In the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle (2 Samuel 11:1-2)

 

In the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle

2 Samuel 11:1-2

Now it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. 2 Now when evening came 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.

David’s rise before the fall...(proverbs 16:18)

King Saul is dead (2 Samuel 1:4)

David is made king of Judah (2 Samuel 2:4)

David grew stronger (2 Samuel 3:1)

David is made king over all Israel (2 Samuel 5:3)

David strikes down the Philistines (2 Samuel 5:26)

David brings the Arc of the Covenant to Israel (2 Samuel 6:15)

Yahweh promised to make David great (2 Samuel 7:8-9)

David magnifies Yahweh (2 Samuel 7:24-25)

David strikes down the nations (2 Samuel 8)

David strikes down rebels (2 Samuel 10:6, 17-18)

David secures peace (2 Samuel 10:19)

This is perhaps the most famous biblical account of falling into sin after original sin. (Genesis 3:6) Remember that God superintended First Testament scripture for our learning (Romans 15:4) and to outline biblical principles. King David seemed to have been on top of the world with everything going for Him. So why did things suddenly turn bad for the Sweet Psalmist?

1. At the times when kings go out to battle… David was essentially unemployed at the time of his failure. He had taken his ease much like the city of Sodom before it’s fall. (Ezekiel 16:49-50) Comfortable inside his royal palace, He was not tending to official business as king over Israel. (Proverbs 24:30-34) Perhaps the battle hardened king was entering a transition period and lacked wisdom on how to proceed. (2 Samuel 21:17) It was not wrong in itself for David to stay in the palace and delegate the fighting to competent Joab. The trouble with David is He did not properly occupy his time. (Psalm 90:12)

2. David arose from his bed in the evening… David seems to have been in a period of spiritual lethargy. With no battles to fight we catch of glimpse of an undisciplined, overly casual soul getting out of bed in the evening time. David is unaware of the danger ahead because his is in a stupor of unguarded rest. (Mathew 26:41) David did not humble himself as was his routine habit (Psalm 5:3)

3. David walked around on the king’s house… Instead of starting the day on his knees in prayer, David instead goes up on his palace roof. This is perhaps where David’s flesh warred most against his devotion to Yahweh. (1 Samuel 13:14) High places are often a cause for falling. (Daniel 4:29-33, Mathew 4:8)

Application: Stay humble, (James 4:8-10) stay prayerful, (Mathew 26:41) Fill your heart with God’s word, (Psalm 119:11) seek God’s wisdom during transition periods. (James 1:5-6)