(2 Samuel 5:12-13) ...David realized that the Lord had established him as king over Israel, and that He had exalted his kingdom for the sake of His people Israel.
13 Meanwhile David took more concubines and wives from Jerusalem, after he came from Hebron; and more sons and daughters were born to David.
That word - "MEANWHILE" - is not a good thing. What David did by taking extra wives went against scripture...
(Deuteronomy 17:14-17) “When you enter the land which the Lord your God gives you, and you possess it and live in it, and you say, ‘I will set a king over me like all the nations who are around me,’ 15 you shall surely set a king over you whom the Lord your God chooses, one from among your countrymen you shall set as king over yourselves; you may not put a foreigner over yourselves who is not your countryman. 16 Moreover, he shall not multiply horses for himself, nor shall he cause the people to return to Egypt to multiply horses, since the Lord has said to you, ‘You shall never again return that way.’ 17 He shall not multiply wives for himself, or else his heart will turn away; nor shall he greatly increase silver and gold for himself.
This was also in violation of what God originally intended...
(Genesis 2:24) For this reason a man shall leave his father and his mother, and be joined to his wife; and they shall become one flesh.
And this sin, left unattended, only got bigger when...
(2 Samuel 11:2-5) ...David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” 4 David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. 5 The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, “I am pregnant.”
To cover up this sin, David called the husband in from the battlefield and did whatever he could in order for the husband to sleep with his wife. When he refused, because he felt it unfair that he would be able have this luxury while his men out on the field were not able to be with their wives, David sent him back into battle where he would be sure to die...
(2 Samuel 11:26-27) Now when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. 27 When the time of mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house and she became his wife; then she bore him a son. But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.
God's word was delivered by the prophet, Nathan, to David - about the consequences David would face for this sin...
(2 Samuel 12:9-12) “...Why have you despised the word of the Lord by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. 10 Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. 12 Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.’”
David repented, accepted God's discipline, and continued to pursue and worship God...
(2 Samuel 12:13-16) Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has taken away your sin; you shall not die. 14 However, because by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born to you shall surely die.” 15 So Nathan went to his house. Then the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick. 16 David therefore inquired of God for the child; and David fasted and went and lay all night on the ground.
(2 Samuel 12:19-24a) But when David saw that his servants were whispering together, David perceived that the child was dead; so David said to his servants, “Is the child dead?” And they said, “He is dead.” 20 So David arose from the ground, washed, anointed himself, and changed his clothes; and he came into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he came to his own house, and when he requested, they set food before him and he ate.
21 Then his servants said to him, “What is this thing that you have done? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept; but when the child died, you arose and ate food.” 22 He said, “While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept; for I said, ‘Who knows, the Lord may be gracious to me, that the child may live.’ 23 But now he has died; why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.” 24 Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba...
Even when David, very well-intended, desired to build a temple for God, and God told him "no" - this did not daunt him or stop him from giving honor to God. Again he accepted God's answer and the outcome. We see this in the conversation with his son...
(1 Chronicles 22:7-8) David said to Solomon, “My son, I had intended to build a house to the name of the Lord my God. 8 But the word of the Lord came to me, saying, ‘You have shed much blood and have waged great wars; you shall not build a house to My name, because you have shed so much blood on the earth before Me..."
From this we see:
- not every bad thing that happens is the result of demonic activity
- not every sin we commit is influenced by demonic activity
- we have a sinful nature, for which we are responsible
Personal experience: one of the hardest things to do is to realize that we are sinners and that we need to confess our sins.
Now, I became a Christian when I was 4 years old. As I grew up learning about and believing in God's love and grace, I understood that when we ask Jesus to be our Lord and Savior, God forgives ALL our sins (past, present, future) and then chooses to remember them no more. And at the very same time, we are sealed by the Holy Spirit, and therefore we can never lose our salvation.
And so, with all that in mind, for many years I struggled with this one verse, wondering what it actually meant...
(1 John 1:9) If we confess our sins, He is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
I figured I didn't really have to confess any of my sins to God anymore. I had already done that - once-for-all. Although I would apologize to people if I offended them in some way. And once in a while, I would say "sorry" to God for something I had done. But it was just last year, when I fully realized what this kind of confession really means!
