peeping We’re coming up on the end of our series. We’ve been looking at random moments in the Bible that feature individuals committing, what they would call, one “little” sin and then suffering the consequences thereof.

David is often called “the man after God’s own heart.” In fact it was God’s inspired prophet that described David in that way. That does not mean the man was without flaw, however.

 

For all of David’s great accomplishments, heroic feats and beautiful Psalms of adoration for God, it was in the course of his affair with Bathsheba that he showed himself to be perfectly ordinary. This isn’t a super-servant of God. This isn’t someone blessed with a greater ability to resist the devil than anyone else. He made a mistake, like so many do, and like so many, he tried to cover up his sin which lead him to commit many more.

And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

2 Samuel 11:2

Now, did David go looking to watch a naked woman? No. There’s no sin in stumbling upon a temptation. David’s sin was not turning away immediately.

Mind you, David’s initial sin is one that many many people have fallen into. It’s so easy to commit, especially today, as our culture is basically rated-R 24/7. But too often people will say “it’s just a little…” or “only for a second…” What often happens is, a little becomes a lot; a second becomes a slippery slope that can ruin your life.

Don’t believe me? Consider David.

Shall we just take an inventory of the many transgressions he committed (2 Samuel 11:2-27)?

1. He lusted after Bathsheba
2. He abused his power as king to track her down and bring her to him
3. He committed adultery with her
4. He manipulated Uriah (Bathsheba’s husband) away from battle and to his wife…
5. He attempted to deceive Uriah into thinking Bathsheba’s unborn child was his
6. He got Uriah drunk, hoping he would go home and sleep with his wife
7. He abused his power as king to send Uriah to the front-lines of battle, having him killed
8. He took advantage of a grieving wife, married her and pretended that her unborn child was conceived after they were married.

By my count there are eight specific sins, but on the evening when David first beheld the woman bathing, all he could think about was “one little sin…”

It rarely stays “one.”

But even if it does, one little sin is one too many.

Thankfully David repented (2 Samuel 12), but by then a good man had been killed. When you read the account, the underrated tragedy of it all is how swell a guy Uriah is. Yet he is manipulated, lied to, put in danger and ultimately killed by a king with the power to cover up his sins.

Except he could not hide them from God, and his punishment was severe (2 Samuel 12:14).

One little sin? There’s no such thing.

Think about it,
have a great day