November 16, 2010
The Kings’ Chronicles Week 4: Herndon and The Plaza
Posted by Michael
Learn:
2 Samuel 11:1-5, 27; 2 Samuel 12:7-13
1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king’s men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (Now she was purifying herself from her monthly uncleanness.) Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, “I am pregnant.”
27 After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the LORD.
7 Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you, and your master’s wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. 9 Why did you despise the word of the LORD by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.’ 11 “This is what the LORD says: ‘Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. 12 You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.’”13 Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” Nathan replied, “The LORD has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.
Main Idea:
The story in 2 Samuel shows David, Israel’s greatest king, yielding to temptation. David committed adultery and murder and it may have started (although we can’t know for sure) because he wasn’t in the place he should have been. When we put ourselves in places we shouldn’t be, it becomes easier to sin. Throughout David’s life, he waited on God patiently to give him blessings. This time, however, David gave into desire and took what he wanted. After Bathsheba told David she was pregnant, he could have repented. Instead, he chose to cover it up and continue to sin. Sometimes God has to get our attention by force, and that’s what happened when Nathan confronted David. At that point, David repents. God forgives him, but David must still deal with the consequences. His life was never the same. Despite this, God redeems David’s situation and continues to bless him.
Know What: When we sin, we have the choice to either deal with it ourselves, or bring it to God and the people who love us.
So What: It is never too late to repent to God.
Now What: If there is anything you need to repent of then repent, accept God’s forgiveness, and walk through the process of redemption with your community.
Discuss…
1. Do you believe that “getting your body in the right place” is half the battle in overcoming temptations? What are some places or situations you need to intentionally avoid? What are some places or situations you need to intentionally put yourself in to grow spiritually or relationally?
2. When you face serious temptations, does God seem to become “unreal” to you? In those moments when it is easy to give into desire, how can you remind yourself of the reality of God?
3. Why do you think David continued to fall deeper into sin when Bathsheba told him she was pregnant, rather than repent? As the consequences of your sin begin to get out of control, do you find it easier to repent and allow God in, or to attempt to cover it up?
4. When was the last time God got your attention “by force” (hit you with a truth that hurt)? How did He get your attention? Did you repent before Him? What was the cost or consequences that you had to face? Have you seen redemption through the process?
5. In 2 Samuel 12:8 God tells David, “If all this had been too little, I would have given you even more”. Do you have any desires that you are trying to fulfill on your own? Have you asked God to fulfill those desires or, if they are not His will for you, to transform them?
6. Do you notice yourself trying to ‘take’ in any area of life rather than waiting for God’s blessings? If so, how can you begin to repent now before God has to get your attention by force?
Next Steps…
God gives us the gift of community to work out sin in our life. Take some time as a group to open up the floor to anyone who wants to repent of something. As a group, offer them God’s forgiveness. God has already forgiven you if you asked for it, but it is sometimes helpful to hear it verbally from a community who loves you. The process will look different for every group, but the most important thing is to offer everyone grace and mercy.
