2 Samuel 11-12 How will you respond to sin in your life?

Theological Proposition/Focus: David, despite all his greatness, was a sinner. What set him apart was his response to sin.

Christ Focus: Christ is the greater Son of David who never sinned, yet bore our sin so that repentance can lead to forgiveness and restoration. Christ is the reason we can study sin with joy instead of dread.

Homiletical Proposition/Application: We must handle the reality of sin by confessing and repenting, trusting in God's grace through Christ.

Introduction

Image: We all struggle with sin.

No matter who you are, there is a reality: you struggle with sin. Yes, we can praise God for salvation and Romans 6:13 states, "Do not offer any part of yourself to sin as an instrument of wickedness, but rather offer yourselves to God as those who have been brought from death to life; and offer every part of yourself to him as an instrument of righteousness." This calls on us to have victory over sin.

Nevertheless, sin is a present reality in the life of the Christian. I am plagued by sin, and you are too.

For some, sin takes the form of inappropriate thoughts or lust. Others cannot seem to control their tongues, and gossip runs rampant. Some find themselves constantly judging others. Others struggle with worry, while some struggle to love others. Some are selfish, and some are greedy. I could keep going, but we would be here all day.

Here is my point: your sin may be readily accepted by Christian culture, as gossip or worry seem to be. Or maybe your sin is not accepted by Christian culture, like lust and profanity. Whether your sin is accepted by society or not, sin is sin, and we need to learn how to confront our sinful tendencies in a theologically sound manner.

Setting the Stage:

Last week in 2 Samuel 7, David longed to build a temple for God. His desire was good, but God said "no" and reminded David that blessing, provision, and legacy all come from Him. God promised David something far greater—an eternal dynasty fulfilled in Christ. David responded with worship: humble, joyful, trusting.

This week we see a sobering contrast. In 2 Samuel 11, David's heart drifts from God's will to sinful desire. Instead of worshiping in humility, he abuses his power and commits adultery with Bathsheba. The same man who once responded to God with worship now responds to temptation with selfishness. This warns us how quickly our desires can shift from good to destructive when we lose sight of God.

And here is the thing: most of us have been here. We come off a mountain of faithfulness to a valley of shame. Today, I want us to see how we can properly handle ourselves—not if we find ourselves falling into sin, but rather when.

Body

Sinners — Every single one of us can find ourselves caught in sin (11:1-4).

Step 0: Being in the wrong place at the wrong time (1-2a).

I call this step 0 because not all sin starts this way, but it seems sin often begins with being in the wrong place to start. It is certainly possible to find yourself caught in sin even though you were in the right place, but if you are in the wrong place, you are already at a huge disadvantage.

Verse 1 tells us that the events of chapters 11 and 12 take place when everyone was normally off to war. Specifically, after the latter rains were over, it was customary for military maneuvers to begin for the year. This particular year, David ordered Joab to launch an invasion. At this time in this culture, it would have been normal for the king to lead such a maneuver, but David this year opted to send Joab and remain behind himself. That decision to remain behind would give opportunity for an incredible mistake.

Look, not every sin comes from being out of position, but a whole lot do. If you struggle with alcohol, you should not be going into bars or liquor stores. If you struggle with pornography, don't put a device in a room where you are alone. If you struggle with gossip, then don't be around certain groups without asking someone in the group for accountability.

Step 1: Gazing upon that which is not for you (2b).

A second step that I often find both in my own life and in the life of others is the act of coveting that which is not one's own. In the case of David, we see that restless David opts to go out for a walk—probably seeking a cooler breeze on the roof of the palace—and comes across something he was not supposed to see. Some have noted that perhaps Bathsheba wanted to be seen, and I can't say yes or no to that. What I can say is that David takes special note of this woman.

Look, some of you are going to immediately connect at this point with David because you have struggled with lust. For others, maybe the connection is a little harder to make, so I want to take some time to help clarify the connection.

