Second Samuel 11:27: “But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.”
This chapter tells us about the terribly wicked thing that David did. He saw a woman, sent for her and had sex with her. She was pregnant. He arranged to cover it up. When that did not work he sent a letter back with the woman’s husband Uriah to his army captain Joab. Joab was told to put Uriah in the fiercest part of the battle and then retreat from him so that he would die. David was guilty of adultery and murder. He planned the murder of Uriah under the guise of battle and then took Uriah’s wife as his wife. His heart was not right with God.
How could David sink so low? How could He allow sin to take him this far? To commit adultery is bad enough but murder—how could he? How can this be?
Whenever you say, “I’ll never do that,” be sure you will do that.
Three things brought David to this place of displeasing the Lord:
1. Spiritual laziness. He neglected His spiritual duties: Bible reading, prayer and attendance to God’s house. David was a man of war. He had a year of peace, and instead of actively planning and staying busy with his work and his relationship with God, he took a year off.
2. Spiritual arrogance. He thought He was okay with God and was above sin. After all he was the great King David. He was called a man after God’s own heart in His struggles with King Saul. Now he was far from the heart of God.
3. Spiritual deafness. He could no longer hear God’s voice because he was not in God’s word. David was not in God’s service. He was not in God’s will.
How could the man who prayed the great blessed prayer of 2 Samuel Chapter 8 be the same man in 2 Samuel 11? He was spiritually deaf!
It is not a sin to be tempted but it is a sin to let temptation lead to lust because lust can lead to disaster!
Of course all of us will sin from time to time. There are sins of omission where we neglect to obey God and sins of commission where we deliberately disobey God. We recognize these sins immediately and ask God to forgive us and He does of course. But to displease God is to continue to sin the same thing over and over and never turn from it. Then to make matters worse it becomes public knowledge and brings shame upon the name of God. This is the kind of sin God has to confront us about. It takes sin to a whole new level. That is something we must be careful never to do.
How can we avoid displeasing God then? Always be about the Lord’s work and in the Lord’s word and the Lord’s closet of prayer. Always listen to the things the Lord will say through His word. Guard yourself with the sword of the Lord—the word of God.
Remember, too, there are always repercussions for our sins that God cannot undo, but God is merciful and gracious.
The best thing to do is never to let this happen in the first place so that you will not have to go through the pain of repentance and restoration and the knowledge that you have displeased God.
Listen to Pastor Jack’s sermons on the way to church every Sunday at 10:30 a.m. on 98.9 WSIP FM. To read more of Pastor Jack Ward’s articles and hear his sermons at Tomahawk Missionary Baptist Church visit tomahawkmbc.com. Watch his sermons on his Facebook page. Find him on Rumble, Bitchute and Brighteon video platforms.