When I reflect on the story of David and Bathsheba, I see four lessons that I can learn and apply to my own life. I see lessons about exposing sin, humility and confession, consequences, and God’s work in spite of man’s sinful choice. Let’s take a deeper look at these lessons.
1. “Your sin will always find you out.”
In 2 Samuel 12:7-12, we read that Nathan exposes the sin of David. No matter how much David tried to hide his sinful encounter with Bathsheba, he could not. If the King of Israel couldn’t sweep his immorality under the rug despite every means at his disposal, who am I to think that I can somehow sweep my sin under the rug in the hopes that it will be forgotten? The lesson I took away from this point is that while sin may tease with temporary physical gratification, it has never and it will never fulfill. Sin always over-promises and under-delivers and you will pay the price if you believe those false promises.
2. “You will need to make a choice of either refusing or accepting responsibility for your sinful choice.”
David faced a choice when confronted with his sin and we can see in 2 Samuel 12:13 that he chose to humble himself and accept responsibility. There have been many times in my life I have tried to blame my sinful choices on being in the wrong place at the wrong time, or working too hard, or being too busy and feeling overwhelmed, etc. But when we see David’s response, he didn’t blame his sinful choice on Bathsheba’s beauty, or on being bored with nothing to do. He simply said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” The lesson I learned from this point is to walk in humbleness when confronted, either by others or by the Holy Spirit, about an area of sin in my life, and to walk out a process of restoration. My relationship with God is far too important to see it become hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.
3. “Your sinful choice will always have consequences.”
In 2 Samuel 12:14 we can see that even though David accepted responsibility for his sin and repented from it when confronted, there were still consequences for his sin. Sometimes we think that because we don’t see the immediate consequences of our sinful choices, that we have somehow avoided the worst. In my opinion this is a dangerous mindset to embrace because we cannot willfully engage in sinful activities and walk away unharmed. The consequences we face may not always be physical as it was for David and Bathsheba. Perhaps for us it may be realized by seeing our marriages destroyed, the trust of our spouse broken, unholy habits developed or our spiritual walk weakened. The lesson I learned from this point is that more often than not the consequences will be personal and will deeply affect those closest to us.
4. “God can still do a great work in you, or through you.”
What do we see when we look at the life and influence of David? Even though David’s initial relationship with Bathsheba was murderous and adulterous, he was such a changed man that God called him “a man after My own heart.” It was through David and Bathsheba that Solomon, considered to be one of the wisest and wealthiest kings of Israel, was born. It was also this son whom God used to build the first temple. Christ, the Savior of the world, comes from the lineage of David. In my own life I have messed up more times than I care to remember. There were times I thought there was no way God would ever use me, or even want to use me. But the lesson I learned from this point is that my past does not hold back God’s future work in me or through me.
I pray that you find these lessons an inspiration and an encouragement. I pray you are inspired to overcome your sinful desires and live a life that honors Him. I pray that you are encouraged by the reality of God’s great love, grace and mercy towards you.
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