Introductory Considerations
1. He was the man of God’s own choosing, considered Israel’s greatest king. As a young boy, he trusted God to defeat Goliath. As a young man, he was chased by a jealous King Saul, who wanted to kill him, but when given the opportunity to kill Saul, David refused to do so because Saul had been anointed king by God .
2. It was from from his lineage that God promised that the Messiah would come.
3. Here he is one evening, walking along the rooftop of his palace in Jerusalem. From here he could look down on the houses around the palace. Many would have a central, open courtyard that could only be seen from above. As he looked down, David saw a beautiful woman bathing - - he desired her and he was filled with lust.
4. After finding out who she was, he sent messengers to get her, and he slept with her.
5. We consider how this man of God got into this situation.
Teaching
1. Today we focus on adultery and immorality, determine what sexual sins are and how we are to deal with them.
2. When we talk to people about the sin of adultery, they talk about the act of sex, yet sexual sins seldom just happen.
a. They are nurtured by a society that almost worships beauty, nudity, and sex.
b. That is why Jesus tells us that not only is adultery a sin, but that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery in his heart.
3. Adultery begins with temptation.
a. Might appear that David accidently happened to see Bathsheba bathing one night and that he reacted out of impulse.
b. Passage suggests that David had intentions of doing wrong. Story takes place in the spring, when kings go off to war. His army goes but not David.
c. Perhaps the details of the story to follow provide the reason for David remaining in Jerusalem.
d. Was this the first time that David had walked on his roof and was it the first time he had seen this woman bathing? David may well have been tempted by seeing her before.
e. Temptation doesn’t seem bad - just looking - from the rooftop - looking at a restricted movie or a pornographic magazine - yet we see that temptation does not go away.
f. As it is nurtured we can’t leave it alone and it affects our desires - turns to sin - not just act of sin but lust.
4. Once David had seen her, he could not help but want to see her again and finally he yielded to the temptation before his eyes.
a. Jesus says that looking lustfully is a sin (Mat 5)- does this mean it is wrong for a married man or woman to see a person of the opposite sex and notice that he or she is good looking? Not what Jesus is saying.
b. The Greek for looking lustfully means that one looks with a desire or a longing for that which one sees.
c. Tenth commandment which said ’Thou shall not covet your neighbour’s wife."
d. Jesus, since He uses the word adultery, is specifically referring to sexual intercourse or lust for another’s wife, but we must remember that Jesus is stressing that we do more than follow the law or his words to the letter.
e. He is also referring to ny impure thoughts, whether or not the other person is married.
5. Lust leads to adultery.
a. Because he lusted for Bathsheba , David he slept with her.
b. He broke the 6th commandment said "Thou shall not commit adultery!" - not have sexual intercourse with another person’s spouse.
6. This lead to more sin.
a. Bathsheba became pregnant.
b. David knew he had to do something about the situation so he ordered Uriah back home and hoped he would sleep with his wife so that the baby might be considered Uriah’s.
c. But Uriah was a faithful soldier and since the other soldiers were fighting and since a soldier was not to have sex during a campaign, he slept at the entrance to the palace with the kings servants .
d. Contrast between the faithfulness of Uriah and the unfaithfulness of David.
e. Finally David resolves the situation but ensuring that Uriah would be killed in battle so that, in time, he could claim Bathsheba for his wife.
f. Later confronted by Nathan.
7. When is sex a sin?
a. Sex in itself is not bad, it is a gift of God, an integral part of the man-woman relationship that we have in marriage.
b. It represents God’s intimate relationship with us for the sacredness of sex and marriage is compared to God’s relationship with His people in the book of Hosea. Because marriage is the closest personal relationship two people can have and is to be permanent and exclusive and all encompassing, sex is reserved for just such a relationship.
d. God considers any sexual intercourse outside the covenant and commitment of marriage to be sin.
e. Word "porneia", which is translated as either fornification or immorality, refers to any sexual intercourse between unmarried people ( 1Cor 6, Paul tells us that fornification by one member of the body of Christ brings shame not only on one’s own body but also on the body of Christ)
f. In Eph 5, Paul tells us that this sin was not even to be talked about.
8. Evangelical Christians find themselves in the minority as to whether or not unmarried people who love each other can go to bed together.
9. The following article, reported in the Feb 6th, 1989 issue of Time magazine reflects societies’ attitude.
"If a proposal is approved by the Berkley city council, hotels will be offering more than a bed, a bath and a Gideon Bible. It has been suggested that the city help combat the spread of AIDS by requiring hotels and motels to equip each guest room with safe-sex information kits, including condoms. There could be a sign with each kit, saying The Bible may save your soul, but this will save your life.
10. Not only do I find the idea offensive, but it shows a mockery and total disregard for the most permanent part of people - their souls.
11. Discussion of societies views on sex.
12. Immorality is one of the most dangerous areas for the church and society. It degrades people and it creates consequences such as aids, unwanted children, abortions, and divorce.
13. How can we survive in a society which worships sex?
a. Jesus says "If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. And if your right hard causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. It is better to lose one...
b. What Jesus is telling us here is that we must do whatever it takes to not be tempted to sin. Don’t look and don’t touch. TV, magazines. (see Phil 4:8-9)