Now, from the experiences in my childhood, I was experiencing certain symptoms of PTSD. I had decided that this abnormal fear wasn't "bad enough" to seek out help, but it was just going to be something I would have to endure for the rest of my life. I mean, it was the result of all the bad and scary things that had happened to me in the past. None of them being my fault. It was just the way it was. And God would get me though that somehow.
Interestingly, while going through all the bad and scary things, I knew I did not have to fear anything or anyone because I feared God. In those bad and scary moments - I had courage from God to get through them. So - why was I so afraid when there was nothing around me to actually fear??? I mean, I was afraid of the potential of something happening - and it - it was so far-fetched and so unlikely! Then it hit me!!! I was not trusting God to protect me from NOTHING???
THAT was a sin!!! "Lord, this is a sin! I confess this sin! I'm so sorry..." And right at that moment, a literal weight lifted off of me.
I was out on a walk when I prayed that. So when I got home, I locked the exterior door, as one should. And then, being alone, when I went to take a shower, I left the bedroom door wide open (and unlocked. I left the bathroom door wide open (and unlocked). And while showering, not once did I have to shut the water off - and listen - because MAYBE I thought I heard something. And I certainly didn't have to interrupt my shower-efforts in order to search the house for "bad guys". Nope. I had lovely, peaceful shower. And - my nights were now so peaceful!
God had delivered me from this abnormal fear that I had developed, and had justified for so many years.
Today's takeaway: big lesson learned - confess our sins! And keep pursing God! David is a prime example for us!
Throughout David's life, despite the consequences of his own sins, or the consequences of other people's sins, or the consequences of actual demonic activity which he experienced - we see in the following psalm that he wrote - his sincere love for God. He understood that the Lord is our savior, and therefore His righteousness is our righteousness. We can rest in the Lord, and experience true peace...
(2 Samuel 22:1-51) And David spoke the words of this song to the Lord in the day that the Lord delivered him from the hand of all his enemies and from the hand of Saul. 2 He said,
“The Lord is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer;
3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my savior, You save me from violence.
4 “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
5 “For the waves of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me;
6 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me.
7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord, yes, I cried to my God; and from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help came into His ears.
8 “Then the earth shook and quaked, the foundations of heaven were trembling and were shaken, because He was angry.
9 “Smoke went up out of His nostrils, fire from His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it.
10 “He bowed the heavens also, and came down with thick darkness under His feet.
11 “And He rode on a cherub and flew; and He appeared on the wings of the wind.
12 “And He made darkness canopies around Him, a mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
13 “From the brightness before Him coals of fire were kindled.
14 “The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice.
15 “And He sent out arrows, and scattered them, lightning, and routed them.
16 “Then the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17 “He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.
18 “He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
19 “They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.
20 “He also brought me forth into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
21 “The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
22 “For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not acted wickedly against my God.
23 “For all His ordinances were before me, and as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 “I was also blameless toward Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 “Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness before His eyes.
26 “With the kind You show Yourself kind, with the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
27 With the pure You show Yourself pure, and with the perverted You show Yourself astute.
28 “And You save an afflicted people; but Your eyes are on the haughty whom You abase.
29 “For You are my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord illumines my darkness.
30 “For by You I can run upon a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall.
31 “As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the Lord is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
32 “For who is God, besides the Lord? And who is a rock, besides our God?
33 “God is my strong fortress; and He sets the blameless in His way.
34 “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.
35 “He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your help makes me great.
37 “You enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.
38 “I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and I did not turn back until they were consumed.
39 “And I have devoured them and shattered them, so that they did not rise; and they fell under my feet.
40 “For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
41 “You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, and I destroyed those who hated me.
42 “They looked, but there was none to save; even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
43 “Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and stamped them as the mire of the streets.
44 “You have also delivered me from the contentions of my people; You have kept me as head of the nations; a people whom I have not known serve me.
45 “Foreigners pretend obedience to me; as soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 “Foreigners lose heart, and come trembling out of their fortresses.
47 “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; and exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
48 The God who executes vengeance for me, and brings down peoples under me,
49 Who also brings me out from my enemies; you even lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man.
50 “Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing praises to Your name.
