Jump Start # 1875

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.”

One of the difficulties in life is learning to see the big picture. We often only see things from the moment and only from how things impact us. A teenager wants to save up enough money to go to a concert later in the summer. He takes on a summer job. He is trained and begins to work. Two weeks after he has started working he fails to show up. He doesn’t tell anyone. He doesn’t call his boss. He just quits. When pressed why, he has made enough money for the ticket to the concert. Failing to see the big picture, he didn’t see what his choice did to the company he was working for, nor the time they put in to train him, nor what a continual pattern of this will do to him in the future.

David, from our verse today, failed to see the big picture. His choice involved layers of sin. He lusted after a married woman, sent for her and had a sexual encounter. She became pregnant. Her husband was called in from the battle front to disguise the sin. When that didn’t work, he was sent back to the fighting, carrying the very papers that called for his death. What David hoped was all secret and swept under the rug was exposed and revealed by the prophet that God sent. In a cutting rebuke, the prophet declared, “…you have given occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme.” You have helped the enemy. Helping the enemy is called being a traitor. David failed to see the big picture.

There are several lessons for us.

First, we must decide whose side are we on. A person can’t walk on both sides here. You are with God or you are not. You are 100% in or you are not. We can’t be with God on some things and not on other things. David’s actions didn’t connect with the righteous and holy God that he claimed to follow.

Our language…our jokes…our modesty…our attitudes—what do they show our friends who are not Christians? Are we remembering to let our light shine, even at ball games and concerts? Do we hide our faith when with those who do not believe? Whose side are you on?

Second, we must realize that little things are big things. David’s wrong choices involved more than the execution of a brave and loyal soldier. Others died that day along with Uriah. David’s commanders must have questioned and wondered about those strange orders to pull back during the fight. Would David order the same to them some day? Is this how he handles those he doesn’t like?

A congregation seeks spiritual leaders. A man who everyone feels fits the job, won’t do it. He doesn’t want what comes with it. He likes coming home and staying there. He is asked. He says “no.” He doesn’t realize the big picture. The church limps along without godly leaders. Others see that he won’t step up and they follow his example. The church suffers. In time, the church begins to die. The atmosphere is discouraging. Nothing is getting done and no one wants to step up. The big picture was never grasped.

Third, doing things that helps the enemy hurts God’s cause. The prophet told David that he had supplied reason for the enemies to blasphemy. That reason would involve stealing a man’s wife. That reason would involve killing your own troops. This is the way the heathens act. We’d expect this from someone who did not know God. But David had God. David had the Ten Commandments. Credibility was shot because of David’s choices. Our choices, our words, our attitudes can kill any positive influence that we are trying to have with others. The enemy was watching. The enemy sees you under stress. They hear what you say when you are upset. They notice how you talk to people when things are not right. They see how honest you are. The enemy is watching. The enemy is noticing how serious you take what you believe. Is it just convenient to you? Do you do under the table deals that are not honest, just to make a few extra dollars? The enemy knows. The enemy sees if you go by the rules or if you bend them to your favor.

The enemy makes a judgment about your faith. In David’s case, at this occasion, the answer would be, “he’s not serious about his faith. Look what he has done.” The enemy also makes a judgment about the church you attend because of you. They assume everyone is just like you. Now, what would that assumption be? Would they think that they are all dishonest? They will do anything to make a buck? The enemy also makes a judgment about God based upon you. This is why our passage mentions blasphemy. They were not blaspheming David, but rather, God. To blasphemy is to take that which is sacred and treat it as common. God was nothing, in the eyes of the enemy. The God of Israel was no different than the pagan gods. The great king of Israel was immoral, lied, and killed his own people. Why follow that God when their own gods were doing the same?

Your friends may wonder, why should I go to church services with you, when you act and talk just like they do? Obviously, going to church hasn’t changed you and obviously you don’t believe what is being said there, so why should a person even go? You have helped the enemy without even realizing it. By your actions, someone may have been prevented from becoming a Christian.

Serious stuff to consider. What we do is bigger than we are. Our choices influence and impact others. Even after we are dead, some, especially in our families, will remember how we conducted ourselves. Our example may help them walk with the Lord or we may have given them reason to blasphemy. David thought no one would know what he did. He was wrong. What is said and done in your home may be spoken openly by the next generation.

Encouraging or hurting. Helping or standing in the way. Glory to God or reasons to blasphemy. David never saw that nor thought about that. I hope we can do better.

Roger

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

Jump Start # 946

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.”

In our last Jump Start, we saw King David ordering the death of one of his valiant mighty men, Uriah, to conceal the adultery he had committed. The desperate David is now relying upon others in his deception and evil plots. Joab, David’s commander, carried out the withdraw of troops in a fierce battle so Uriah could be killed. Joab is now a part of this mess. David sent another message to Joab. This one was to make him feel better for what he has just done. The message read, “Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another…” Translated, this means: “Don’t worry, these things happen.” Really? David’s attitude is cold in all of this.

