“It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king’s house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “ Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” Then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house.”
II Samuel 11:1-4 NKJVDomino effect
: a situation in which one event causes a series of similar events to happen one after another
Sin starts with one bad decision. I have always found in the aftermath of sinning, that I started my way down the perilous path with one decision. Each successive decision is a product of the first, like dominos being knocked over, eventually leaving me frustrated and bitter with myself. I am amazed when it happens, I am saddened when I realize it all could have been avoided.
“But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.”
James 1:14-15 NKJVThis morning I read of David’s bad decision. He chose to stay home in the spring of the year, when king usually go off to battle. David was a warrior and warriors war. The first domino wabbles, teeters and falls.
He goes to the roof in evening, when he should have been sleeping, somewhere else, perhaps in a tent on the battlefield. On the roof he sees this beautiful woman named Bathsheba, bathing…in public. As a side note, people in these times spent a lot of time on the roof in the cool of the day. Her choice to be nude and bathing in a public setting was not wise. I’ll just leave that there.
David looked upon this woman and was filled with lust. He inquired of his servant who tells David that she is the wife of Uriah the Hittite. I sense that the servant was trying to warn David that she belonged to another, to give him an escape from the sin that was bearing down on his flesh. David had already made too many bad decisions, and too many dominos had fallen.
I have learned that God is faithful. Even in the most tempting of circumstances, He makes away of escape. We have to take it.
“No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it.”
I Corinthians 10:13 NKJVIn the christian life it is absolutely necessary to have people around you who can hold you accountable, people who can speak truth to you at that moment when you are making choices. In David’s first bad decision, he had remained home, but sent Joab off to battle. Joab was that man who consistently spoke truth into the life of the king of Israel.
In this modern day, we who are in the body of Christ, regularly attend church to receive teaching from the word, refinement from interactions with the saints, and a sense of belonging to a body. We are a family, keeping each other accountable. In that fellowship we lift each other up in prayer, and intercede when needed. It is crucial in these perilous times.
“Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful. And let us consider one another in order to stir up love and good works, not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as is the manner of some, but exhorting one another, and so much the more as you see the Day approaching.”
Hebrews 10:23-25 NKJVIn life, dominos will fall, and life will be made difficult as a result. In the aftermath there will be guilt and shame, and hopelessness as the evil one seeks to point his filthy finger at the one who has failed.
But Jesus…
“There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who do not walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.”
Romans 8:1 NKJV“Then Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the LORD God of Israel: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul.
So David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” And Nathan said to David, “The LORD also has put away your sin; you shall not die.”
II Samuel 12:7, 13 NKJVIn the aftermath of sin, let us run to the throne of God for forgiveness. Because of Jesus death on the cross the veil in the temple was rent top to bottom, giving us access directly to God. There is no need for an annual entry by the High Priest, or even an appointment to enter the confessional with an earthly priest, but only a broken and contrite heart. We are made priests to God by Jesus Christ, the Great High Priest.
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light;”
I Peter 2:9 NKJVMay we ensure our uninterrupted fellowship with God, by keeping our sin accounts short, by being deliberate and wary of those moments when bad decisions are looming. Find someone to be transparent with, someone you can trust. I have an accountabilty partner, Frank, who can ask me anything. Sadly COVID has made it difficult to connect.
Remember that God knows everything. He wants to hear you agree that what you have done is sin. That is why we call it confessing. You are agreeing with God. David felt relief when his sin was brought to the surface. He confessed. There were still consequences, grievous consequences. Read II Samuel chapter 13 for how it affected his family and his kingdom.
In the aftermath of his sin David penned two of the greatest Psalms that I find so valuable when I stumble, when I fall, and when I get back up.
“Blessed is he whose transgression is forgiven, Whose sin is covered. Blessed is the man to whom the LORD does not impute iniquity, And in whose spirit there is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones grew old Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; My vitality was turned into the drought of summer. Selah”
Psalms 32:1-4 NKJV“Have mercy upon me, O God, According to Your lovingkindness; According to the multitude of Your tender mercies, Blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I acknowledge my transgressions, And my sin is always before me. Against You, You only, have I sinned, And done this evil in Your sight— That You may be found just when You speak, And blameless when You judge.
Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; Wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.”
Psalms 51:1-4, 7 NKJVTHE PRAYER CHAIR IS OPEN! Send me your requests!
Domino effect
Published
Musings from an idle mind 
Domino’s is a great way of describing what happens with desire is conceived. Thanks for a great picture Bernie!
Hebrews 3:12-13 (NASB95) 12 Take care, brethren, that there not be in any one of you an evil, unbelieving heart that falls away from the living God. 13 But encourage one another day after day, as long as it is still called “Today,” so that none of you will be hardened by the deceitfulness of sin.
LikeLike