David: A Man After God’s Own Heart Series – Sermon #16

 

2 Samuel 11:1-27

THE GIANT THAT SLEW DAVID

Intro:  When you think of the life of David, one of two events probably come to your mind.  You either remember the time young David slew Goliath; or you remember when David committed adultery with Bathsheba.  Both events were monumental moments in the life of David.  In the first, David revealed fact of his humility.  In the second, David revealed the fact of his humanity.  In the first, David proved that he was a man of faith.  In the second, David proved that he was a man of flesh. When David met a giant named Goliath, we are privileged to witness his greatest victory.  When David met Bathsheba, we are forced to watch his greatest defeat.

      Up until this moment, David had never lost a battle.  Every time he stepped onto a field of combat, David won the battle and walked off the field a victor.  However, when David entered the arena of combat within his own heart, he was soundly defeated by a giant far more powerful than Goliath could have ever hoped to have been.

      Today, I want to look at this painful moment in the life of David.  I want us to witness the defeat of a mighty man of God.  I want us to see him fall at the feet of a powerful, brutal giant.  I want us to look into David’s sin so that we might avoid the trap that he fell into.  I do not want to gloat over David.  I know that were it not for the grace of God, it could be me that we are going to talk about tonight.  I do want to take this example that God has provided for us and look at The Giant That Slew David.  In doing so, I want to help you and me to be aware of the internal giants that we face in life.

      You see, it isn’t the giant of sickness, suffering, sorrow, poverty, pain or any other external giant that you might can name, that is going to give you the greatest trouble in your life.  The giant who is going to cause you the most trouble dwells within your own heart right now.  Many people fear the giants of life.  Things like health problems, death, financial crisis, etc. seem to leave us quaking in fear.  Yet, we never stop to think that it is the giants that we carry around with us day by day that we need to fear the most.

      Let’s look into this passage together today.  I want to show you the facts about David’s giant.  Why is this important?  The giant that slew David is out to kill you too!  Let’s examine the facts as I try to preach on the thought The Giant That Slew David.

 

 

 

  I.  v. 1             THE PERSONALITY OF DAVID’S GIANT

A.  David’s Giant Considered – If we really want to understand the nature of the giant that dwelled within David’s heart, we need to look back to 2 Samuel 5:12-13.  We are told there that God had blessed David and had established his kingdom.  We are also told that David recognized the hand of divine providence at work in his life.  Thank God for the “Unseen Hand.”  But, we are also given a piece of distressing news as well.  Verse 13 says “And David took him more concubines and wives out of Jerusalem.”

            What’s wrong with this?  After all, David is a mighty King.  He is undefeated on the field of battle.  He has expanded the kingdom.  He has built a great army and placed the right men in all the key positions.  He has led the nation in growth militarily, financially, and spiritually. Surely no one would care if David indulged his appetite for women by taking to himself many wives and concubines.

            Well, God cared!  What David did was in direct contradiction to the word of God in Deut. 17:14-17.  There, the king was forbidden to do three things:

            1.  He was not to accumulate horses.

            2.  He was not to accumulate wives.

            3.  He was not to accumulate gold and silver.

            David had honored God’s command regarding items number one and three.  David had disabled the horses taken in battle, 2 Sam. 8:4.  He had also dedicated the gold and silver taken as spoil in battle to the Lord, 2 Sam. 8:7-12.  But, he had disregarded what God had to say about accumulating wives.

            David had a giant, and if a name had to be attached to this giant, I think “Lust” would be appropriate.  It appears that David had strong sexual desires and sought to satisfy his urges by accumulating women.  But, David, like many others, discovered that many sexual partners will not satisfy your sexual desires, they will only increase them.

            David had problems with a spiritual giant named “Lust.”  You may not battle that one, but you know the name of the one or ones you do battle. In fact, if you have never done it, it might be good for you to identify the identity of you giant.  Admitting that it exists is the first step in seeing it defeated!

B.  David’s Giant Constructed – Where did this giant of lust come from?  How did this giant obtain the power necessary to overcome a “man after God’s Own heart”?

            There are several factors that combined to allow David’s own giant the power to attack his life.

1.  Neglect of Duty – As King, David should have led his men into battle and not stayed at home while they were out fighting and dying.

2.  Idle Time – David was in bed when he should have been in the battle!  Too much free time allows the mind time to wander in areas where it ought not to be.  An old English proverb says “An idle mind is the devil’s workshop.”

3.  Success – David enjoyed absolute success and victory over all the enemies of Israel.  Success is a heady thing!  But, you are never more vulnerable than when you have just enjoyed a great success.  People tend to develop a feeling of invincibility.

