2 Samuel #13: an exposition of 2 Samuel 11:1-27. This message by Pastor Rod Harris was delivered at Trinity Baptist Church on Sunday evening, June 2, 2013.
Intro:
When you are young you are invincible. Well, your not but you think you are. Little or no thought is given to danger or the consequences of your actions. When I think of some of the things we did on our bicycles – I can’t believe I’m still here. When I was a kid, 5,6,7 years old we had a go cart. We also had a track worn in the backyard. Neighbors came to watch me ride that go cart. When I drove it was pedal to the metal nonstop. It never occurred to me I could get hurt. Now Rheadon says, “You know the speed through here is 50 why are you going 35?” “Wow come up here and look at this.” “No thanks. I can see it from down here. Yeah that’s real nice.” I wouldn’t say I’m a coward I’d say I have matured and now use reasonable caution!
Maturity is accompanied by wisdom. As you mature you become more aware of the dangers inherent in certain things and you use better judgment in determining what you will do and not do. That certainly is true Spiritually. As you mature in your faith you become aware of many of the dangers before hidden by your immaturity. You just didn’t know. Know because you’ve grown in your faith, because you have a better grasp of Scripture you now know to avoid certain things and you are more cautious about that which compromises your faith. One aspect of spiritual maturity is that you become more aware of the devastating consequences of sin. As a result of this awareness you gain a healthy fear of sin and are conscious of your vulnerability to sin. Tonight we are going to look at a very familiar passage of Scripture and consider sin’s devastation. Our text is found in the 11th chapter of 2 Samuel.
Text: 2 Samuel 11:1-27
- There are 2 names forever linked with David: Goliath and Bathsheba.
- Both serve as tests for David and his faith.
- Goliath revealed David’s confident trust in God’s power.
- Bathsheba revealed David’s indulgence of sin.
2 Samuel 11 is a frightening passage of Scripture. It is frightening because it reminds us of just how quickly and how completely we can fall. On the one hand it is a shocking tale because we just expect better of David. On the other hand it is not really shocking at all because we know all to well the wickedness of our own hearts.
As we work our way through the text we discover that…
Thesis: David’s experience with Bathsheba serves to remind us of sin’s siren call, its devastating consequences and its profound cost.
There are three (3) things I want to point out.
- Even the most devout are vulnerable to the allure of sin. (11:1-5)
- Submission to sin leads to profound wickedness. (11:6-24)
- Sin always brings God’s displeasure. (11:25-27)