Learning To Listen to God

1. Learning To Listen to God David – Disaster On A Roof

2. Constant Vigilance! • A lesson from Harry Potter series • In a dangerous world it is not wise to let your guard down – spiritually speaking. • Remember, Satan doesn’t take days off!

3. A Disastrous Combination • David chooses to take a vacation. • He should have been with the army at war. • 2 Samuel 11:1

4. Vs. 2 – David’s Evening Stroll • Got up from his bed • Went onto the palace roof • Saw a VERY beautiful woman taking a bath

5. Vs. 3 – David enquires about the beautiful woman and learns she is one of his best friend’s wife. • Should have been the end of the event. • Should have put her out of his mind because she was married. • Should have honored his friendship with Uriah, one of his mighty men. • Should have listened to God.

6. Disaster Strikes • David ignores everything he’s ever known about God’s will. • He commits adultery with Bathsheba.

7. From Bad To Worse! • Vs. 5 – “Sin will out” • As a result of the adultery, Bathsheba becomes pregnant. • There’s no way Uriah can be the father • What David thought would be a secret is about to be fully exposed. • The penalty for adultery is death for both parties. • He does some quick thinking and decides to try and hide what he has done.

8. Vs. 6-13 • A contest between the “righteous man” and the “unrighteous man”

9. Rabbah was in Ammon, on the other side of the Jordan River from Jerusalem. • It was about 17 miles from Jerusalem to Jericho, near the Jordan. • It was about 22 miles from the Jordan to Rabbah. • So, trip was somewhere more than 40 miles through rough terrain. • Would have been at least a month before Bathsheba knew she was pregnant, and another several days to bring Uriah back. • What was involved in bringing Uriah back?

10. Uriah refuses to play the game… • Vs. 8-9 – refuses a direct order from the king to go home. • Vs. 11 – Uriah explains his own personal loyalty. • Vs. 13 – David makes him drunk, but still fails to get him to go home and sleep with his wife. • Vs. 14-15 – David sends a “death warrant” letter concerning Uriah, having Uriah deliver his own message of doom.

11. Uriah killed • Joab changes the circumstances slightly, causing more deaths than only Uriah’s. • David is relieved.

12. You can’t legitimize sin! • David then marries Bathsheba, as though this makes everything right. • A son is born to David and Bathsheba. • BUT: “…the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

13. The Penalty for David’s Sin • 1 Samuel 12:10-12, 14 • The sword will never depart from your house. • Your household will turn against you. • Your wives will be ravished in broad daylight. • The child will die.

14. Could this disaster have been avoided? • What did David know that would have helped him? • Psalm 15:1-4 -- LORD, who may dwell in your sanctuary? Who may live on your holy hill? He whose walk is blameless and who does what is righteous, who speaks the truth from his heart and has no slander on his tongue, who does his neighbor no wrong and casts no slur on his fellowman, who despises a vile man but honors those who fear the LORD, who keeps his oath        even when it hurts….

15. Leviticus 20:10 • " 'If a man commits adultery with another man's wife—with the wife of his neighbor—both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.

16. Exodus 21:12-14 • "Anyone who strikes a man and kills him shall surely be put to death. However, if he does not do it intentionally, but God lets it happen, he is to flee to a place I will designate. But if a man schemes and kills another man deliberately, take him away from my altar and put him to death.” • David deserved to die – God spared him

17. What can we learn? • 1 Peter 5:8 -- Be self-controlled and alert. Your enemy the devil prowls around like a roaring lion looking for someone to devour. • We must always be vigilant!

18. Romans 8:12-13 • Therefore, brothers, we have an obligation—but it is not to the sinful nature, to live according to it. For if you live according to the sinful nature, you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live… • We must never desire the unholy!

19. Romans 13:14 • Rather, clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and do not think about how to gratify the desires of the sinful nature. • Galatians 5:16 • So I say, live by the Spirit, and you will not gratify the desires of the sinful nature.

20. Repent, don’t cover up • 2 Corinthians 7:10 -- Godly sorrow brings repentance that leads to salvation and leaves no regret, but worldly sorrow brings death. • Revelation 2:5 -- Remember the height from which you have fallen! Repent and do the things you did at first. If you do not repent, I will come to you and remove your lampstand from its place.