Date: Friday, 13th December, 2024
Text: 2 Samuel 11:1-27
Author: Pastor Adedeji Fadehan
Exhortation:
The word of God says, “A soldier on active duty wants to please his commanding officer and so does not get mixed up in the affairs of civilian life.” 2 Timothy 2:4- GNT
A good soldier is expected to be loyal to his country. His main duty is to do all he can to protect the territorial integrity of his nation. He is expected to defend his country with all his being even to the last drop of his blood, if need be.
However, at a point in David’s life he got distracted and entangled; he got trapped in the ordinary business of civilian life. At the time of the year when kings usually go to war, David sent out his army commanders to fight but he himself stayed back in the state capital of Jerusalem.
In this relaxed and distracted state, one day, late in the afternoon, David got up from his nap and went to the palace roof. As he walked around up there, he saw a woman taking a bath in her house. She was very beautiful. So he sent a messenger to find out who she was, and learned that she was Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, who happens to be one of David’s strongest soldiers busy fighting on the war front.
Before he knew what was happening one thing led to the other and David got intimate with her and she became pregnant. In order to cover up his criminal tracks, he started scheming on how to frame up the husband to look as though the pregnancy was Uriah’s but the man was too disciplined to fall into the king’s trap. Eventually, David killed Uriah by conspiracy-2 Samuel 11:1-27.
David became an adulterer and a murderer by relaxing at the wrong time. He was eventually cursed by God. He lost his throne for a while; his wives were raped in the open and he lost four of his children because of an act of careless entanglement.
Charlotte Elliott wrote a popular hymn which says:
Christian, seek not yet repose,
Hear thy gracious Savior say;
Thou art in the midst of foes:
Watch and pray.
Principalities and powers,
Mustering their unseen array,
Wait for thy unguarded hours:
Watch and pray.
Gird thy heavenly armor on,
Wear it ever night and day;
Ambushed lies the evil one:
Watch and pray.
Reflective Nugget: As a faithful soldier of Christ don’t allow yourself to be entangled with the affairs of this life.