Purify Your Mind Series (Part 3) by Joe Kirbyნიმუში

The Unfair Trade-Off

"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." (2 Samuel 12:10)

Whenever a preacher preaches on sexual sin, it’s hard not to mention David and Bathsheba (see 1 Sam. 11). You probably know the story well. David was supposed to be out to battle; instead, he was gazing on the roof of his palace, and saw a beautiful woman named Bathsheba bathing. He did his research and brought Bathsheba to the palace so he could lie with her. After he committed adultery, Bathsheba became pregnant. David tried to cover up his tracks by getting Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, to go into his wife. But Uriah was a loyal military man, more concerned about king and country than his leisure time. David eventually got Uriah off the scene by having him fight on the front line in battle. Uriah was killed in action, and David wasted no time taking Bathsheba for himself and marrying her.

This matter displeased the Lord, and He sent the prophet Nathan with a severe message: “The sword shall never depart from your house” (2 Sam. 12:10). The prophecy came true. Four of David’s sons died before him. One of his sons, Absalom, seized the kingdom and forced David to go on the run again. Perhaps worst of all, his son Amnon also could not control his lusts and took David’s daughter (his half-sister) and raped her.

When you look at the grief David suffered after his affair with Bathsheba, you’ve got to admit that’s a pretty high price to pay for a couple of minutes of passion. Sin never pays a fair wage, and the trade-off is always unfair. So when you’re tempted today, remember the momentary pleasures of sin will never outweigh the pain that comes later. You can choose the sin, but you can’t choose the consequences.