Are You A Blessing Or A Blot?

II Samuel 11:1-2, " And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem. And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, and the wife of Uriah the Hittite. Both were honorable men, whose names are included in the list of David’s mighty men, found in II Samuel 23:34-39. As far as we know, all was going well in Uriah’s house until he was called off to war. Back at the palace, King David is taking a "personal day." Instead of being out on the battlefield, where he belonged, he "tarried still at Jerusalem." David is about to show us, that not being in your place, nor keeping your focus where it belongs can cause disaster! Likewise, Bathsheba seems to have nothing to occupy her time, so she decides to take a bath. This would seem to be a small thing except she chose to do it on her roof top. The following events would not have taken place if both had been where they belonged. David belonged on the battlefield, and Bathsheba should have bathed under the covering of her own roof. However, both were to blame for the events that followed. II Samuel 11:4-5, "And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child." Once David knew that Bathsheba was someone’s wife, that should have been the end right there. Sadly, it was not. David could conquer nations, but he could not conquer his lust. He saw this woman, he lusted after her, and he took her. There is no record of Bathsheba resisting. She DID NOT have to lay with David. She DID NOT have to be disloyal and unfaithful to her husband. She CHOSE to play the part of a whore. Bathsheba proves that we need to stay busy working for the Lord. When you are busy doing the Lord’s work, you seldom have time for a leisurely bath. Also, we women need to be careful of our appearance. It is true that a man should turn his eyes, and not lust after a woman. However, women have no business putting it out there for ALL to see either! Bathsheba had an honorable father, and an honorable husband. Why didn’t she use this influence to prevent David from committing such an horrible act? Instead she fulfilled the role of a harlot, and forever became known as an adulteress. The Bible does not record her repentance for this act either. It reminds me of Proverbs 30:20, " Such is the way of an adulterous woman; she eateth, and wipeth her mouth, and saith, I have done no wickedness." At this point the best they can do is confess their sin to God and to Bathsheba’s husband and try to make things right. Sadly, that is not what they decide to do. II Sam. 11:6-13, "And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house." David tries to reunite Uriah with Bathsheba in hopes that they will be together and then they can pass the child off as Uriah’s. However, Uriah refused to go home. Not because he didn’t want to see his wife, but because he knew his place was on the battlefield with the other honorable men. David then tried to get him drunk and send him home! But Uriah was more honorable drunk than David was sober. David’s sin was getting deeper and deeper. II Samuel 11:14-17, "And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also." Sin always takes you farther than you want to go. Ecclesiastes 10:8 says, "He that diggeth a pit shall fall into it; and whoso breaketh an hedge, a serpent shall bite him." God puts a hedge of protection around the homes of those who choose to follow him and serve him. And there are actually people out there who would try to break through and destroy that hedge just to satisfy their own lust. Sadly, many homes are destroyed today by the sin of adultery. Thankfully, both David and Bahsheba repented of their sin (after they were found out, II Sam. 12:1-12) and God was merciful. Though their sin was not without consequence. Their private sin became a public scandal. (II Sam.16:21-22) God had given David everything a man could hope for, and yet David chose to put it all on the line for one moment of adulterous sex. Matthew Henry said, "Lust blinds the eyes, hardens the heart, sears the conscience, and deprives men of all sense of honor and justice." Bathsheba became the only blot on David’s life. She could have prevented this by being faithful to her own husband, but she chose to go along with David in sin. She is certainly not the example of a godly wife. Just out of curiosity, how many women or young girls do you know that are named Bathsheba? How about Abigail? There’s a reason for that. There is a big difference between a blot and a blessing. Which would you rather be? Don’t be a blot on someone’s life. Romans 13:14, "But put ye on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof." (My thanks to Mrs. Starr for her help)