You may not be struggling with lust, but perhaps it is coveting someone else's property, their job, their reputation, their intelligence, their humor, or whatever it may be. The reality is that much of our sin is rooted in our willingness to gaze upon that which God has not given us.

Step 2: Dwelling upon that which is not for you (3a).

But David doesn't stop at just gazing. David dwells on it and allows it to fester in his mind. How do I know this? Because I see David's next step. David sends his people to figure out who this woman is.

David should not have cared who this was; it was not for him. Here is where sin tends to sink its teeth in. I think that when we dwell, we often put ourselves into what seems like an impossible position. Listen to what James states in James 1:14-15: "but each person is tempted when they are dragged away by their own evil desire and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death."

The picture here is that temptation comes, but all too often we begin to dwell on sin and ferment desire in our hearts. That desire eventually gives birth to the act of sin.

Step 3: Participating in that which is not for you (4).

What started with simply being in the wrong place reached full realization in verse 4 as David commits the unthinkable and has sex with a woman who is not only not his wife but is the wife of another man. David has compromised in the ultimate way.

What I want us to understand today is more than just the fact that we are all sinners; rather, the fact that there are steps to our sin. Maybe not every step applies to you in every situation, but the point is still here: sin comes in steps.

Image: Proverbs 7:21-23

Now I want to take a minute to talk specifically about David's sin of adultery. Here is a reality: each and every one of us can fall into sexual sin. One of the best descriptions is that of Proverbs 7:21-23: "With persuasive words she led him astray; she seduced him with her smooth talk. All at once he followed her like an ox going to the slaughter, like a deer stepping into a noose till an arrow pierces his liver, like a bird darting into a snare, little knowing it will cost him his life."

Sexual sin is particularly dangerous, and the writer of Proverbs 7, probably Solomon, describes it aptly as an animal headed for slaughter. The picture here is of an animal ignorantly unaware of what is coming next.

A month ago, Wah and I went hunting and came home with a rabbit. Now, here is the thing: that rabbit was completely oblivious to its demise. It was cute, fluffy, and didn't stand a chance. When you allow sexual sin to fester, you don't stand a chance. You must interrupt it at every opportunity.

MTR: Interrupt the cycle of sin at any and every step along the way.

What does this look like? Don't go to the wrong places. When temptation hits, turn from it. When temptation strikes, don't dwell on it, and certainly don't let yourself desire it. Finally, choose not to participate.

Maybe memorize 1 Corinthians 10:13: "No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But when you are tempted, he will also provide a way out so that you can endure it."

Misconception — Two wrongs do not make a right (11:5-27).

Sin is like water—it always finds a way out (5-13).

David may have thought that his sin would go unnoticed, but he could not have been more wrong. In verse 5, news reaches David that Bathsheba is pregnant. The problem is one of timing. All the men are at war, and the man who is not at war must be the responsible party, and that man is David.

David, knowing he was wrong, develops a plan. He is going to try and time things in a way that will lead to plausible deniability. The problem is an ironic one. Uriah is too loyal to David and refuses to sleep with his wife out of respect for David and his responsibilities as a soldier.

The comparison cannot be more striking: David has betrayed someone who is completely devoted to David and Israel. But the undertone throughout the narrative is simple: the writing is on the wall; it is going to come out that David is guilty.

Attempts to hide sin only multiply sin (14-21).

And so, in the ultimate betrayal, David sends word to Joab to make sure Uriah dies in battle. The saddest part of all is that David entrusts the message to Uriah, knowing that Uriah is completely loyal.

Look, here is the reality: David went from adultery to murder seemingly without batting an eye. Why? Because David wanted to hide his sin.

There is a solution: confession. We will talk about that in a minute, but before I get to that, I want to address one final misconception: two wrongs don't make a right!

Two wrongs are still two wrongs—before the God of the universe (22-27).

On the surface, David's plan appears to have worked. Uriah dies, and David swoops in to rescue the widow Bathsheba from the shame of widowhood.

When Bathsheba begins to show her pregnancy, it will all be okay because she and David are now married, and it is expected they are sleeping together.

