BE CAREFUL WITH THE EYES!
BE CAREFUL WITH THE EYES!
It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. 3 —II Samuel 11:2
Then David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the LORD lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.” Nathan said to David, “You are the man! —II Samuel 12:5-7
Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 —II Samuel 12:9-10
David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.” —II Samuel 12:13
It happened late one afternoon. Apparently David had been taking a nap or at least resting. He went for a walk and on that walk he saw something he should have walked away from, but he did not. By not walking away he would impact many people destructively.
Bathsheba was bathing and David saw her while on his walk. But he did not walk away. He not only saw her, but he saw that she was beautiful. It is one thing to inadvertently see something, but it is another to stop, gaze and devise a plan in the mind and then to carry it out.
David saw. David devised a plan. David sent for the married Bathsheba. David slept with Bathsheba. Bathsheba became pregnant. David sent for Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, one of David’s faithful might men. David sought to manipulate Uriah to go home to his wife (with the hopes he would sleep with her and then think the child was his). David got Uriah drunk to encourage him to go home. David wrote a letter to the commander to put Uriah in the heat of the battle and withdraw from him. David sent the letter by Uriah’s hand. Uriah died by David’s manipulation. David took Bathsheba as his wife. David’s sin caused him to care more about a sheep than a man. David acknowledged his sin when confronted. The child born of Bathsheba died.
All of this started with a look that turn into a watching that turn into a scheme that ended with carrying out the scheme and ending in destruction.
Are you gazing at something or someone you shouldn’t? Are you watching for opportunity to carry it out? Turn from it! Run from it! Otherwise it will be destructive. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5o1vxwFBnw
Dear Father please keep my eyes focused on what You would have my eyes focused on. Help me to think as You would have me think by the power of Your Holy Spirit and in the authority of Your Son, Jesus. So be it!