Bathing Bathsheba

2 Samuel 11:1-15; Ephesians 2:11-22; Mark 6:30-34

Our story from the book of Second Samuel for today is written by someone who was probably one of history's greatest critics of King David. And, yet, the account of this critic of King David has lasted through the centuries because, not only does it tell us about the bad things that David did, but it also tells us about the good things that he did. But, more than anything else, the account of this critic of King David has lasted through the centuries because it tells the story of God's love of David, in spite of his weaknesses and failures.

And, certainly, this is something important for us to be aware of as we consider our own story. David had his strong points, and we have strong points, too. And, just as David had his weaknesses, so do we have ours. We, like David, have our successes and failures in life. And, just as God loved David, in spite of what he did, God loves us in spite of what we may do from time to time. And, through all of it, God perpetually struggles to make us better than we are. God's Spirit works with us to teach us, sometimes when we least expect it, and often when we would even consider it impossible.

Today's story about David starts out simply enough. It says that in the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. In fact, this scripture is a bit critical of David at this point. It is even saying that David was possibly a bit lazier than other kings, in that while other kings went off to war along with their armies, David stayed home and sent only a general with his army, instead.

What the writer may be saying here is that if David had only been noble enough to be with his troops as they destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, then what happened next probably could not have taken place. If David had been completely absorbed with what a king was supposed to be doing, then he wouldn't have had a chance to sin.

I remember when I was young how my mother always wanted me to be involved with different things. If it wasn't some activity in the boy scouts, then it was some activity at the church, or in school. Or, if it wasn't that, then it was doing something to help around the house, like paint, or sand a floor, or take care of the yard. And when I asked her why she always wanted to keep me so busy, she answered that the busier I was the less likely it would be that I would get in trouble. When I was in High School I was even so busy playing in the band and orchestra that I couldn't find the time to take driver's education. This made my mother happy, though, because, according to Michigan law, it meant that I wouldn't be able to drive until I was 18. For my mother, being so busy in school meant that I wouldn't get in trouble behind the wheel of a car.

Someone once said that idleness is the devil's playground. And, indeed, even the founder of the Methodist Movement, John Wesley, once wrote: "How useless is the laborious idleness of those who spend day after day in gaming or diversions, vilely casting away that time the value of which they cannot know, till they are passed through it into eternity! All idleness is immorality. There is no grosser dishonesty than sloth. Every voluntary blockhead is a knave."

For Wesley, it was the duty of every Christian to make use of every scrap of time in order to better serve God. And "to better serve God," simply meant spending time for self improvement, or spending time to be with someone who might otherwise be lonely, or spending time to do something constructive, or spending time for sharing one's faith. There is little doubt that we all need recreation and rest. But, too much R and R can be a dangerous thing, as every sailor knows. It is the wise Child of God who knows the importance of finding something constructive to do with his or her time.

So, perhaps David wasn't as busy as he should have been. Indeed, if he had been out with his troops then he wouldn't have been able to go out onto his roof top that day. If he had been out there doing what a king was supposed to be doing, he wouldn't have seen Bathsheba taking her bath. If he had been busy with his generals and colonels and lieutenants, he wouldn't have had time to invite Bathsheba over for tea.

A psychiatrist and I were riding in a car a while ago. And as we drove down the street I asked him what he thought was one of the main causes of mental illness, today. And he replied: "People are not busy enough doing a variety of things." He went on to say that people do their job all day long, and usually it is the same old grind all day long. Then they come home, eat, and then plop down in front of a boob tube for several hours. After that, they go to bed, only to begin the same old cycle the next morning. It's enough to drive anybody crazy!" he said. "But, those who can get involved with a variety of activities will stay out of trouble."

And, so, we need to be conscious of our activities. Do we spend more time in front of the television than may be good for us? Or are there classes we could be taking? Or are there Bible studies we could be doing, or leading? Or are there friends we could invite over? Or are there community betterment projects that could use our input? Indeed, God has a lot for us to be doing if we simply open ourselves to his guidance.

So, David wasn't as busy as he should have been. Going out onto his roof, he spied Bathsheba, taking a bath. He invited her over to be with him, alone.

Sin is an awful thing. It wasn't bad enough that David committed adultery with Bathsheba. What's worse is that when she told David she was with child David tried to trick Bathsheba's husband into coming home so that he might not suspect that someone other than himself was the father of the child. And when Bathsheba's husband wouldn't come home to be with his wife, David's sin grew even bigger than adultery and lying. His sin grew up to murder.

And that's the way sin is. It usually gets worse as time goes on. Left unchecked, sin festers in us. Left without repentance, one sin can lead to another and to another, until there is no end to sin.

An evangelist once described how he once met a woman who tried to convince him that she was a good sinner. The well-dressed woman came forward on the invitation. The evangelist took her hand and asked her to repeat a prayer after him. The prayer was: "Dear Lord, I know that I am a no-good sinner. I know I can't save myself. I do need forgiveness for my awful sins. I can't do without you, Jesus. Please forgive me for my many sins. I here and now receive You into my heart as my personal Savior. I'll try to live for You from this night on. I pray my prayer in Jesus' Name. Amen!"

The evangelist took the woman's hand and began to give her the prayer to repeat after him: "Dear Lord, I know I'm a no-good sinner." She never said a word. The evangelist looked at her and said, "Don't you want to be saved?"

She answered, "Yes, I do want to be saved, but I'm not a sinner."

"Then you can't be saved," answered the evangelist. "Jesus only died for sinners."

"But," said the lady, "I'm a good sinner."

"A good sinner?!" retorted the evangelist, "There are no good sinners. You will have to take your seat. God can't save you until you become conscious that you are a no-good sinner and need His forgiveness."

"But, you don't understand," said the woman. "I'm really not a bad sinner."

The evangelist told her to go back and sit down. But she held on to his hand with a vise-like grip. Finally she looked at him in his eyes and said, "Oh, please forgive me. I know I am a no-good hell-deserving sinner. I am a proud, no-good sinner. I do need Christ to forgive me of my sins."

"Wonderful! Now, lady," said the evangelist, "you are ready to do business with God." And they prayed the prayer, there at the front of the auditorium, while thousands of people looked on. The lady came clean with God. God saved her. But she never would have been saved if she had not changed her attitude. None of us are good sinners. We are all big sinners, bad sinners, because of the potential of even one little sin.

God gives us what we need to overcome sin. Certainly, there are some mistakes that we do have to pay for in this life, whether or not we are forgiven. But, God has the power to take our sins and destroy them for eternity. Even big sins like King David's.

The scriptures say, "All have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." All of us! Not one of us is exempt.

There is the story of how a man once sent identical notes to twenty of the most prominent men in London, saying, "All is discovered. Escape while you can." All twenty abruptly left the town.

Likewise, God knows who we are and what we are. But, we cannot escape. So, instead, in faith we take the step of confession. And, by the power of Jesus' blood shed on the cross for us, God forgives us, and makes us new, and sets us free to live, again.

Someone told me the other day that messages like these aren't needed in the decade of the 90's. But if there ever was a message that needed to be heard, today, it is this one: That God saves sinners; that through the blood of Jesus we are raised from sin to live victoriously and gloriously for God. Amen.