Jump Start # 1648

2 Samuel 12:14 “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.”

Our verse today is part of the sad consequences of David’s sin with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. The lust that filled David’s eyes and heart blinded him to the ugliness of his sin and the depth that he would fall to try to hide this sin from others. God knew. God always knows. The prophet Nathan confronts David and reveals a series of devastating punishments that would follow David for years. One of the first of these punishments was that the baby born out of this adulterous sin would die. That baby would not be heir to the throne. That baby, innocent as it was, would not be allowed to live.

In our verse, we find this powerful statement, “by this deed you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.” David never realized that his choices were aiding the enemy. The enemy, whether within Israel or outside of Israel, would learn of David’s murderous plan to kill one of his greatest soldiers. In battle, the day that Uriah was killed, orders were given for Israel to pull back and allow Uriah to die. Other soldiers died. The enemy rejoiced to defeat Israel that day. Israel retreated. They never did that under David’s reign. From an outsider’s perspective, it seemed as if the enemy had now defeated the army of David’s God. It appeared that David’s God could not save Israel. Occasion to blaspheme  – aiding the enemy. Helping the wrong side.

Those expressions stick with a person. It makes one wonder if we do the same? Are we sometimes helping the wrong side by our choices? Are we giving the enemy reason to blaspheme? Here are some ways this may happen:

1. When we silently allow others to trash talk God, His word or His people. We can convince ourselves that we don’t like to engage in controversy or even worse, it’s not our battle or our place to say anything, so we sit in silence, giving what appears to be consent. God’s word is mocked in a college class. God’s church is ridiculed by those who do not understand. God is blasphemed by those who have no faith. And where are we? And what are we doing? Sitting silently. “These are my friends, and I didn’t want to say anything?” Really? Isn’t God your friend? If that’s the way your friends act, it’s time to shop for new friends. I saw on Facebook a supporter of the democratic presidential candidate giving a speech on a street. She was standing on the American flag. Standing on the flag. I’m glad I wasn’t there. I would have said something. You don’t stand on the flag. To be silent is to be a coward.

2. I aid the enemy when I am doing what the enemy is doing. We, as Christians are to be lights into the world. We, as Christians, are to not be conformed to the world. We are to be different. The wrong choices of the world is not the choices of a Christian. Paul warned the Ephesians, “There must be no filthiness and silly talk or coarse jesting, which are not fitting, but rather giving of thanks” (Eph 5:4). Some things are not “fitting” or proper for a Christian. PERIOD. The partying atmosphere on college campuses, which is filled with loose talk, immodest dress and rivers of alcohol doesn’t fit a Christian. The office teasing and joking that crosses the line of what is proper and decent, doesn’t fit a Christian. Prejudicial attitudes, hateful language does not reflect a heart that a Christian is to have. When we are at places like this, when we engage in activities that are not fitting for a Christian, we are aiding the enemy. The enemy will not think of doing right in those occasions. The enemy isn’t thinking about church, God or holiness in those occasions. Our participation darkens our light and silences our message to be like Christ. Why be like Christ, when the world sees us as one of them? If this is not right, why are you here Christian? Fair question to ask. Hard question for the Christian to answer. The world is flowing downstream. Christians must swim upstream. When we go with the flow, we are doing what the enemy is doing. Certain movies, some concerts, some social activities ought to be off limits to the person serious about Heaven. Those places will have an impact upon our hearts and worse they kill any positive effect we ought to have on others. Aiding the enemy, that is a characteristic of a traitor. A traitor wears one uniform but his actions are for the other side. He works to help the other side. We must decide which side are we on?

3. I aid the enemy when I like, post and copy things on social media that are not Christ-like. People are sending me things all the time on social media. Some of the things shared involve immoral activities, immodest dress and false teaching. Here is a great article some suggests. A few paragraphs into the article, I find it laced with profanity or it’s saying unbiblical things. “A great article?” Really? It’s poison to the soul. Don’t aid the enemy. Don’t help the devil.

4. I aid the enemy when I am not with God’s people. When I ought to be at worship, but I’m not, I am certainly not encouraging God’s people. I am certainly not feeding my soul. I am certainly not praising God. On vacation, great time to skip church. Why? Does God take a vacation? Does Satan take a vacation? Find a church in the area and get there to worship God. You have much to be thankful for. You live in a country, have a job and have the means where you can take a vacation. That alone is amazing. You meet some new people in God’s family. You bring home ideas to help your congregation. Don’t skip because you are out of town. Don’t skip because you are traveling for work. Don’t skip. Don’t aid the enemy. Don’t skip when you are home. Let your neighbors see you getting in your car with Bible in hand. Let them see you heading down to the church house. They may ask, “Are you that bad that you have to go to church so much?” You say, “God is that good, that’s why we go. How about coming with us?”

David didn’t intend to help the enemy. He was only thinking of self. That’s the sad part of this story. We can become so absorbed in our own world that we simply don’t think about others. We don’t realize that others are watching and listening. We don’t realize that we are leaving impressions upon others. We don’t realize that by our choices, some may get closer to the Lord or by our poor choices some may never get close to the Lord. Poor David only thought about himself. His decisions helped the enemy. He would never do that intentionally. But it happened. And the same can happen to us.

Whose side are you on? There is an old story about a deaf man who went to church every Sunday. They didn’t have anyone to sign for him. He sat there in silence. But he went. Someone wrote a note that asked, why do you come when you can’t hear what is going on? He wrote back, I want God to know whose side I’m on.

Are you helping God or helping the enemy?

Roger