Most people won't take the time to do the calculation when the baby is born, and David's reputation—well, even his life—are secure. On the surface, David's two wrongs have negated each other.

However, David's sin, while against Bathsheba and Uriah, was really against God, and God knows. Chapter 11 closes with an ominous statement: "the thing David had done displeased the Lord."

Image: James 5:16

I want us to take a second now and read James 5:16: "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous person is powerful and effective."

We often think of James 5 as a text on physical healing, but the text is also about the importance of confession of sin. When we confess our sins and struggles to each other, we are able to experience accountability and healing.

We have a misconception that we can keep our sins under wraps, that we can hide them, that we can lie and cheat our way out of sin. But guess what? All that does is breed more sin.

In God's model, the solution is not to hide sin; the solution is to get it out in the open and seek accountability.

MTR: Confess your sins and ask for accountability.

Look, I am not your priest, and I cannot keep every one of you accountable. Jesus is your priest and you need accountability from someone besides your pastor. What I am calling for here is for you to find someone else in the congregation and ask them for accountability. I personally recommend that if you are married, your spouse be one of those people, but I also recommend you find someone else too. I honestly believe that if every individual in our church had an accountability partner, we would see significant growth in our maturity as a church.

So my heartfelt request: confess your sins and ask for accountability. Don't fall for the lie that you can hide your sins!

Repentance — The right response to sin is to throw yourself on the Holy, Gracious God (12:1-13).

Sin is rooted in selfishness (1-4).

I really don't like talking about sin. There is nothing fun about it, and it is impossible to talk about it without stepping on toes. Trust me, I stepped on my own toes plenty as I wrote up my sermon notes. A hard truth to face is that ultimately much of our sin is traceable back to selfish desires that reside in our own hearts. I don't mean to oversimplify, but the reality is that things are more simple than we believe: we are selfish people.

The prophet Nathan approached David and provided a parable to explain to David the significance of his selfishness. Nathan's presentation is well done and gets to the heart of the matter. David took that which was not his own when he already had plenty. David had selfishly taken that which was not his own.

David's response to the story Nathan spins is one of outright anger.

We all have an innate sense of justice and rejection of selfishness (5-6).

David responded with a declaration of severe punishment. In fact, David's response is more severe than what the law specified. There was no such law that made theft of property a capital offense. What we see is that David recognized just how unjust selfishness was.

The thing is, most of us also share a deep sense of justice and will respond verbally when we see injustice.

Sin is contrary to God and carries consequences (7-12).

Responding to David's call for justice, Nathan delivers what must have been the hardest message of his career: "David, you are the one." The reality is that David had selfishly taken Bathsheba and murdered Uriah.

Then Nathan delivers the reality: there would be consequences for David. David had murdered Uriah, and so violence would plague David's household. David had stolen Uriah's wife in secret, and David's own wives would be taken from him.

The Bible tells us how this plays out: David's own son Absalom betrays him. The reality is that sin has consequences and is ultimately contrary to the God of the universe.

But God is gracious (13).

The Law is very clear and calls for capital punishment for anyone who has committed crimes on the level of David (Ex. 21:12, Lev. 20:10). But God withheld this judgment. The natural question we must ask is why?

Image: 1 John 1:9

Take a look with me at 1 John 1:9: "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness."

Right at the beginning of verse 13, we see David confess, and then if we look at Psalm 51, we can really see David's heart.

Psalm 51: "For the director of music. A psalm of David. When the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight; so you are right in your verdict and justified when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet you desired faithfulness even in the womb; you taught me wisdom in that secret place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, so that sinners will turn back to you. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, you who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart you, God, will not despise. May it please you to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then you will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on your altar."

I want us to understand the significance of David's repentance.

MTR: Repent of sin and turn to God.

How? Well, let me tell you. Personally, I have prayed Psalm 51 to God after falling into sin. Maybe that is what you need to consider: take Psalm 51, make it your own by praying it back to God and asking Him to be gracious.