DELIGHTING in the LORD

The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 Day 1: A Second Look Week 18: A Heart Of Sin Sin doesn t just happen by chance. It is a choice. Even more, it is a choice of the flesh and must be called by its name; sin. The chapter we are studying this week has sin written all throughout it, and unfortunately, the person at the center is the beloved King of Israel, King David. Instead of studying David s next victory, we are going to learn about David s greatest defeat. Today is the day he chooses a path of sin that will have devastating effects on his future and that of his family. Sin does that. It is toxic to us and the people around us, and yet, Satan tries to make us think we can handle it. No one will know what you did. Why should you have to deny the very thing that might make you feel good? And so, Satan whispers in your ear to do it...go ahead...take the second look. At the moment you take that second look at something you desire, sin is birthed more often than not. I (Stacy) have seen this too many times in marriages broken by infidelity. It started when one person in the marriage relationship took a second look and acted on sexual desires outside of marriage. With sexual sin especially, it is the second look that often leads to an actual act of infidelity. The second look steps over the threshold of protection and into an all out battlefield. David had been on many battlefields, fought many enemies and even subdued them. We will see today that one of the greatest enemies in his life has yet to be subdued. David has yet to stand strong against the lust of his flesh for women. This enemy will prove to be a greater threat than any other physical enemy he has encountered. His choices today will start him down a path of spiritual decline, and over the next two weeks we will see God deal with David s sin. If we are honest, each one of us can see parts of ourselves in David. We all deal with sin in our lives, but as we will see today, sin can be avoided. It doesn t have to be the norm, nor should it in the life of the believer. As Paul said in Romans 7:22-25, For I delight in the law of God according the inward man. But I see another law in my members warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. O wretched man that I am! Who will deliver me from this body of death? I thank God-through Jesus Christ our Lord. We have our answer for sin in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. He gives us the power to say no to sin. We don t have to take the second look like David did. We can stand strong against the enemy of sin in the power of Jesus Christ. Our chapter opens in the spring of the year when kings go out to battle. David is about 50 years old at this time. For whatever reason, he chooses to stay home instead of heading out with his mighty men to the battlefield. This will prove to be a catastrophic choice. As David sits in what he thinks is the safety of his grand palace, he will go to his rooftop and enter into a far more dangerous battle than any battle he could have been in elsewhere. It is here that David will take that second look. R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read 2 Samuel 11 Today s Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 11:1-5 David 18 275

E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. Describe the scene in 2 Samuel 11:1. How did these circumstances create the perfect opportunity for David to give in to temptation? 2. In 2 Samuel 11:2 we find David on his palace rooftop in the cool of the evening. What does David see when he is on his rooftop? Describe this woman. a. Read Matthew 5:27-28. How was David guilty of this? In Israel the rooftops of the homes were flat. The rooftops were used as outdoor living space. There was no indoor plumbing and so bathing took place outside usually in an enclosed courtyard. David looked at Bathsheba and said "beauty" but God saw this as ugly. The pleasures of sin deceive us like the bait hides the hook. We must call it what God calls it - sin. We want to say "affair" but God says "adultery." We want to say "love" but God says "lust." We want to say "sexy" but God says "sin." We want to say "romantic" but God says "ruin." We want to say "destiny" but God says "destruction." (David Guzik commentary on 2 Samuel 11) 3. David doesn t stop there. He wants to know more about this woman. In 2 Samuel 11:3 he sends someone to inquire about her.. What does David learn about this woman? Why should this have set off alarm bells in his head? 4. In 2 Samuel 11:4 David goes even further down this destructive path and acts on his desire. What does David do? David 18 276

5. Read 2 Samuel 11:5. What does this woman tell David has happened? 6. Read James 1:14-15. How does this verse apply to what David did? 7. Whereas David is certainly a guilty party in all of this, we can t excuse the sin of this woman. What sin did this woman commit? How is she responsible for tempting David? 8. Look up the following verses and note how they apply to this woman. Proverbs 11:22 1 Timothy 2:9-10 9. Read the Ten Commandments in Exodus 20:1-17. List the commandments that David has broken at this point. A ACTING on God s Word Today we saw David take a second look at Bathsheba and then act on the fleshly desire he had for her. Remember, David was married already, as was Bathsheba. In John s second Epistle, John talks very candidly about our love for the things of the world and our love for God. Read 2 John 1:15-17 and answer the following questions: 1. Using today s text and David s sin, how did David act on the lust of the flesh? a. How did David act on the lust of his eyes? David 18 277

