David and Bathsheba

Scripture:

2 Samuel 11:1-12:13

Quick Summary:

Bathsheba was Uriah’s wife, and yet David cheated with her. David didn’t want to get caught cheating, so he arranged for Uriah to die in battle. David not only cheated but lied and murdered Uriah. Only after the prophet Nathan pointed it out, did David finally admit his sin. 

The Point:

When we try to cover-up our sin, we end up sinning more and hurting other people. Admit when you are wrong!

Questions for Family Time:

1.     What was David’s first sin?

a.      He cheated with Bathsheba.

2.     What was David’s second sin?

a.  He lied about cheating with Bathsheba.

     What was David’s third sin?

a.     He killed Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband so he wouldn’t get caught cheating.

3.     What did you learn?

a.      It’s important for us to take responsibility when we do something wrong, or someone else might get hurt.

Deeper:

            This is one of David’s most famous stories. David was called the “man after God’s own heart.” This story balances that honor with the reality that he was not perfect. Where other historical documents always put leaders in the best light possible, the Bible speaks to their mistakes and sins. It is a defining characteristic that separates the Bible from other ancient documents.
           
            David committed more than one sin in this story. 1) He committed adultery with Bathsheba. 2) He lied and tried to cover up that sin. 3) He murdered Uriah. Sin #2 is what we will be focusing on in our KICK lesson. By not take responsibility for his actions with Bathsheba, David put more lives in jeopardy. He sinned worse by lying and cost Uriah and other faithful soldiers their lives. Cheating turned into murder because he wouldn’t admit he had done wrong.
            
           In our house, no one has been murdered, but there have been multiple times when one small wrong became a big problem because that person wouldn’t admit they did it. Like many of you, there have been times when I have said, “You are in more trouble for lying about it than you are for doing what you did.” The reality is that when we don’t confess, others can be hurt and problems can snowball. Things often get worse if they aren’t dealt with right away.

            Christians call this act of admitting we did wrong "CONFESSION." We practice confession in our prayers.  We even confess when we fall short as a church in our words leading to communion. Confession is so important it is recognized as the first step of turning toward God. We don’t just name our sins to get them off our chest. We name them to protect others from paying the consequences. We name them so that things can be put right.

Personal Reflection:

               Are there sins that you need to confess? How has keeping those sins secret hurt others?