Enter Sin: 2 Samuel 11:1-3
When we position ourselves weakly, we should not be surprised when we are powerless. Righteousness is frequently the hard decision. If righteousness was easy, everyone would do it. The rarity of righteousness is evidence of its difficulty.
When it comes to David and his sin, the story of Bathsheba is frequently the first example people consider. This story serves two purposes. This story gives a deep dive into how sinfulness takes root in the human experience. This story also explains David’s parentage of Solomon, who becomes king after David.
The story starts when Hanun humiliates David’s delegation. David formalizes a military response. Instead of leading his troops out to battle, he hands the operation over to Joab. Joab is a capable leader and has a strong supporting staff, so the decision to let Joab handle the altercation is perfectly acceptable. The problem is David is himself a warrior.
When the army marches out without him, David becomes restless. He wants to lead. He wants to work strategy. He wants to compete. It is who he is.
In a restless moment one afternoon, he walks in a rooftop garden. He spies Bathsheba and immediately notices her beauty. Enraptured, he lingers while she bathes.
David’s closest advisors are gone. His support network isn’t there to keep him in check. He doesn’t have his typical sounding boards to help him discern right from wrong. Instead, he only has his heart. His heart wants to sin.
Furthermore, David is a king with a harem. He’s already put the idea of monogamy well behind him. He’s taken multiple wives because he desired them. He’s added wives for political reasons. David no longer has fidelity to keep him in line. What’s another wife when you already have a dozen or more?
The easiest way to refrain from sin is to check it at the door. The easiest sin to deny is the one which hasn’t been given space to roost. Denying sin is far easier before it lays down roots within. Instead of denying the temptation, David invites the sin within. David inquires about the woman. He begins to build an imaginary fantasy about her. He gives the sin a place to live and develops intrinsic value for it.
David makes many poor choices in the opening verses of this story. He leaves himself vulnerable and then welcomes trouble when it comes. Sin happily takes any advantage we give it. If David had gone to battle, he wouldn’t be present for the temptation. If he had not taken multiple wives, he would have been closer to Michal and felt more responsibility to that relationship. If he had denied the temptation and looked away instead of watching Bathsheba bathe, he would have been fine. Instead, David responds like a human. Bad choices enhance one another until he finds himself powerless against his sin. When we position ourselves weakly, we should not be surprised when we are powerless.