b. How did David act on the pride of life? c. Often the sin we commit is just a by-product of something greater going on inside of us. It is the fruit, if you will, of a bad root. What would you say is the root cause of David s sin? Try to be specific. 2. Now I want you to take this same exercise and apply it to an area of temptation in your life. The thing you identify will be used in an application exercise tomorrow as well. Think of an area of temptation present in your life. a. How has the lust of your flesh played into this temptation? b. How has the lust of your eyes played into this temptation? c. How has the pride of life played into this temptation? David 18 278

d. Spend some time before the Lord with this area you are often tempted. Ask God to show you what may be the root cause of any sin committed in this area. Ask Him to forgive you. What practical things can you do to safeguard yourself in this area? What spiritual things can you do? 3. Finally, I want to end the day on the topic of modesty. It is a hot button topic in the Christian community and one that appears in our verses today. Bathsheba used her appearance in an enticing and indiscrete way on her rooftop or courtyard. We already looked at a verse on modesty in the Experiencing God section (1 Timothy 2:9-10). I want to look at this a little more. It is a well known fact that men are very visually oriented. My husband (Barclay) and I joke all the time about what appeals to his eyes is very different than mine. In general, men often go for the physical connection with women where women often desire the emotional connection. If we, as women, know that most men are enticed with their eyes, what is our responsibility before God regarding the way we dress especially in front of men that are not our husbands? When you get dressed, who are you dressing for? What message does your outward appearance speak regarding your heart before the Lord? D in God s Word Therefore, do not let sin reign in your mortal body that you should obey it in its lusts. And do not present your members as instruments of unrighteousness to sin, but present yourselves to God as being alive from the dead, and your members as instruments of righteousness to God. Romans 6:12-13 Close in Prayer David 18 279

The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 Day 2: A Slippery Sin Slope Week 18: A Heart Of Sin Yesterday we studied how David chose to commit adultery. From that adulterous behavior, a child resulted. Upon hearing the news from Bathsheba that she was pregnant, I (Brenda) can only imagine the emotions that must have begun to take over within David. They must have been pretty severe because we watch a Godly man make choices and conceive plans that are very deceptive and wicked. Furthermore, the contrast between David and Uriah is stark. David has become desperate for a sin solution while Uriah behaves with the noblest of intent. As you study today, it is hard to miss the web of trickery David enlists to try and get Uriah to go home and sleep with his wife. David s motivation is to cover up his sin. He wants it to seem as if the baby he is responsible for comes from Uriah s quick trip home. Can you see how one sin so quickly leads to more sin? I have often said this quote, Sin will take you farther than you want to go, keep you longer than you want to stay, and cost you more than you want to pay. Unknown. How true this is for our lesson today. R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read 2 Samuel 11 Today s Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 11:6-13 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. Who does David call in from battle in 2 Samuel 11:6? Whose husband is this? 2. In verse 6 who does David choose to send to get Uriah from the battlefield? Why do you think David chose this man? Based on what you already know about this person, is he a very moral man? Why or why not? (If necessary, read 2 Samuel 3:27 to refresh your memory. ) 3. David makes small talk with Uriah upon his arrival in verse 7. Why is this deceptive on David s part? David 18 280

4. In verse 8, what does David encourage Uriah to go and do? What does he send along with Uriah? Why is David trying to lure Uriah home? David encouraged Uriah to visit his wife. It is likely that David s word wash your feet meant that Uriah should sleep with his wife that night. (NKJV Nelson Study Bible, p. 487) 5. Where does Uriah sleep his first night home from the battlefield according to verse 9? 6. Read verses 10-11, then answer the following questions: a. David questions Uriah as to why he did not go home to sleep in verse 10, and Uriah gives David an answer in verse 11. What is it? b. What is Uriah most concerned over and why? c. Who is Uriah least concerned over and why? d. List at least 5 adjectives that you would use to describe Uriah. Though the Hittite Empire had ended by 1200 BC, pockets of ethnic Hittites continued to exist in Syria and even Israel. Uriah was from one of these. (Old Testament Bible Knowledge Commentary, p. 467) 7. Read Leviticus 15:16-18. What do you learn from this verse that may have made Uriah avoid sleeping with his wife? David ordered him [Uriah] home, but the solider disobeyed and stayed with the king s servants that night. We wonder if Uriah had heard something that made him suspicious. (Wiersbe, Be Restored) David 18 281

