The dynamics of discipleship (part 41)

But to the wicked God says: “What right have you to declare My statutes, Or take My covenant in your mouth, Seeing you hate instruction And cast My words behind you? When you saw a thief, you consented with him, And have been a partaker with adulterers. You give your mouth to evil, And your tongue frames deceit. You sit and speak against your brother; You slander your own mother’s son. These things you have done, and I kept silent; You thought that I was altogether like you; But I will rebuke you, And set them in order before your eyes.” – PSALM 50:16-21

King David sinned against God by committing adultery with his neighbor’s wife, and then devised a diabolical plan to kill her husband and then justify the whole affair just like nothing had happened.

This is what we all do when we sin – we justify our actions thinking maybe God didn’t see it. But God saw it – and was greatly displeased.

When Bathsheba announced to David that she was pregnant, he quickly devised a plan to have her husband Uriah brought in from the battlefield and sent home to his wife and the problem would be solved, but the plan backfired. And when Uriah refused, David had him killed.

One lie always leads to another and another until God exposed the whole affair. The sweet psalmist of Israel, a man after God’s own heart – was now a convicted felon, worthy of two death sentences in the eyes of a Holy God.

David brought Bathsheba to his home looking like a hero by taking this poor widow in to be his wife, but inwardly his evil heart was hardened by his sins. Bathsheba gave birth to a son but the boy died, a victim of God’s righteous judgment while David lamented for him but to no avail. It had been almost a year and David was still on the throne, confident that his scheme went unnoticed with only the crusty old commander Joab knowing, but he wouldn’t say anything against the king – but God was about to expose David’s deeds!

“Now consider this, you who forget God, Lest I tear you in pieces, And there be none to deliver: Whoever offers praise glorifies Me; And to him who orders his conduct aright I will show the salvation of God.” – PSALM 50:22,23