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It's fitting this is the 51st Blog entry since it piggybacks off Don's recent blog – SIN – which expounds Psalm 51 – David's prayer of confession after Nathan rebukes him for the sins of Bathsheba and Uriah. In brief, David sinned "His Great Sin" and suffered in many ways. He suffered spiritually before he confessed after being called out, then he and his family suffered, Bathseba and Uriah definitely suffered, the baby born to Bathseba suffered, the whole army and morale in general suffered (Joab had to tell the warriors to draw back so Uriah would fall) -- even The Kingdom of Israel ultimately suffered...
I think it is interesting that not many people notice David had had a major blind spot in his life PRIOR TO this sin... LUST... I think God revealed his sin because he prayed and asked God the following in his early years:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way" (Psalm 139:23-24).
He had a major "blind spot" prior to this sin with Bathsheba: He had already started acquiring wives for himself in opposition to Deuteronomy 17:17 -- "The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD."
1) Michal, daughter of Saul,
2) Ahinoam the Yizre'elite,
3) Abigail - the wife of Naval the Karmelite,
4) Maacah - the daughter of Talmay - King of Geshur,
5) Haggith,
6) Abital,
7) Eglah
Now enter 8) Bathsheba and the sin that went with lust his heart's idol... And even after all its corresponding judgements, David was still addicted to lust...
EVEN Later, when none of these 8 wives could not apparently "keep him warm anymore" they bring him Abishag the Shunamite... (1 Kings 1:4)... Even his counsellors had been lead astray or had theirmorals weakened by his poor example in this area. Too bad David didn't have Fireproof!
We have to marvel at the mercy of God, and though God edited his sin, and brought the Messiah through his line, I am amazed at the grace of God, for I think he is in heaven, given the end of his life he still has a girlfriend, when I see him there I will be personally amazed on a whole 'nother level! If Solomon gets in I will do back flips! even The Kingdom of Israel ultimately suffered because of Solomon's sins, which had precedence with David's Wives, Solomon had over 100X more wives, and he built alters to their gods...
So if you feel you are righteous of your own, I suggest praying Psalm 139:22-23 really hard. There is an irreconcilable war between the flesh and the spirit Paul says " For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do" (Gal 5:17).
Romans 7:15
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.
Romans 7:18
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Romans 7:23
But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.
Romans 8:5
Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
Now the Bible strictly condemns sin of all kind and Don has eloquently talked of it's consequences... It is a disease that is only cured by weakening the flesh and walking after the Spirit... It is only ultimately cured by the Resurrection of the Dead...
Rom 7:24--What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!
John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world.…
John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…
So we have to know ourselves, know The Bible, confess our sins, and it helps to one another -- James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail" -- BY FAITH RECEIVE GOD'S MERCY IN CHRIST, ANY WHO COME TO HIM HE WILL BY NO MEANS CAST OUT -- then repent (change your mind, sin's not cool and cost Jesus pain and carries all the consequences described above and even worse if not repented of) and endeavor to obey the NEXT THING the Holy Spirit leads you to do and (take all efforts toward holiness) after new obedience, by GRACE...
Jesus, remove self-righteousness and wash Your Church with the Water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26). Phil 3:8 More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and I may be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death… 11 so that I may somehow attain to the resurrection from the dead.…
PSALM 51 “David prayed, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:1-3, 9-12).
"Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; 2 and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ" (2 Thes 3:1-5), in Jesus' Name.
I think it is interesting that not many people notice David had had a major blind spot in his life PRIOR TO this sin... LUST... I think God revealed his sin because he prayed and asked God the following in his early years:
"Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way" (Psalm 139:23-24).
He had a major "blind spot" prior to this sin with Bathsheba: He had already started acquiring wives for himself in opposition to Deuteronomy 17:17 -- "The king must not take many wives for himself, because they will turn his heart away from the LORD."