8. Why does David keep Uriah home two more days according to verses 12-13? What does David do to try and make Uriah go home to his wife? Does his plan work? Why or why not? A ACTING on God s Word As I mentioned in the opening paragraph, we are watching David slide down the slippery slope of sin. The first sin of adultery is birthing more sin. David not only conceives a cover up plan but also executes it. When our daughter was about to start middle school, I (Brenda) took her away to spend some time alone instructing her about God s design for her purity. I utilized a supplemental material, Passport To Purity written by Dennis and Barbara Rainey, to help me do this. One of the visuals contained in this program is a picture of a large cliff. The cliff was used to represent the behaviors that lead up to sexual sin prior to marriage, and the act of sex was the last step off the cliff. It drove home the point that the acts that lead up to sex can be stopped. You don t have to fall off the cliff. David had already fallen off the cliff with Bathsheba. Sadly, David allowed himself to sin without doing anything to prevent or stop it. We do not have to fall off the cliff like David did with any sin because God promises us there will always be a way of escape (1 Corinthians 10:13). Yesterday in the action section you were asked to identify an area of temptation you struggle with, and you examined how it fit it into the categories of the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life. Let s pull that temptation back out again and apply it to this diagram of a cliff. 1. Write your temptation above this diagram to label it. My Temptation is: David 18 282

2. Next, think of at least four things that lead up to falling off the cliff and fill in the number spaces provided 1. 2. 3. 4. 3. When you fall for the temptation and go off the cliff, what is God s plan for your healing and recovery to start fresh again? (If necessary, read Psalm 32:5) D in God s Word He who covers his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will have mercy. Proverbs 28:13 Close in Prayer David 18 283

The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 Day 3: Covered Sin Week 18: A Heart Of Sin The verses open today with Uriah going back to the battlefield. He is taking with him a letter that David wrote to Joab, the military leader, which gives Joab some specific commands concerning Uriah s take down and murder. This is David s final attempt at covering his sin as his previous plans didn t work. Instead of confessing his sin and walking through God s consequences, David goes deeper into sin. We will see that David s plan works this time adding premeditated murder to his list of sins. There is a quote that says, Secret sin on earth is open scandal in heaven. Satan desires to keep sin a secret and tricks us into believing this is possible. God sees and knows everything we do to try and cover our sin. He doesn t want us taken down by Satan and left for dead on the sin battlefield. He wants to handle the sin in our hearts and lives by training us through it. As I read these verses concerning Uriah and David s plan to kill him, I (Stacy) see such a spiritual picture here of sin and the ways of Satan. Similar to David s letter of doom sent in the hands of Uriah, Satan tries to send us away with a death sentence too. Like David s tactic for Uriah, Satan tries to send us to the enemy line, surround us with temptation, and then withdrawals the troops so that we feel like we are standing there all alone. We really aren t alone. As in the example of Uriah, other allied troops ended up being there and were taken down with Uriah. This is what sin does. It hurts those around us. It deceives and then tries to take us down along with others. Often those that fall with us are the allied forces in our lives- our spouse, children, family and friends. Many die on the battlefield of sin. We will see this happen today. We will hear from God s heart at the end of this chapter. David and Bathsheba chose the path of sin, and whereas they think they have gotten away with it, nothing is hidden from God. God is not pleased with David s sin. He never is. And God will deal with David as he deals with all of His children who choose sin over obedience. R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read 2 Samuel 11 Today s Scripture Focus: 2 Samuel 11:14-27 David 18 284