Time passes. David’s secret seems to remain a secret. He marries Bathsheba and it looks like everything is going to work out. The text doesn’t tell us how much Bathsheba knew. We wonder if David told her the real reason Uriah died. I tend to doubt that he did.

God sends Nathan the prophet to stir David spiritually. In that famous exchange, Nathan declares to David, “You are the man,” revealing that David has stolen another man’s wife. He also reveals that God knows the truth about Uriah. David’s secret is no longer a secret. Joab knew. Now, Nathan the prophet knew. God knew. Now, David knew that God knew.

A series of very serious punishments, all involving death, are revealed by Nathan. Bathsheba’s baby will die. The sword will not depart from David’s home. David himself will be spared death. God forgives him but the pain of those sins will be witnessed over and over as his children devour each other in violence.

From our verse today, two thoughts.

First, David’s actions gave the enemy occasion to blasphemy. This is the very opposite of what God wants. Through our actions, God wants people to glorify Him. All the good that a church does can be wasted by the ill living of members. Those who really know you will either respect you for your values or see that your walk and talk does not match. When that happens, your credibility as a Christian is ruined. People make three judgments through you.

Maybe they shouldn’t, but they do.

• They judge your faith by your lifestyle. They see you. They hear you. They see your attitude. They see what you purchase. Strangers. Friends. Family members. From what you do people make a judgment about you and your faith. They see if your are genuine or fake. They see if you are really trying or playing a game.

• Those that know you make a judgment about the church you attend by your actions. They see you as a representative of the church. Rightly or wrongly, they assume all the members of the church are like you. If your actions are not good, this is what they will think of your church. If they feel that you have cheated them in business deals or have been dishonest with them, those deeds have colored what they think of the church you attend.

• Through you they make a judgment about Christianity as a whole and even Jesus Christ. Some believe religion is a sham. They don’t get that impression from reading the Bible. They came to that conclusion by witnessing people who claimed to be Christians who were living a sham.

There is an old saying that states, “What you are doing speaks so loud I can’t hear what you are saying.” Our actions tell on us. Our choices, attitudes, words and behavior reflect what we really believe.

David’s deception gave the enemy reasons to blasphemy. Our deceptions do the same. One reason evangelism may not be working is not our methods in talking with people but our credibility. The actions of some hurt the work of all. When someone says, “I know someone who goes to your church…” their next words determine what they think of the church because of that one person. They may say, “He’s a great person, very kind and helpful.” Then that person has a positive image of the rest of the church. But, if he says, “He cheated me on a business deal,” then he has a sour taste and will want nothing to do with the church.

David gave the enemies reasons to blasphemy. Are we doing the same?

Second, God caused Bathsheba’s baby to die. The next verse is very specific. It says, “Then the Lord struck the child that Uriah’s widow bore to David, so that he was very sick” (v. 15). That’s hard for many of us to grasp. That sweet little baby didn’t do anything wrong. That baby didn’t make any wrong choices. Strike David. Strike Joab. Strike Bathsheba. But, not the baby. This is not the first time this happened. Remember Joshua and Achan? Achan took some spoil and hid it in his tent. He was not to do that. His punishment was that he and his wife and all his children were put to death. Remember the flood? It wasn’t just adults who drowned. There were children and babies. These thoughts are hard to get. Some see a mean side to God in all of this. Some want to throw the towel in on God because of this. Kill the sinner, but not the innocent.

In David’s case, there may have been a bigger picture that God saw. David’s sons were soon to kill each other or be killed by others. A disaster was just about to be unleashed at home because of David’s sins. Bathsheba’s baby, conceived in adultery, would fall in line to be king. That wasn’t going to happen. Another child between David and Bathsheba, Solomon, would eventually be the next king.

The innocent often suffer because of the sin of others. A drunk thinks he can handle driving home. His car plows into another car and innocent children are crippled or killed. A man has an affair and it ruins his marriage. His children are forced to move out of the house they grew up in, switch schools and be shared every other weekend. Their world changes because of the dad’s sin. A person is caught cheating at work. He loses his job. His family suffers financially because of that sin. A gambling addiction…a drug addiction…a lying addiction ruins the family. One of the consequences of sin is that the innocent suffer. Sin hurts. Sin doesn’t just hurt the sinner, it hurts the innocent.

The baby died. That little grave was a reminder of the poor choices and deception that David made. There are many other graves that mark the sins that we have committed. Our sins have hurt our families and our congregations. Good and innocent people have been hurt by our sins.

This is a side of sin we don’t think about. Maybe we ought to.

Roger