I Don't Like That David

Yesterday the message was rooted in the text in 2 Samuel 11 where King David commits adultery with Bathsheba and just continues sinning. He descends into the gutter and digs a basement. His sin gets blacker and blacker, and blacker.

I do not like that David.

Did that come out like Dr Seuss?

“I do not like green eggs and ham I do not like them Sam I am.”
"I do not like them here or there! I would not like them anywhere! I do not like green eggs and ham! I do not like them, Sam-I-Am!"

I'll have to look at the tape, but that's what my lasting impression of this morning's message was. But I was genuinely stunned to see the man spiral out of control and drop out of relationship with God. All week long I kept reading the passage. Even went back and read every single Scripture dealing with David's life to see where it was he might have gone wrong.

It just bothered me. Still does.

I don't want to be that David.

It seemed to me that God had given great guidelines for the Kings of Israel to follow, that would have prevented David from falling - had he followed them. In Deuteronomy, it's clear - "don't take a bunch of wives because they will turn your heart away from God. Don't get too wrapped up in stuff, because that too will take your heart away from a focus on God."

So David gets to be king of a united Israel and immediately adds a bunch more wives and builds a Taj Mahal of a palace.

Guess he's not the only one who has done that, and why campaigns that tell us "Don't drink and drive", "Just say no", even "only you can prevent forest fires", won't work on someone who has decided to do whatever he wants to do.

I don't like people like that. Who know what's right and then do what's wrong.

Especially when they are me.

Lord have mercy, Christ have mercy on me a sinner, and strengthen me through your power that I might reflect your love in my words and in my deeds. Lord hide me so far beneath your greatness that I can see nothing but you and desire nothing but to stay fixed to you.