Scandals are not anything new to Washington D.C.
In the past we have been made aware of:
• Watergate scandal
• Iran-Contra Affair Scandal
• White Water Scandal
• Bill Clinton–Monica Lewinsky Scandal
• Chappaquiddick Scandal
• Donald Trump Scandal
• Joe Biden Scandal
• Hunter Biden Scandal
The American people are very familiar with scandals in Washington D.C.
But anytime we hear of a scandal of a political figure we also start hearing about a COVER-UP!!!
In the world of politics the Republicans and the Democrat can have a scandal in their party and they will gather around that individual and try to cover up the evil that has taken place.
But when it comes to the Word of God, God does not coverup the evil of anyone.
Such is the case with David who was a great man of God who did a lot of good things but he also did some very bad things.
• In II Samuel chapters 8 through 10 we see David at his best.
• In II Samuel 11 we will see David at his worst.
This chapter begins with the destruction of the Ammonites, and the siege of Rabbah their chief city.
Attention quickly turns to the sins of David in committing adultery with Bathsheba and his attempts to conceal his sin in three ways.
But even a great king like David cannot sin in the sight of God and get away with it. God’s Word tells us BE SURE YOUR SINS WILL FIND YOU OUT.
Illus: People have:
• Killed and thought they have gotten away with it…NO THEY HAVEN’T!
• Committed adultery and thought they have gotten away with it…NO THEY HAVEN’T!
• Lied and thought they have gotten away with it…NO THEY HAVEN’T!
• Stolen and thought they have gotten away with it…NO THEY HAVEN’T!
God makes this promise to the ungodly…BE SURE YOUR SINS WILL FIND YOU OUT!!!
When I read this verse of scripture that tells us BE SURE YOUR SIN WILL FIND YOU OUT reminds me of the young couple that were about to get married.
Illus:The young man went to his Dad and said, "I’m a bit apprehensive about getting married, Dad".
• "Why, son", said the Dad.
• "Well, I’ve got terribly smelly feet Dad and it’ll be so embarrassing when my wife finds out".
• "Don’t worry about it, son, just be sure to go to bed with your socks on and she’ll never notice the smell. You’ll be fine".
• Meanwhile, the young lady goes to her mother and tells her, "I’m a bit worried about getting married, Mom, because I’ve got terrible bad breath in the mornings and it’ll be so embarrassing when my husband finds out".
• Mom says to her daughter, "Don’t worry, dear. All you need to do is, be sure not to open your mouth first thing in the morning. Don’t say a single word until you’ve been to the bathroom and brushed your teeth and use some mouth wash.
The wedding goes off fine and for six months they each manage to keep their secrets safe.
Then one morning at about 5 am the young husband’s wakes up and discover one of his socks had come off.
He start to scrambling around in the bed trying to find his sock and he woke his wife up in the scramingly and she got in his face and said, “What are you doing?
And he smelt her bad breath and he said, “Oh no, she has swallowed my socks!”
God’s Word tell us“Be sure your sins will find you out!”
Let’s look at…
I. David's Covetousness
II Sam 11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.
When we look at chapter 10 we see a big battle between Israel and the Amonites.
The war with Ammon was still not over.
It was customary in middle-eastern wars in ancient times to call a ‘cease-fire’ during the winter.
David and his forces evidently put the war against Ammon on hold over the winter.
This is why the scriptures tell us “after the year was expired.”
Spring was blossoming, David again sent military units under Joab, his chief general, back into battle.
For reasons untold, David stayed in Jerusalem rather than lead his forces into battle. It would prove to be his great downfall.
There is a big danger when we have leisure time in our life.
God knew what He was doing when he said MANKIND IS TO WORK SIX AND REST ONE.
Illus: Today with all the modern technology people have more leisure time than ever before.
We now have:
• Electric dish washers
• Electric stoves
• Electric heaters
• Electric washing machines
• Today mankind has invented everything they know to invent to keep from working six days and resting one.
Illus: One time a minister was preaching about the importance of work. He told the congregation that they should praise God for the opportunity of working for their daily bread.
“But the Lord has seen to it,” he said, “that you don’t have to work every day.”
• Because of Moses you have Saturday off.
• And thanks to Jesus you have Sunday off. ISN’T THAT WONDERFUL?
“Sure is,” said a voice from a rear pew. He said, “FIVE MORE JEWISH BOYS LIKE THAT AND WE’D NEVER HAVE TO WORK AGAIN.”
God knew that leisure time could be dangerous and that is why God tells us to WORK SIX AND REST ONE!
