2 Samuel 11:1-3
‘”In the spring, a at the time when kings march out to war, David sent out Joab and his servants with the whole army of Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. So David sent and inquired about the woman, and he was told, “This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliamb and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”’
This is a very sad story. David is tempted and follows through with an affair. I've heard several comments about this. It occurred in the spring when kings march out to war. David shouldn't have been home. He took a break. God made him a warrior, yet he allowed his deputy to do his job. We are open to temptation when we aren't doing what we are supposed to do.
Work is something that God built into us. He worked six days on creation and rested on the seventh. He gave this as a model to us. Work is good. Solomon discovered this when he tried everything to gain satisfaction in Ecclesiastes. Here's what he said in 5:18-20, "Behold, what I have seen to be good and fitting is to eat and drink and find enjoyment in all the toil with which one toils under the sun the few days of his life that God has given him, for this is his lot. Everyone also to whom God has given wealth and possessions and power to enjoy them, and to accept his lot and rejoice in his toil—this is the gift of God. For he will not much remember the days of his life because God keeps him occupied with joy in his heart."
God wants us to work and be busy. There is a nonbiblical phrase, but the concept is:, "Idol hands are the devil's workshop." We get into trouble when we lounge too much.
Another comment I've heard is that Bathsheba may have known what she was doing. She may have wanted to get the kings attention by bathing in plain sight. Proverbs speaks of the adulterous woman. There are those out there that gain pleasure by evil. It's much more than sex. It can also be about influence, power, money, manipulation, gaining advantage and so on.
God has given us a spiritual radar about evil. When we sense it, avoid it. We may feel afraid that we are hurting other's feelings, but we can't worry about that. If we think we are compromising, then we should avoid it.
There is much more to this story, which we will get into later. This entry deals with the importance of work and how if we neglect it, we may open ourselves up to temptation. Also, we need to be aware that some may seek to stumble us for their own gain. Run.
Lord, this is a sad, but important story. Thank You for its warning. Help us to head its lesson and keep us from temptation.