delight you;

       then bulls will be offered on your altar.

In most cases, even today, things may not even go this far.  However, with David, then went much further.

In this instance, the weakness of David is underscored by his initial transgression.  In this act, a family lost a son, a wife lost a husband, and David lost favor with God.  This seemingly simple transgression became overwhelming.

Mistakes such as David’s are documented in scripture for us to learn what not to do.  It is vitally important that we understand that God wants our sexual purity, through which we can maintain our relationship.

This episode shows how a well respected and powerful man fell into sin through his inability to overcome sexual temptation.

Jonah’s Boat Ride

As with Jonah, many men find themselves running from God.  The price of disobedience to God’s will may not be illustrated any clearer than in the book of Jonah.  When recalling this story, most remember the great fish that was provided to Jonah and his subsequent rescue.  While this is important and can’t be understated, the effect of his sin on those around him is equally important.

There gets to be a point in which the other on the boat recognize Jonah’s transgressions and are forced to do something about it or perish.  Like life, those around us are forced deal with our sin as we’ve put the payment on them.  In this instance the crew on the boat with Jonah tried heading for shore, but God wasn’t accepting their payment.  Finally, recognizing God’s power, those around Jonah pitched him overboard. As we work through our own sin we have undoubtedly asked others to serve as substitutes for payment.  We use our marriages, our children, work colleagues, and the group of guys we hang around as collateral in this very dangerous game of hide and seek from God.

We need to learn from Jonah and confront the commands of God provided to us through scripture and put our sins on Christ’s account and His grace on ours as we confess our transgressions to him and rebuild our relationship with our Creator.

Jesus Raises the Bar

We’ve reviewed what price we and others pay for our active sins.  Let’s take a moment and look at the portion of the law that Jesus elevates through the Sermon on the Mount.  We know from Exodus and Leviticus that thou shall not commit adultery.  Where most men dealing with sexual impurity don’t actually participate in fornication outside their marriage, Jesus states that most of us have already committed the crime within our hearts.

27"You have heard that it was said, 'Do not commit adultery.' 28But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell. (Mathew 5:27-30)

When I first read this, I was convicted!  I felt shamed that I had judged other men for crossing the line while still having sensual images of women in my own mind.  The hope provided here is that not only does Jesus convict the grand majority of men with this statement, but He provides guidance on how to remove these temptations in the pursuit of godly behavior.