Read 2 Samuel 11:1-15.
The Bible is an honest book. It portrays no one, except Jesus, as perfect. In fact, those whose positions should be a vehicle for nearing perfection in love, are sometimes the ones farthest from God. Such is the case of David the King. In the palace he is far from the poetic God-seeker that he was in the pasture. From the rooftop of his house he has a good view of all the blessings that God has shared with him, but it is also from that view that he sees the temptation that begins his moral spiral away from God. The woman he sees and desires is portrayed only as a beautiful woman whose name we know. She is not credited with having said anything other than she was with child after the adulterous encounter with her king. The other person in this story is her husband, whose life is shown to be one of trust and strong character. Given the opportunity to return home from war, he maintains solidarity with the troops and his general, refusing to enjoy any of the privileges of home, including time with his wife. His obedience to the king proves to be the fate he suffered, of dying in the line of duty.
The question we can ask, who was the strongest and most influential in this story? Who was the most righteous? And we should also ask, in our roles and positions, how are we using them for the good of God's people? Are we truly trying to be loving and compassionate or are we simply looking out for ourselves?
PRAYER: Loving God, may it be that we stay connected to You especially during times of temptation and testing. May our moral compass stayed true to You and not our passions or pleasures. May it be that we and our churches seek to be about sacrifice and service. We pray in the name of Jesus our Lord, amen.
