Weekly Word Archives

Suffering Series

The Entanglement of Sin Can Bring Suffering
Part 6

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In previous lessons we have learned that suffering can be the result of:

1.	Living out the consequences of our own choices. Some of those choices are a result of believing the lies of Satan about God’s character and about ourselves.

2.	Living in a fallen world where we each choose to sin.

3.	Living in a fallen world where our bodies decay and die.

4.	Living in a fallen world where the environment is no longer perfect (weeds, insects, tornadoes, hurricanes).

5.	Living or dying because of the sinful choices of others, seeing our loved ones in pain or death because of the actions of another person.

6.	An attack of Satan.

We have also learned that God has a big picture of what He wants to accomplish in this world. As a believer, we are part of the big picture to accomplish God’s purpose even when we don’t know what our part is or what the picture will look like. There may be times of suffering or affliction brought on by others as we wait on God’s timing to accomplish His purpose.

In the last lesson we watched David suffer through the reign of Saul as he waited for God’s timing. He suffered unjustly at the hands of those he loved as he waited. He did not attack back. He did not seek revenge. He did not turn his back on God but rather he ran to God.

As we look at another aspect of David’s life, we must remember that David was described as a “man after God’s own heart.” David is seen favorably throughout the Old Testament and the New Testament. Yet he gives in to temptation and gets entangled in sin. We see the suffering he goes through and the suffering he causes in the lives of others because of his sin.

What happened? We find in David a character flaw. He took many wives and concubines even though polygamy was forbidden by God. But they were not enough for his desires. He opened the door to temptation and it all began with a look. The story is told in II Samuel 1. One evening David went out on the roof of his house and “from the roof he saw a women bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.” David followed through on the look, it lingered into lust. He gave into his temptation and sent for Bathsheba and had sexual relations with her.

All of this happened while his troops were in battle. Instead of being with them, as kings did at that time, he was at home enjoying the royal life. His mind was not on the role for which he was chosen but on his own lustful desires. Isn’t it amazing how little the nature of man has changed in 3,000 years?

Dietrich Bonhoeffer wrote about the struggle we have with impure desires:

“In our members there is a slumbering inclination towards desire which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power desire seizes mastery over the flesh. All at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames. It makes no difference whether it is sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge, or love of fame and power, or greed for money, or, finally, that strange desire for the beauty of the world, of nature. Joy in God is... extinguished in us and we seek all our joy in the creature. At this moment God is quite unreal to us, he loses all reality, and only desire for the creature is real; the only reality is the devil. Satan does not here fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God... The lust thus aroused envelops the mind and will of man in deepest darkness. The powers of clear discrimination and of decision are taken from us...

It is here that everything within me rises up against the Word of God...

Therefore, the Bible teaches us in times of temptation in the flesh to flee: ‘Flee fornication’ (I Cor. 6.18) — ‘from idolatry’ (I Cor. 10.14) — ‘youthful lusts’ (II Tim. 2.22) — ‘the lust of the world’ (II Pet. 1.4). There is no resistance to Satan other than flight. Every struggle against lust in one’s own strength is doomed to failure.”

When we give in to lust or greed or any of the others, we have said to God, “You are not enough to satisfy the desires of my life.”

David was the most powerful political leader of his day. He used that power to satisfy his lustful desires. But when Bathsheba became pregnant as a result of their encounter, the story grows more complex. David felt that he must somehow cover up what had happened so no one would know. But one cover-up plan after another failed until he ended up having Bathsheba’s husband killed.

But God exposed David’s sin. He confronted David through the prophet, Nathan (II Samuel 12). He didn’t do it immediately, he waited a few months. What was David’s response when he was caught and confronted with his sin? David did not blame anyone else for what happened. When Adam was confronted with his sin after the fall, he blamed Eve and God for what happened. That is the most common pattern for humans to follow when confronted with sin. But David fell on his face before God and confessed his sin and repented. Psalm 51 was his cry to God for cleansing. He says:

“Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you only have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge. Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Restore to me the joy of my salvation and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. The sacrifices of God are a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.” (V.1-4, 10, 12, 17).

David went through a time of barrenness of his soul. He went through a time of deep pain as he faced his sin before God. He went through great grief as his son, who was a product of his adulterous relationship, died.

Not only did David suffer through the entanglement of his sin, but so did a lot of other people. He lost the trust of those whom he was leading. Bathsheba must have suffered greatly. It appears their sexual encounter was initiated by David and there is no indication she was willing. He used his power for sexual favor. Then she lost her husband and her child. The husband and child both had to suffer and die because of David’s sin.

The good news is that God did forgive David and restored their relationship. David was able to enjoy his relationship with God again because of his confession and repentance and because of God’s forgiveness. God can restore anyone who cries out to Him!

I challenge you to look at your own life and cry out to God when confronted with sin. I encourage you to pray for those you know who are caught in the entanglement of sin. Pray they will cry out to God in repentance. As we surrender to Him, He shows us His grace!