4.  Pride – David knew that God was with him, 2 Sam. 5:12.  He may have let that knowledge go to his head.  He may have forgotten the truth that God will walk with those who are going His way, Amos 3:3.  You see, when people are passing through hard times, they become very dependent upon the Lord.  There is no room for pride when you are depending on the Lord for everything you need.  But, when success come, when the dreams are fulfilled, when you have what you want, it is easy to become lifted up in pride.

5.  Arrogance – David had come to believe his own press!  He believed that he was everything people said he was.  He reveled in his celebrity and it became his downfall, Pro. 16:18. We all need someone around us who will tell us the truth about ourselves and help us stay humble before the Lord.

6.  Neglect of the Spiritual Man – We can only speculate, but it seems that David was guilty of neglecting his spiritual health.  People who stay close to the Lord through prayer and reading and meditating upon His Word do not do what David did.

      I am sure there were other causes, but what we need to understand here is the truth that David’s giant was something that he allowed to thrive in his own life.  He could have prevented what happened had he taken the proper steps.

      Now, I do not want to be too hard on David.  There are times when we are all guilty of feeding our own giants until they become so powerful that they overwhelm us.  When you see yourself falling into the trap that David fell into, you need to know that your giant is going to get out of hand.  When he does, he will not stop until he has nearly destroyed you, your life and your testimony.

      You see, David’s giant, and the giants that we face do not usually come from without.  They come from within, James 1:13-14.  Therefore, we must be certain that the inner man is strengthen so that he can do battle with the giants that lurk within our own hearts.

 II.  v. 2-4                  THE POWER OF DAVID’S GIANT

(Ill. As we examine what happened to David when he faced the giant of lust, we can learn something of the power this giant exercised in David’s life.  Watching his battle can help us when our own battles arise.)

A.  v. 2-3a  It Had The Power To Ensnare His Mind – Ill. The Context. David is lying on his bed, when he decides to take a walk out on the roof.  This was probably a patio just outside his royal chambers.  History tells us that kings often kept these rooftop patios, which were lavishly furnished and often covered by awnings to provide shade, as places of sanctuary.  They would be above the noise of the city and were high enough to give the king some privacy from those below.

            On this night, David sees a woman bathing.  The Bible says that her physical appearance is “very beautiful to look upon.”  The Bible uses the word “very” sparingly in its pages.  When it is used it is there to emphasize a truth.  And, when it does use the word, it never does so to exaggerate!  Therefore, when the Bible says that Bathsheba was “very beautiful to look upon” we can say without reservation that she was the absolute vision of female beauty and physical perfection.  And, when David saw her, the giant of lust that dwelt within his heart roared to life. 

            All David can think about is Bathsheba.  He wants to know who she is and everything about her.  No doubt his mind is filled with fantasies of what it would be like to be with her physically.  The giant has ensnared his mind and he has forgotten who he is, who he serves and how he is supposed to be living.  The giant has taken control of David’s mind!

            He saw her, her wanted her and he took her!  This is how sin works, James 1:15.  This is how it has always worked, Ill. Adam and Eve – Gen. 3.  And this is how it will ever work, 1 John 2:16.  The devil has never changed and the nature of sin has never changed!                

 

      (Ill. This is the first step that you and I take when we are about to be overcome by our own giants.  A thought develops into a desire within in our mind and demands to be fulfilled.  The mind is the first battlefield with the giants of sin.  If it falls, the rest of the defenses will tumble like dominoes!

            God has something to say about the mind and how it is to be guarded at all times.  Ill. Phil 4:6-9; 2 Cor. 10:3-5.  The mind must be guarded or the giants will ensnare it and lead the rest of the body into rebellion and sin!)

B.  v. 3b  It Had The Power To Erase His Reason – Ill. The Context.  When David enquires about Bathsheba, he is told that she is the wife of a loyal soldier, and that she is the granddaughter of a trusted advisor.  This information should have caused David to stop the course of action he was pursuing; instead, he pressed on.

 

(Ill. Such is the power of the giants that assault us.  They first ensnare the mind, and then they seem to erase all reason.  People in the grip of lust or some other fleshly desire often do things that they would never do under normal circumstances.  When they get in the grip of their giant, they lose their senses and become intoxicated with gratifying their fleshly desires!  When a look is allowed to linger, lust will be conceived; and when lust is conceived, sin is always the result, James 1:15.)

