Today’s Devotion
Topic: Multiplication Effect Of Sin
Text: 2 Samuel 11:14-15
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, “Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” AMEN.
The Bible accounts that at the time kings went for war, David chose to stay at home. His idleness led him to chance upon a bathing woman. This lust led him to invite the woman over and he did commit adultery with her even when he knew she was married. Sometime after, Bathsheba took seed and sent word to David. Again, David in his attempt to cover up his shame, got Bathsheba’s husband; Uriah, drunk and subsequently engineered his death in the battle field. One would say that is one too many a sin.
THE EFFECT:
David’s adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband opened the King’s household up for some very despicable attacks. First it was his own son Amnon becoming so obsessed with his half sister Tamar till upon the advice of his friend Jonadab, he faked sickness and raped her (2: Sam 13: 2-5). After satisfying his lust, he now despised her more than he ever claimed to “love” her. Tamar informs Absalom; her full brother.
Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar. Two years after, Absalom organises a feast and orders, “Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, ‘Strike Amnon down,’ then kill him. Don’t be afraid. Haven’t I given you this order? Be strong and brave.”
So Absalom’s men did to Amnon what he had ordered. After, Absalom fled and went to Geshur; he stayed there three years. Later, he made an elderly woman disguise herself to plead with the king on his behalf. Immediately the king reinstated him as Prince, he hatched his deadly plan to overthrow his own father.
When the people of Israel came to his father with complains, he met them so that they never got to meet his father, and always said to them, “Look, your claims are valid and proper, but there is no representative of the king to hear you.” And Absalom would add, “If only I were appointed judge in the land! Then everyone who has a complaint or case could come to me and I would see that they receive justice” (2 Sam 15: 3-4).
With time, he wins the hearts of the people, crowns himself king and leads a procession to the palace to overthrow his father. David fled.
Now with his father still alive, Absalom wanted to know what He could do to be establish before all Israel as their new king. “Ahithophel answered, “Sleep with your father’s concubines whom he left to take care of the palace. Then all Israel will hear that you have made yourself obnoxious to your father, and the hands of everyone with you will be more resolute.” So they pitched a tent for Absalom on the roof, and he slept with his father’s concubines in the sight of all Israel. (2 Sam 16: 21- 22)
Beloved, do you now see the long chain of effects? David slept with someone’s wife, (Bible didn’t specify, but probably one time) but now his own son sleeps with all his concubines on the very roof top where David first saw Bathsheba bathing and conceived a lustful thought about her.
Brethren, if we did a good examination of our lives, we would realize that daily we bargain with sin and one thing leads to another and then to another. One lie does not end there. It always needs more lies to cover up for each preceding lie. That is just how it is. Cheating in tests just incites more cheating in real exams and then to bribery in real life.
The thing about sin is that it comes always disguised in deception. Begin to pray and ask God to guide you every step of the way and help you see every temptation for what it is. “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord” (Rom 6: 23).
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