- araratchurch
- Jun 9, 2024
- 2 min read
“So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting. And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.”
2 Samuel 11:14-17 NLT
Many times, when a person crosses a line (in terms of heading in a direction of evil), they—as we have discussed—believe they know how to come back; they’ll reverse course before they “go too far.” Or, feeling they must do this evil thing, they tell themselves it will be a one-off event; they’ll go back to living right, after the deed is done.
But just as a person pursuing a direction in the woods, when drawn aside to look at something interesting, and then there’s something interesting past that, and something past that, finds themselves hopelessly lost, so also is the one who deviates from the path of righteousness.
You see, evil is self-perpetuating. In other words, every step you take into the darkness of sin, makes it easier to make another step into that darkness. As such, it becomes easier and easier to sin, until you are where you never thought you’d be: LOST.
“But the [Holy] Spirit explicitly and unmistakably declares that in later times some will turn away from the faith, paying attention instead to deceitful and seductive spirits and doctrines of demons, [misled] by the hypocrisy of liars whose consciences are seared as with a branding iron [leaving them incapable of ethical functioning],”
1 Timothy 4:1-2 AMP
One of the main features of the Last Days before the coming of Jesus Christ is the “falling away,” the Great Apostasy.
Now, I believe that the falling away has already begun. But it did not happen overnight. Indeed, in many churches, there was first a “gradual“ moving away from the word of God (to be “more relevant”), from holiness (to be more “realistic”), and from righteous living (to keep people in the pews).
Jesus spoke of this time:
“And many will turn away from me and betray and hate each other. And many false prophets will appear and will deceive many people. Sin will be rampant everywhere, and the love of many will grow cold.”
Matthew 24:10-12 NLT
My friend, we are there.
That spring day, King David, when first casting his eyes toward Bathsheba, never imagined where this would lead. But now, having entered into temptation, he is seemingly past the point of no return. Now he is doing the unthinkable: He is sending righteous Uriah back into battle, carrying his own death warrant, in his own hands.
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jun 8, 2024
- 3 min read
““Well, stay here today,” David told him, “and tomorrow you may return to the army.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn’t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard.”
2 Samuel 11:12-13 NLT
Have you ever heard of situational ethics? You know the philosophy: If the situation is bent in a certain direction, then I’ll do something, that in another situation, may have seemed to be wrong. But, in this situation, not so much. In the middle of our big fluffy buns of rationalization is still rotten baloney.
And then there’s the excuse used by some people, having done something against their general ethics, and/or something illegal, or something fraught with terrible consequences, that they were drunk, or high, or hurt, or depressed, etc., so they “fell” to the temptation.
Let’s take a look at Uriah. His sense of honor and duty did not allow him to go “relax” with his wife even when delayed from returning to the battle field. And that’s with the added feature of Uriah having been made drunk! Yet, he still remembered the oath he had made to his men, his cause, and his God.
Some might wonder why he didn’t just go home and be with his wife. After all, it would have ended up saving his life. But Uriah had no idea of the treachery that was afoot. But even if he had somehow known the fate awaiting him if he didn’t relent, he probably held his oath dearer than his life.
Remember, although we have no death wish, we know that there is a life beyond this life that must not be forfeited in exchange for the temporary life we have here.
“The one who loves his life [eventually] loses it [through death], but the one who hates his life in this world [and is concerned with pleasing God] will keep it for life eternal. If anyone serves Me, he must [continue to faithfully] follow Me [without hesitation, holding steadfastly to Me, conforming to My example in living and, if need be, suffering or perhaps dying because of faith in Me]; and wherever I am [in heaven’s glory], there will My servant be also. If anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”
John 12:25-26 AMP
Of course, I’m not saying that Uriah would’ve displeased God if he had gone home and been with his wife. We don’t know that. The point I’m making is that there are things more important than saving this life. And, if we continually go against what matters, continually go against what is pleasing to God, not only are we risking our eternal life, but what good are we doing living that way (a compromised servant of sin) in this world?
You may be concerned that you could not hold fast to what is right in difficult situations, in a hard press. Well, if it depended entirely on you, you are right to worry. But remember, the Lord has given us His spirit to provide the strength we need to endure temptation!
“It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man [who places his faith in wealth or status] to enter the kingdom of God.” They were completely and utterly astonished, and said to Him, “Then who can be saved [from the wrath of God]?” Looking at them, Jesus said, “With people [as far as it depends on them] it is impossible, but not with God; for all things are possible with God.””
Mark 10:25-27 AMP
Whereas Jesus was referencing the temptations associated with having riches, the principle in the above scripture still applies: What we can’t do in our own strength, we can do in His strength! We have but to be willing and obedient.
Turning to King David: The Lord did not cause Uriah to refuse to go home and be with his wife. But the Lord did use this to hem David in. What now that his plan was a major fail? What will he do? Has his slide finally been interrupted?
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!
- araratchurch
- Jun 7, 2024
- 3 min read
“Then he told Uriah, “Go on home and relax.” David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace. But Uriah didn’t go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king’s palace guard. When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, “What’s the matter? Why didn’t you go home last night after being away for so long?” Uriah replied, “The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and my master’s men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.””
2 Samuel 11:8-11 NLT
Somebody help me! What I thought was a parachute, is just a backpack!
You may have been there. You have a plan to get out of a pickle [may come from a Dutch phrase, "in de pekel zitten," literally means, "to sit in the pickle brine"], but have actually managed to “find” the bottom of the vat!
As we have discussed, once the line is crossed into evil and injustice, the tendency is to continue the descent into deeper depravity, accompanied by increasing disregard for what is right. One step toward the bottom necessitates another until you are lower than you ever imagined, lower than those you previously scorned for their weakness.
“The way of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, which shines ever brighter until the full light of day. But the way of the wicked is like total darkness. They have no idea what they are stumbling over.”
Proverbs 4:18-19 NLT
And then there’s this:
“Sin whispers to the wicked, deep within their hearts. They have no fear of God at all. In their blind conceit, they cannot see how wicked they really are.”
Psalms 36:1-2 NLT
And who wrote Psalm 36? Yes, it was David! (Remember when we discussed the fact that it doesn’t look different when it is you?) But here he is now, with a fail-proof plan to cover his sin! After all, what man—having been away at war—would refuse a night of intimacy with his beautiful wife?
Oh! But there is an “intervening variable” [when I was doing research in my psychological studies, we would often find that we would get an unexpected result due to the presence of some phenomenon in the experimental model for which we had not controlled—an “intervening variable”]! The intervening variable in King David’s plan is the fact that Uriah is a man of honor and duty, a man faithful to his fellow battle-weary brothers in arms.
Make no mistake, if you are committed to righteousness, sooner or later you will find yourself (often inadvertently) interjected into the crosshairs of an evil scheme. Sometimes your very existence as one devoted to the Lord, devoted to doing what is right, will necessitate your being neutralized. Sometimes those bent on carrying out an evil plan, or a plan to cover up evil deeds, will attempt to corrupt the righteous. When that doesn’t work, when you won’t be moved from your steadfastness, the only option left for those determined to carry out their scheme, is your removal.
Yes, it can be a very dangerous place to be when your commitment to righteousness stands in the way of the carrying out of an evil scheme. You don’t believe me? Just ask Uriah…
Peace to you.
Jesus is coming! Get ready for Him!