Illus: When I hear people say they cannot sleep at night this tells me something about their lifestyle…THEY HAVE TO MUCH LEISURE TIME ON THEIR HAND!
Illus: When a person put in a hard day’s work they do not have a hard time sleeping.
Illus: Before our politicians turn dumb they use to have what was known as a chain gang camp.
That is they would load these prisoners up and carry them to some place and give them a shovel and a pick and they dug ditches for eight hours a day in the hot sun and cold winters and when they went back to the camp they had supper and they went to sleep.
• Today in their air condition cells they can watch television and think about all kinds of trouble they can get into.
• They also thought about when I get out of this chain gang I am going to straighten my life up because I do not want to come back here.
David got into serious trouble because of leisure time in his life. If he had went to battle with his men fighting the Ammonites he would have never gotten in trouble.
David rather than going into battle with his men decided he would stay at home.
It is evident that David’s relationship with the Lord wasn’t what it should have been at this time.
HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?
Look at II Sam 11:2-3 And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
Late one spring afternoon, David had evidently taken a nap. He went up on the flat roof of his palace.
The city of Jerusalem is built upon a succession of hills.
Illus: They did not have air condition as we have today so the elite of the city built their houses upon the highest hills to catch the slightest breeze that may blow in the summer.
It is likely that David’s palace was atop a hill and he could look down on homes built at lower elevations.
One of the homes below, a woman was bathing herself.
David was not a PEEPING TOM but he was a PEEPING DAVID!
Little has ever been said about Bathsheba, but it could have been that this woman knew that her home was readily visible to the king’s palace.
It is clear that she displayed herself immodestly, knowing that she could be seen from the palace.
Also it is clear that Bathsheba’s immodesty helped lead David into lusting for the opposite sex.
Illus: Today we have Christians that subscribe to television channels in their home where nudity can be seen.
• Some say, IT DOESN’T HURT TO LOOK!
• But LOOKING LEADS TO PARTAKING.
Illus: Red Lobster has some of the best commercials on television. They will show a big plate of sea food that makes you want to get into your car and head for Red Lobster for that good looking seafood you saw on television.
• WHY DO THEY HAVE THESE COMMERCIALS ON TELEVISIONS?
• Because they know if you LOOK YOU WILL SOON WANT TO PARTAKE!!!
Bathsheba may have purposefully done what she did to get David TO LOOK SO THAT HE WOULD WANT TO PARTAKE!!!
As you know some women have been known to do that!
They know that women are stirred by touch but men are stirred by sight!
Listen, a man will stand before God and give account for lusting, but a woman that dress to cause men to lust for her body will give account to God as much if not more because she set the trap to lust.
David looks upon Bathsheba’s beauty and then inquires as to who she was.
He was informed that she was a married woman the wife of one of his soldiers.
Look where looking led him to do.
Look at 2 Sam 11:4-5 And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
Even though David had been told that Bathsheba was a married woman, he still takes her and commits sin with her.
James 1:14-15 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed.Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”
It seems apparent that Bathsheba was a willing participant in this great sin.
Illus: In the Believer's Study Bible, W. A. Criswell commented about both David and Bathsheba’s part in the sin.
Bathsheba may have been guilty of some indiscretion in her immodesty, and apparently she made no effort to resist the amorous intent of the king (note the clause “and she came to him”).
As a result of their adultery, Bathsheba conceived and carried David’s child.
David’s and Bathsheba sin led to some dredful deeds.
When a person fall into sin there is no way of knowing where it will lead.
• Some have lived a life of hate had no idea that hate would lead them to kill.
• Some have played around with drinking a beer but they never knew it would lead them into become an alcoholic.
• Some have played around with pornography but they never knew it would lead to their addiction of pornography and them becoming a homosexual.
• Some have played around with lust but had no idea that would lead to a divorce.
• Some have played around with smoking but had no idea it would lead to cancer.
Sin is a dangerous thing to play around with because no one never know where it will lead them or how deep into sin it will lead them.
• Sin Brings Death.
• Sin Brings Loss Of God’s Favor.
• Sin Brings God’s Judgment.
• Sin Brings Vulnerability To Demonic Attacks.
• Sin Leads to Hellfire.
We have a good example the danger of sin in Adam Eve when they sinned.
The curse of sin is demonstrated in Genesis 3:14-19 by the fall of Adam and Eve when they ate the forbidden fruit in the Garden of Eden. As you can see in the above verses when our first parents fell, everything changed for them for the worst.
