Make No Provision For the Flesh - 2 Samuel 10-14

2 Samuel 11:2-5 (ESV)

It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house. And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”

I am pregnant!  How many men through the ages of time have heard those words?  How many have heard those words and shouted for joy and announced it to everyone?  How many have heard those words and became saddened and plotted a way to cover it all up?   The latter is the story of King David and Bathsheba.   This is one of the most famous stories of the Bible.  Maybe because it includes sex, pregnancy and, eventually, murder and a coverup.   Or, it might be because of the person, King David.  Remember, this is the shepherd boy who killed a giant with a sling and a stone.  This is a song writer that wrote Psalm 23 and many more songs.   This is the ancient father of whom would descend our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.    This is the man Jerusalem would be named after, The City of David.  Whatever the reason, this is a sad day for David.  His sin has caught up with him.  Instead of being at war with the troops he is sleeping with another soldier’s wife.   It all began because he was not where he should have been.   He should have been at war with Joab and Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah.   Instead he is gazing across the top of the homes around Jerusalem, only to see a beautiful woman.  It all began with his eyes.   He failed to stop gazing and eventually would become an adulterer, a murderer and a grieving father (the child will die).   It all began with his eyes.  Notice what Job said about the power of the eyes:

Job 31:1 (ESV)

Job’s Final Appeal

“I have made a covenant with my eyes;

how then could I gaze at a virgin?

Jesus said it this way:

Matthew 5:27-29 (ESV)

“You have heard that it was said, ‘You shall not commit adultery.’ But I say to you that everyone who looks at a woman with lustful intent has already committed adultery with her in his heart. If your right eye causes you to sin, tear it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of your members than that your whole body be thrown into hell.

Paul said it this way:

Romans 13:14 (ESV)

But put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to gratify its desires.

Notice in Paul’s statement the way to avoid these situation is to put on the Lord Jesus Christ.   This is what David did not do.  Instead of putting on something, he took off something.   He let down his guard and made provision for the flesh.  If he would have put on the garments of war and gone to war he would not have opportunity to take off his garments and sleep with Bathsheba.  If we put on Jesus Christ we are protected from the desires of the flesh.  That is why we are told to put on the armor of God to protect us from Satan’s attacks.  David’s failure began because he simply did not do what he was supposed to be doing.   

2 Samuel 11:1 (ESV)

In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

The result?  Adultery, murder and death.