E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. In 2 Samuel 11:14-15, we find David waking up that morning and realizing that his schemes concerning Uriah haven t worked. Uriah never went in to have sexual relations with his wife, and therefore, no chance that Bathsheba s baby could be Uriah s. David is in quite a jam of his own doing. Knowing that Uriah would be heading back to the battlefield that day, what does David do to ensure Uriah s death? a. Who does he involve in his sin-laced plot? What does this tell you about their relationship? b. Describe David s orders to Joab. 2. Read 2 Samuel 11:16-17. Joab and the army of Israel had Rabbah under siege. They already were in the power position over this territory and there really was no need to pursue them further. Joab gives military orders to Uriah. What are those orders? How did Joab not follow David s instructions completely? a. This is an opinion question. What do you think Joab s reasons were for slightly changing the orders? How do you see Joab protecting his reputation in all of this? b. Describe the casualties that day. 3. Joab needs to send word back to David that the mission has been accomplished, but he needs to craft the report to David so that others wouldn t catch on to the lies and purpose of the mission. Of course, no one else knows that David and Joab were in cahoots together. What did Joab tell the messenger to tell David in verse 18-21? David 18 285

a. In anticipation of David s response, how does Joab coach the messenger? Why might David appear angry to this messenger? b. Think for a moment about what Joab s soldiers must have been thinking. Joab was a skillful and wise military leader. What do you think they might have been questioning based on previous military battles? 4. In 2 Samuel 11:21 the siege of Thebez and Abimelech are remembered. Joab thought that this siege would be fresh in David s head even though it happened years ago. The military tactics employed in this siege were the same ones used with Uriah. Read Judges 9:50-54. How did Abimelech die? How can David be compared to Abimelech? 5. In 2 Samuel 11:22-25, the messenger goes to David with the report of the battle. It is never a good thing to tell the king that a military general has died in battle. How does David respond to this news? What does he tell the messenger to say to Joab? a. What do you see regarding David s heart toward his sin? Circle the word in the verse that David uses. Why is this a major issue? 6. How does Bathsheba respond to the news of her husband s death in 2 Samuel 11:26-27? Do you think her mourning was real? Why or why not? David 18 286

7. This chapter ended with a very big BUT. How did this chapter end in verse 27? What was God s heart toward this sin? A ACTING on God s Word We can t miss the way this chapter ends. At this point David shows no remorse over his sin. It seems plausible that David and Bathsheba sighed a heavy sigh of relief thinking they had successfully covered their sin and gotten away with it. Now they could go on their way as a married couple, welcome their new baby and live happily ever after. This is never the way it is with sin. We can get away with it sometimes, for a short while, but it will always be met with consequences. Sometimes, those consequences aren t for public display. That is God s grace. But sometimes, they become very public. 1. Can you see any of David and Bathsheba in yourself? Is there a sin, either past or present, that you (1) are not sorry for, and/or (2) haven t brought before the Lord with a repentant heart? Our sin has a major impact on our relationship with the Lord. It should never be taken lightly. Don t let Satan deceive you into thinking it will go away or is no big deal. 2. Read Ezekiel 18:30-32. This is God s heart concerning sin and our lives. I want you to make these verses personal as you bring any previously covered sin before the Lord. Today is the day! I urge you to let God search your heart and bring to mind anything that needs repenting. Be very specific with the Lord. Take ownership for the sin and ask Him to forgive you. Write this verse below and end this day in prayer to God. David 18 287

I (Stacy) will end the day with one final encouragement from my own life. I feel God telling me to share something very private with you in the hopes that it will help you with any sin you may be covering from the past. Barclay and I were high school sweethearts from the age of 16. When I was 22 years old, we were married. When we started dating, I was a backslidden believer and he wasn t a believer. Sadly, we were intimate with each other before marriage. Barclay came to the Lord after we were married, and I recommitted my life to Christ. We never repented for our sexual sin. We tried to live life thinking this thing in our past didn t matter and we justified doing it. We didn t try to cover it, but we never addressed it before the Lord and just pressed forward. There were consequences to our sin. At that time we were dealing with them on our marital bed and in our marriage. God used the consequences to train our hearts in righteousness. While we walked through the painful consequences, God needed to deal with this sin in our hearts. He was so gracious to us, but we needed to come to the point of repentance. Once we did, God blessed our marital bed and marriage in a way like never before. Sin is always laid bare before the Lord. He sees it. He desires for us to see it too, acknowledge it and confess it before Him. When we do, forgiveness comes and with that a restored relationship with God. In God s beautiful and loving character, He often also blesses us for our humility and obedience. D in God s Word Cast away from you all the transgressions which you have committed, and get yourself a new heart and a new spirit... Ezekiel 18:31 Close in Prayer David 18 288