Before our first parents fell from grace in the garden of Eden, our first parents knew no illness and their bodies were perfect and free from all diseases.
But when they fell, all this changed and all manner of illness and diseases our first parents never knew before their fall began to appear in their lives and on subsequent generations after them.
David this great man of God sin led David into:
• Life of lust
• Life of lying
• Life of Adultery
• Life of murder
The act of adultery led David to Kill.
We have looked at David’s but now let us look at…
II. David’s Concealment
2 Sam 11:6-8 And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite (Bathshebad’s husband). And Joab sent Uriah to David. And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
David immediately began to try and cover up his wrong doing. David sends a messenger to Joab asking that Uriah be sent to him.
Bathsheba’s husband was out fighting as an officer in David’s army.
When Uriah arrived at the palace David played innocent asking Uriah how the war went. He then told him to go home. He even sent a gift of food along with him.
David’s sin was not only adultery:
1) Against his spouse,
2) Against a loyal soldier in his army.
3) It ultimately was against God.
He later recognized that.
Look at Psa 51:4 Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.
We have looked at:
• David’s covetousness
• David’s concealment
Now let us look at…
III. DAVID’S COVERUP
II Sam 11:9-13 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing. And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow. And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.
David’s cover up had a plan “A”, Plan “B” and a Plan “C”.
David had thought out a pretty clever plan.
David’s Plan “A”
David’s plan was to send him home to sleep with his beautiful wife.
Uriah was a loyal and dedicated soldier. He knew his comrades in arms back at the front had none of the comforts of home. Therefore, he ‘camped’ outside David’s palace rather than spending the night with his wife.
Plan “A” failed so he goes to…
PLAN “B”
In verse 12, after having initially failed, David tried a different scheme. If he caused Uriah to get drunk, surely then he would go home and sleep with his wife. David therefore invited him to a meal and made sure that Uriah was amply supplied with alcohol.
However, Uriah remained steadfast in his resolve.
Note how that one sin can cause you to commit another and then another.
God forbids strong drink to the Christian man or woman, and we are warned to not put that before others.
Rom 14:21 It is good neither to eat flesh, nor to drink wine, nor any thing whereby thy brother stumbleth, or is offended, or is made weak.
David’s plan to get Uriah drunk so that he would go home failed to sleep with his wife failed.
PLAN “A” AND PLAN “B” has failed so he goes to…
PLAN “C”
Uriah is murdered
II Sam 11:14-15 And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
After the first few plans fail, David was becoming desperate to cover his sin. Now murder seemed the only option left.
David's new plan was to murder Uriah, and then quickly marry Bathsheba to make her pregnancy seem legitimate.
David thought he finally had a fail-safe plan.
Only Joab, the commander on the scene, would be aware of David’s intention to have Uriah killed in action and even he would not really know why.
David’s fingerprints would not be upon Uriah’s death. His sin would be covered and he would get away with what he had done.
Truly, David had become sorely backslidden.
2 Sam 11:16-17 And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
Upon receiving the private letter from David, Joab did as ordered.
Though David did not ‘pull the trigger,’ he was the one who had ordered Uriah’s death.
David had committed this horrible sin and as a result an innocent man had been killed.
But this is not the end of the story, GOD’S PROMISE TO EVIL MAN…BE SURE YOUR SINS WILL FIND YOU OUT is yet to be carried out!!!
David convicted his own self. God sent Nathan the prophet to tell him a story of an evil man that did and evil thing.
2 Samuel 12:1-7 And the LORD sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;
After hearing the story of this evil man David wanted to who this evil man was and this man must be punished.
Nathan the prophet said, THOU ART THE MAN!
David convicted his own self!!!
Look at…
II Samuel 12: 7-13 we read, And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man. Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things. Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die.
IV. DAVID’S CONTRITION
David repented and God allowed him to live with the sword of the Lord against his house to the day he died.
BE SURE YOUR SINS WILL FIND YOU OUT!!!
Before I close I want to tell every lost person here today.
Your sins may be as BAD as the sins of David. But God will forgive you of your sins the same way He forgave David of his sins if you will REPENT OF YOUR SINS AND COME TO HIM
TODAY FOR FORGIVENESS.
I believe one of the reason that God’s Word reveal these horrible sins in David’s life so that every lost person will know God will forgive them if they will come to him.
Please come!
I. DAVID’S COVETOUSNESS
II. DAVID’S CONCEALMENT
III. DAVID’S COVER UP
IV. DAVID’S CONTRITION