51 “He is a tower of deliverance to His king, and shows lovingkindness to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
3 My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge, my shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold and my refuge; my savior, You save me from violence.
4 “I call upon the Lord, who is worthy to be praised, and I am saved from my enemies.
5 “For the waves of death encompassed me; the torrents of destruction overwhelmed me;
6 The cords of Sheol surrounded me; the snares of death confronted me.
7 “In my distress I called upon the Lord, yes, I cried to my God; and from His temple He heard my voice, and my cry for help came into His ears.
8 “Then the earth shook and quaked, the foundations of heaven were trembling and were shaken, because He was angry.
9 “Smoke went up out of His nostrils, fire from His mouth devoured; coals were kindled by it.
10 “He bowed the heavens also, and came down with thick darkness under His feet.
11 “And He rode on a cherub and flew; and He appeared on the wings of the wind.
12 “And He made darkness canopies around Him, a mass of waters, thick clouds of the sky.
13 “From the brightness before Him coals of fire were kindled.
14 “The Lord thundered from heaven, and the Most High uttered His voice.
15 “And He sent out arrows, and scattered them, lightning, and routed them.
16 “Then the channels of the sea appeared, the foundations of the world were laid bare by the rebuke of the Lord, at the blast of the breath of His nostrils.
17 “He sent from on high, He took me; He drew me out of many waters.
18 “He delivered me from my strong enemy, from those who hated me, for they were too strong for me.
19 “They confronted me in the day of my calamity, but the Lord was my support.
20 “He also brought me forth into a broad place; He rescued me, because He delighted in me.
21 “The Lord has rewarded me according to my righteousness; according to the cleanness of my hands He has recompensed me.
22 “For I have kept the ways of the Lord, and have not acted wickedly against my God.
23 “For all His ordinances were before me, and as for His statutes, I did not depart from them.
24 “I was also blameless toward Him, and I kept myself from my iniquity.
25 “Therefore the Lord has recompensed me according to my righteousness, according to my cleanness before His eyes.
26 “With the kind You show Yourself kind, with the blameless You show Yourself blameless;
27 With the pure You show Yourself pure, and with the perverted You show Yourself astute.
28 “And You save an afflicted people; but Your eyes are on the haughty whom You abase.
29 “For You are my lamp, O Lord; and the Lord illumines my darkness.
30 “For by You I can run upon a troop; by my God I can leap over a wall.
31 “As for God, His way is blameless; the word of the Lord is tested; He is a shield to all who take refuge in Him.
32 “For who is God, besides the Lord? And who is a rock, besides our God?
33 “God is my strong fortress; and He sets the blameless in His way.
34 “He makes my feet like hinds’ feet, and sets me on my high places.
35 “He trains my hands for battle, so that my arms can bend a bow of bronze.
36 “You have also given me the shield of Your salvation, and Your help makes me great.
37 “You enlarge my steps under me, and my feet have not slipped.
38 “I pursued my enemies and destroyed them, and I did not turn back until they were consumed.
39 “And I have devoured them and shattered them, so that they did not rise; and they fell under my feet.
40 “For You have girded me with strength for battle; You have subdued under me those who rose up against me.
41 “You have also made my enemies turn their backs to me, and I destroyed those who hated me.
42 “They looked, but there was none to save; even to the Lord, but He did not answer them.
43 “Then I pulverized them as the dust of the earth; I crushed and stamped them as the mire of the streets.
44 “You have also delivered me from the contentions of my people; You have kept me as head of the nations; a people whom I have not known serve me.
45 “Foreigners pretend obedience to me; as soon as they hear, they obey me.
46 “Foreigners lose heart, and come trembling out of their fortresses.
47 “The Lord lives, and blessed be my rock; and exalted be God, the rock of my salvation,
48 The God who executes vengeance for me, and brings down peoples under me,
49 Who also brings me out from my enemies; you even lift me above those who rise up against me; You rescue me from the violent man.
50 “Therefore I will give thanks to You, O Lord, among the nations, and I will sing praises to Your name.
51 “He is a tower of deliverance to His king, and shows lovingkindness to His anointed, to David and his descendants forever.”
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