The one thing I ask of the Lord - the thing I seek most - is to live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, delighting in the Lord s perfections and meditating in his temple. Psalm 27:4 Day 4: A Look At David s Heart In Psalm 32 Week 18: A Heart Of Sin Our son, Ethan, has a hard time when he makes a mistake. He will berate himself with words of disgust and frustration when he messes up. After one particularly difficult episode, I (Brenda) remember saying to Ethan, Once you repent of your sin, God wipes your sin away and you get a fresh start! He replied in his 10-year-old boy voice, But I keep thinking, I wish I hadn t done it. I can only wonder if David uttered similar words in his head. In tomorrow s lesson we learn about David s eventual repentance, but today we are fast-forwarding a bit into a Psalm that is believed to be written after David s adultery. In this Psalm he is grateful for God s forgiveness and clean slate. It is a Psalm of encouragement to all of us because when we make mistakes, God has provided a merciful covering over our sins through the blood of His Son, Jesus Christ. May this Psalm be the lifter of your head today if you are feeling like our son Ethan sometimes does just wishing you hadn t done it. God hates sin but loves the sinner. Embrace that truth, and may the Lord bless your time as you study this Psalm. R RECEIVING God s Word Open in Prayer Read Psalm 32 E EXPERIENCING God s Word 1. Read Psalm 32:1-2. a. What word does David use to describe a person who is forgiven? b. Look up the definition of this word, and write what it means in one word. c. Now take that one word definition and insert it into the Psalm below. is he whose transgressions are forgiven. is the man who to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity and in whose spirit there is no deceit. Psalm 32:1-2 David 18 289

d. Does this help your insight of this verse? Why or why not? 2. David did not admit his guilt right away to the Lord, and it would be some time before Nathaniel would confront him with it. How do verses 3-4 explain what physical symptoms resulted as well as what happened to the health of his relationship with the Lord? 3. Describe what David finally does in verse 5 and God s response to him. 4. How does David encourage others to seek the same forgiveness in verse 6? 5. How does David describe the Lord and how He cares for him in verse 7? 6. In verse 8-9, the voice of the writer changes from David s to the Lord s. What does God say to David and what does he encourage him not to be like? 7. In verse 10 David goes back to speaking. What do you see in this verse that demon strates that David wishes he hadn t done it (see opening paragraph)? What does he know he has brought upon himself? 8. David ends this Psalm on a high note. How do his words demonstrate that he has accepted God s forgiveness? David 18 290

8. David ends this Psalm on a high note. How do his words demonstrate that he has accepted God s forgiveness? A ACTING on God s Word From the fall in the Garden of Eden to this very day, sin has been at work in humanity (Romans 3:23). In God s precious and undying love for us, He provided a cleansing both in the Old Testament and the New Testament times. In the Old Testament it was the blood of an animal sacrifice, and in the New Testament it is the bloodshed of Christ. Both were provided for man who could never cover the penalty of his own sin. The Bible tells us that our personal righteousness is like a filthy rag (Isaiah 64:6) before God who is pure and holy. 1. Let s examine the process by which God provided forgiveness of sins in the Old Testament. Read Leviticus 9:1-15. Then answer the following questions. a. What was the requirement for an animal being sacrificed? (v. 3) b. What had to happen to the animal? (v. 8) c. Who commanded this to be done? (v. 10) d. What was done with the animal s blood? (v. 12) 2. As New Testament believers, we are not under the Mosaic laws. The practice of animal sacrifice is no longer necessary because of the bloodshed of Jesus. Read Romans 3:21-26 and answer the following questions: a. How do we now receive righteousness? (v. 21-22) b. Who provides the justification from sins? (v. 24) c. What covers the sins of man? (v. 25) d. What is the only thing we need to be free of our sin? (v. 26) David 18 291

3. After reading these two verses, how would you explain the difference between receiving forgiveness in the Old Testament and receiving forgiveness in the New Testament? How could this knowledge be helpful in witnessing to a Jewish friend? 4. Is there ever a breakdown between knowing you are forgiven and living like you know you are forgiven? Describe the difference. 5. When David finished Psalm 32, his heart was full of joy. Do you have his same joy knowing that your sins are forgiven and paid for in full? Why or why not? D in God s Word I acknowledged my sin to You, and my iniquity I have not hidden. I said, I will confess my transgressions to the Lord, and you forgave the iniquity of my sin. Psalm 32:5 Close in Prayer David 18 292