1) Michal, daughter of Saul,
2) Ahinoam the Yizre'elite,
3) Abigail - the wife of Naval the Karmelite,
4) Maacah - the daughter of Talmay - King of Geshur,
5) Haggith,
6) Abital,
7) Eglah
Now enter 8) Bathsheba and the sin that went with lust his heart's idol... And even after all its corresponding judgements, David was still addicted to lust...
EVEN Later, when none of these 8 wives could not apparently "keep him warm anymore" they bring him Abishag the Shunamite... (1 Kings 1:4)... Even his counsellors had been lead astray or had theirmorals weakened by his poor example in this area. Too bad David didn't have Fireproof!
We have to marvel at the mercy of God, and though God edited his sin, and brought the Messiah through his line, I am amazed at the grace of God, for I think he is in heaven, given the end of his life he still has a girlfriend, when I see him there I will be personally amazed on a whole 'nother level! If Solomon gets in I will do back flips! even The Kingdom of Israel ultimately suffered because of Solomon's sins, which had precedence with David's Wives, Solomon had over 100X more wives, and he built alters to their gods...
So if you feel you are righteous of your own, I suggest praying Psalm 139:22-23 really hard. There is an irreconcilable war between the flesh and the spirit Paul says " For the desires of the flesh are against the Spirit, and the desires of the Spirit are against the flesh, for these are opposed to each other, to keep you from doing the things you want to do" (Gal 5:17).
Romans 7:15
I do not understand what I do. For what I want to do, I do not do. But what I hate, I do.
Romans 7:18
I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh; for I have the desire to do what is good, but I cannot carry it out.
Romans 7:23
But I see another law at work in my body, warring against the law of my mind and holding me captive to the law of sin that dwells within me.
Romans 8:5
Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh; but those who live according to the Spirit set their minds on the things of the Spirit.
Now the Bible strictly condemns sin of all kind and Don has eloquently talked of it's consequences... It is a disease that is only cured by weakening the flesh and walking after the Spirit... It is only ultimately cured by the Resurrection of the Dead...
Rom 7:24--What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death? 25 Thanks be to God, through Jesus Christ our Lord!
John 2:1 My little children, I am writing these things to you so that you will not sin. But if anyone does sin, we have an advocate before the Father — Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. 2 He Himself is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not for ours alone, but also for the sins of the whole world.…
John 1:8 If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 9If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 10If we say we have not sinned, we make Him out to be a liar, and His word is not in us.…
So we have to know ourselves, know The Bible, confess our sins, and it helps to one another -- James 5:16 "Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man has great power to prevail" -- BY FAITH RECEIVE GOD'S MERCY IN CHRIST, ANY WHO COME TO HIM HE WILL BY NO MEANS CAST OUT -- then repent (change your mind, sin's not cool and cost Jesus pain and carries all the consequences described above and even worse if not repented of) and endeavor to obey the NEXT THING the Holy Spirit leads you to do and (take all efforts toward holiness) after new obedience, by GRACE...
Jesus, remove self-righteousness and wash Your Church with the Water of the Word (Ephesians 5:26). Phil 3:8 More than that, I count all things as loss compared to the surpassing excellence of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have lost all things. I consider them rubbish, that I may gain Christ 9 and I may be found in Him, not having my own righteousness from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God on the basis of faith. 10I want to know Christ and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to Him in His death… 11 so that I may somehow attain to the resurrection from the dead.…
PSALM 51 “David prayed, Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. 2 Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.
9 Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.10 Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.11 Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.12 Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit” (Psalm 51:1-3, 9-12).
"Finally, brethren, pray for us that the word of the Lord will spread rapidly and be glorified, just as it did also with you; 2 and that we will be rescued from perverse and evil men; for not all have faith. 3 But the Lord is faithful, and He will strengthen and protect you from the evil one. 4 We have confidence in the Lord concerning you, that you are doing and will continue to do what we command. 5 May the Lord direct your hearts into the love of God and into the steadfastness of Christ" (2 Thes 3:1-5), in Jesus' Name.
