Tag: avoiding sin

David’s Costly Mistake

2 Sam 24, 1 Chr 21

When David sinned with Bathsheba, we see him at his lowest point. He is made to confront his sin as Nathan the profit reminds him how God brought him up from being a shepherd boy to king over all of Israel. God humbled him and cut through his swollen pride to remind him of his true heart. 

We would think after such a time as that David would be ‘home free.’ The story was played out, exposition, conflict, resolution, and all. David would be able to live righteously the rest of his life, ‘happily ever after.’ 

But we know that life isn’t like a fairy tale. As we talked about earlier this week, we all experience highs and lows. We have many story arcs throughout the years. And, David did too. 

We don’t know how many years have passed since David and Bathesheba’s sin and the events we read about today. But, today we read about another step off the good and righteous path that David took. This blunder resulted in more than the death of one man and one child. It resulted in the death of 70,000 people. 

In 1 Chr. 21, it says, “Then Satan stood against Israel and incited David to number Israel. So David said to Joab and the commanders of the army, “Go, number Israel, from Beersheba to Dan, and bring me a report, that I may know their number.” 

David’s request seems pretty innocuous. Censuses happened throughout scripture, but generally, they occurred when God commanded them. (The first part of that passage is a whole different theological question… that we are not going to talk about today.) In this case, the people weren’t being numbered because it pleased God. They were being numbered so that David could be puffed up in pride over the strength of the army he had gathered. Even Joab, not a very righteous man, told David he was crazy for wanting to do this. 

David’s guilt left him with a choice: How was he going to atone for his sins? The price of his sin turned out to be a disease against Israel, because of which 70,000 people died. 

Finally, David fell to the ground and pleaded for God to stop for the sake of his ‘sheep’, the people of Israel. David bought an altar that would become the future site of the temple of God. 

From today’s reading, we see: 

  • We should never think that we are ‘too righteous’ to never sin. No matter how long you walk with God, you have the potential to be tempted away from the right path. This does not mean that we live in fear. It means that we need to recognize the importance of relying on God. 
  • Our sins affect our community. When David did this thing, he chose to sin himself. But, his sins affected an entire nation. 70,000 people is more people than the US casualties in the Vietnam war… and every major US conflict since. We think we are doing things in isolation but they have far-reaching consequences for the people around us. 
  • God can use painful things for good. The altar that David sacrificed to end the plague ended up being the future site of the temple. Even evil situations can be redeemed by God and used for good – if we humble ourselves, repent, and ask God to enter into the situation. 

How are you living today?

-Cayce Fletcher

Cayce blogs at https://amorebeautifullifecollective.com about faith, family, and life. You’ll find encouragement for how to build intentional lives rooted in faith and beauty. Check out the latest post on the human nature of Jesus here. 

Reflection Questions

  1. Have you ever felt ‘too big to fail?’ What are some ways that we can cultivate humility in our lives? 
  2. How does sin have far-reaching consequences? How have you seen others affected by sin that seemed like something done in secret and isolation? 
  3. How can God use broken situations for good? Is there a broken situation in your life that you need to invite God into today?

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Dark Ways

October 2 – Proverbs 2 (& surrounding chapters)

Proverbs 2 12 13 NIV

Let’s continue to look at Proverbs 1-4.  Today we are going to focus in on the sections dealing with avoiding sin and living a righteous life.

Proverbs 1:10-19 issues a warning about hanging out with the wrong crowd.  “My son, if sinners entice you, Do not consent.”  (Proverbs 1:10) It is critical to quickly and firmly resist even the smallest temptation.  Immoral people are often not satisfied with just doing bad things on their own, but they will instead often try to persuade others to join in their wrongdoing.  But Proverbs warns, “My son, do not walk in the way with them (sinners).  Keep your feet from their path, For their feet run to evil, And they hasten to shed blood.”  (Proverbs 1:15-16) The wise will not give into negative peer pressure, but they will quickly flee from temptation and those doing wrong.  It is dangerous thinking to believe that you can associate with habitual sinners, but not be affected yourself.  Verses 18 and 19 then explain that those that set out to do evil will ultimately harm themselves.  “But they lie in wait for their own blood; They ambush their own lives.  So are the ways of everyone who gains by violence; It takes away the life of its possessors.”

In chapter two Solomon continues to stress that a wise person will resist evil.

12 Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men,
from men whose words are perverse,
13 who have left the straight paths
to walk in dark ways,
14 who delight in doing wrong
and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,
15 whose paths are crooked
and who are devious in their ways.

However, it is not enough to just avoid sin, but it is important to go beyond that, and treat others with goodness and generosity.

27 Do not withhold good from those to whom it is due,
when it is in your power to act.
28 Do not say to your neighbor,
“Come back tomorrow and I’ll give it to you”—
when you already have it with you. (Proverbs 3:27-28)

In chapter four a stark comparison is given between the righteous and the wicked.

18 The path of the righteous is like the morning sun,
shining ever brighter till the full light of day.
19 But the way of the wicked is like deep darkness;
they do not know what makes them stumble. (Proverbs 4:18-19)

How important to realize that with every choice we make, we are choosing to either live in the light or the darkness.

Then Solomon ends chapter four with some straightforward advice about how to keep choosing to live in the light.

20 My son, pay attention to what I say;
turn your ear to my words.
21 Do not let them out of your sight,
keep them within your heart;
22 for they are life to those who find them
and health to one’s whole body.
23 Above all else, guard your heart,
for everything you do flows from it.
24 Keep your mouth free of perversity;
keep corrupt talk far from your lips.
25 Let your eyes look straight ahead;
fix your gaze directly before you.
26 Give careful thought to the paths for your feet
and be steadfast in all your ways.
27 Do not turn to the right or the left;
keep your foot from evil.

We must read the word of God, not only looking on it, but keeping it in our heart, or following through and acting on it.  We have to guard our heart and mind, always being vigilant of our thoughts, actions and priorities. We must be careful of what we say.  We must keep our eyes focused on God and his plans for our lives.  And finally, we must make sure that we are always moving in the right direction, drawing closer to God, and never turning away from him.

Jill McClain