Be Penitent Series

Be Penitent

2 Samuel 11-12, Psalm 51

Introduction

If there’s one thing that most people do not like to do, it is to admit a fault or a mistake. But that can be a spiritual disaster for the disciples of Jesus.

We’ve been looking at signposts for the journey - reminders of the life we are living with God. Be Obedient, Courageous, and today Be Penitent. Penitent is a word that means feeling or showing sorrow and regret for having done wrong; repentant.

When King Josiah realized he had broken God’s law, he sent some one to Huldah the Prophetess to inquire what God had to say about it.

2 Chronicles 34:27 AMP “Because your heart was tender and penitent and you humbled yourself before God when you heard His words against this place and its inhabitants, and humbled yourself before Me and rent your clothes and wept before Me, I have heard you, says the Lord.”

So when we talk about being penitent, having a willingness to repent when we live against God’s law, we are talking about humility, sorrow, and turning away from sin. This important Signpost applies to every one of us - but

sometimes we fail to recognize it.

King David among most respected admired heroes of Bible.

-David was chosen to be the next King of Israel.

-We read how he killed giant Goliath with a sling / stone.

-Gifted musician, poet, played harp for King Saul.

-David formed a famous friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan.

-David still has a presence in our lives as we read his Psalms.

-He also had an unexpected crash and burn. 2 Samuel 11:1-5

Signs You Are Headed in the Wrong Direction (2 Samuel 11)

*You Are Not Immune from Making Wrong Turns

Matthew Henry: The scripture is faithful in relating the faults even of those whom it most applauds … that "he that

thinks he stands may take heed lest he fall…”

James 1:14-15 “…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 man after God’s own heart was not immune to the temptations in front of him.

*When You Are Idle (2 Samuel 11:1) Why isn’t David at war? The text says that it was “the time when kings go out to battle” (2 Sam 11:1), but David sends Joab and he remained in Jerusalem.

Proverbs 31:27 “She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness.”

1 Thessalonians 5:14 "And we urge you, brothers and sisters, warn those who are idle and disruptive, encourage the disheartened, help the weak, be patient with everyone."

*When Your Eyes Wander Toward Evil (2 Sam 11:2). Bathsheba isn’t evil. The evil intention in David’s heart. We are human. We know that beauty, as we see it, attracts our hearts, minds, thoughts. Humans aren’t strangers to allure of sexual attraction. We know we can look away, but do we? David didn’t.

Job 31:1 “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.”

When You Decide to Act (2 Samuel 11:3-4). Sending for Bathsheba was a bad decision:

-Acting at will of his flesh, not commitment to God.

-Acting from position of privilege and power. Bathsheba had no choice but to obey. She was victimized in several ways.

-Acting from a view of Bathsheba as object of desire rather than a real person under his care as a King.

No one can claim to be without impulsive thoughts, but when we feed those thoughts and then act upon them we are allowing ourselves to descend a spiral into sin.

*Danger When You Decide to Cover It Up (2 Sam 11:5-8). David attempts to cover up his shameful behavior.

He tried to entice Bathsheba’s husband to sleep with her. (He was much too loyal to David / David’s army). He tries to cover up by having Uriah killed in battle. (David sees Uriah as a means to an end - not a real person). These were days of brutality and King David, writer of the Psalms, lover of the ways of God, has spiraled into a barbaric act of desperate self-preservation.

*Sound Familiar? Anyone can fall into the Spiral of sin.We are in danger when our hands are idle, when our eyes are on evil, when we act upon our temptation and when we, in shame, attempt to cover up.

2. How to Make a U Turn Back to Good (2 Samuel 12)

*Listen to the voice of God. A year passes, the Lord sends Nathan (2 Sam 12:1a). Nathan has a message that is hard for David to hear. Maybe some of us have heard voices that God has sent to speak to us about our sin, situations, gospel, but we are so intent on our sin that we do not hear.