Fred E. Dennis
David was a man after God’s own heart, but he was guilty of some of the blackest sins of which any man can be guilty. The Bible tells the truth about men and women. It tells the bad along with the good. Men do not write history that way. They are partial in their judgments.
David’s sin began with a beautiful woman. Beautiful women have been the cause of the downfall of many men. David looked upon this woman, and his baser passions were aroused. That is one of the most damning things about the modern stage, including the modern picture show. Beautiful women are shown almost in the nude. Men and women and boys and girls look upon these things. We cannot afford thus to play with temptation. David was a strong man, but he was overcome by this temptation. Many others have been thus overcome.
The dress of many women of our day will cause the damnation of many precious souls. Then when “Christian” (?) women imitate this ungodly dress, it is really too bad. God expects and commands Christian women to dress in modest apparel. “In like manner also, that women adorn themselves in modest apparel, with shame-facedness and sobriety; not with broided hair, or gold, or pearls, or costly array; but (which becometh women professing godliness) with good works” (1 Tim. 2:9-10).
Whose adorning let it not be that outward adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel; but let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible, even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of great price (1 Pet. 3:3-4).
David’s lustful look led him into adultery with this beautiful woman. He tried to cover up his sin. Sin cannot be covered. There is just one thing to do with sin, and that is to repent of it and get forgiveness by obedience to God. David sent for Uriah, the husband of this woman, He was engaged in war. David was perfectly willing now that Uriah might have a furlough and go home to his wife. This was his way of trying to cover up his own wickedness.
But Uriah did not go home.
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 (2 Sam. 11:11).
Thus David is thwarted in his own devilish plans. Next David hits upon the plan of getting Uriah drunk. But still Uriah did not go home. God is not going to allow David to get away with this sin. We cannot get away with ours. “Be sure your sin will find you out.” It found David out, and it will find us out. Jesus said: “For there is nothing covered, that shall not be revealed; and hid, that shall not be known.” (Matt. 10:26)
The next morning David wrote a letter to his great army captain, Joab. This letter was really Uriah’s death warrant. And David had the heart to send this letter by the hand of Uriah. David instructed Joab to set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle and then retire from him. “And Uriah the Hittite died also.” Yes, David is rid of Uriah, but his troubles are just really beginning. His sins are multiplying. First, it is a lustful look. This led to the bodily act of adultery. Now he has murdered an innocent man. Vice is indeed a monster. The devil is a hard master.
Joab was concerned over the death of Uriah. Uriah’s wife mourned for her husband. No doubt her guilty conscience added to the mourning. Well, she had the child.
God sent His prophet to David:
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 (2 Sam. 12:1-4).
It is no wonder that David’s anger was greatly kindled against that wicked and scheming man. It did not take him a fraction of a minute to make up his mind what should be done to such a man. “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 Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.” Yes, his sin has caught up with him.
Listen to this:
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. (2 Sam. 12:7-12).
Oh, the sins that are committed secretly! It was not hard for David to see his miserable plight after the prophet had delivered this scathing denunciation. We need more prophets in our day like Nathan. We need men who are not afraid to cry and spare not. Sin is sin, and it is just as bad when those who are in high places are guilty. God loves us too well to allow our sins to go unrebuked. This plain preaching caused David to repent in sackcloth and ashes. Immediately he cried out, saying: “I have sinned against the Lord.” Sinners must be made to see their doom. They will not see this unless the preachers point it out in no uncertain terms. They may not repent, but at least the preacher has delivered his soul. Then we can say with Paul: “Wherefore I take you to record this day, that I am pure from the blood of all men. For I have not shunned to declare unto you all the counsel of God” (Acts 20:26-27). And, preacher, do not forget there is a difference between declaring the counsel of God and declaring all the counsel of God.
When I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; and thou givest him not warning, nor speakest to warn the wicked from his wicked way, to save his life; the same wicked man shall die in his iniquity; but his blood will I require at thine! hand. Yet if thou warn the wicked, and he turn not from his wickedness, nor from his wicked way, he shall die in his iniquity, but thou hast delivered thy soul (Ezek. 3:18-19).
It would be well for the reader to turn now and read Psalm 51 again. David never got over his sin.
For I acknowledge my, transgressions: and my sin is ever before me…Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow…Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me. Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me. Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit. Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee. Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation…The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.
Sinner friend, read that last sentence again and again. Repent of your sins. Confess the name of Christ. Be buried with him in baptism for the remission of your sins. Erring brother, repent genuinely of your sins and pray God for forgiveness (Acts 8:22-23).