 

C.  v. 4  It Had The Power To Eclipse His God – Ill. The Context.  David knew better!  He is fifty years old.  He has been King in Israel for twenty years.  He is a man of God.  He is a mighty warrior. He is the “Sweet Singer of Israel.”  But, at this moment in time, he reveals the truth that he has feet of clay.  He brings Bathsheba into his bed and he commits adultery with another man’s wife!  He dishonors her; her husband; his wives and, most of all, he dishonors God, Ill. Ex. 20:14.  David has forgotten his relationship with God.  The giant of lust has blinded him to the point where David has become a practical atheist.  He is living as if there were no God!  The giant of lust is standing so tall in David’s heart that it has blocked the face of God from view! David and Bathsheba enjoyed the pleasures of an illicit affair.  As the Bible says, “Stolen waters are sweet, and bread eaten in secret is pleasant,” Proverbs 9:17. David paid for his moment of pleasure with a lifetime of pain!

 

      (Ill. Such is the power of sin!  David forgot God and if you give into you giants, you will too!  When that giant rises up in your heart, he will block your view of the Father!  When that happens, you will find yourself doing things that you never thought possible.  That is why it is so vitally important that the giants we fight be defeated when they first appear in their attacks against the mind.  If we can stop him there, he cannot control our life like he desire to!  Stress 2 Cor. 10:3-5 again!)

 

(Note: I want to address a couple of matters before we move on.  I want to remind you that both David and Bathsheba are at fault here.  David is a man of God and he knew better than to do what he did.  He was the aggressor in this horrible act.  But, surely Bathsheba knew that David, or anyone else for that matter, could see her as she bathed, if they were on a high roof.  I do not know whether or not she intended for her affair with David to take place; but, these two people teach us a couple of lessons that need to be mentioned here this evening.

      Be careful how you look at others is the first lesson!  We all know adultery is wrong; but Jesus said that looking at someone with lust for them constituted adultery already, Matt. 5:28.  Be careful how you look!  Men have a greater problem in this area than women do.  Fellows I would just remind you that every woman in this world is either your sister in Christ or a lost soul that needs Jesus.  If you will see women in this light, it will help you fight the giant of lust!  There is no excuse for any man to look upon any woman with lust in his heart, unless he is married to her!

      The second lesson is this: Be careful how you look to others! Yes, some men look when they shouldn’t, but some women dress to be seen!  There is no excuse and no reason for any women who claims to know the Lord to dress in such a fashion that attention is drawn to her body!  Short skirts, low rise pants, midriff bearing tops, low cut blouses, etc. are not fit apparel for a woman who says she loves the Lord!  When a woman dresses in this fashion she is displaying a lack of love for her Christian brothers.  Why? When a woman wears immodest apparel she is placing a stumbling block in front of him, and Jesus warned against that kind of thing, Luke 17:1. No one forces a man to sin with his eyes and his heart; but no one makes a woman dress in such a way that it makes it easier for the man to sin in this manner.  I believe that many women do not understand men and how they think. Not knowing one thing, but when you dress to look sexy and attract the attention of men, that is wrong!  The Bible calls for women to dress modestly, 1 Tim. 2:9.  You will attract the right kind of man with the right kind of dress, 1 Pet. 3:1-4.)

 

III.  v. 5-27         THE PROBLEM WITH DAVID’S GIANT

(Ill. The problem David experienced with his giant is the same one we all face when we deal with our giant.  David fed his giant and it just wanted more.  Once the giant of lust was out its cage it spread like a cancer until it consumed David’s life.  Notice what the giant of lust did to David.)

A.  v. 5-13  It Led Him Down A Deceptive Path – Ill. The Context.  David tried every tactic he could to get Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba.  However, Uriah had more integrity than David did at this point.  Look at Uriah’s response to David in verse 11.  When Uriah would not go home the first night; David got him drunk the next night.  David is using deception to try and cover his sins.  Instead of stepping up and being a man; confessing his sins to God and dealing with the consequences, David tried to hide like a coward.

 

      (Ill.  When people find themselves under the grip and control of their sins, they will try every method to keep their sin covered and hidden.  God’s way is openness and honesty, Pro. 28:13; 1 John 1:9.  Man’s way is to hide it.  Sin will lead you down a path of deception.)

 

B.  v. 14-25  It Led Him Down A Deepening Path – Ill. The Context.  When deception did not work, David settled on a plan to remove Uriah altogether.  David devised a plan to get Uriah killed on the battlefield and even sent the man back to the war carrying his own death warrant.  Joab carried out David’s orders, and would later use the plan against David.  Sin was leading David deeper and deeper into its prison and farther and farther away from the Lord.

 

      (Ill. This is how sin always works!  It is never satisfied, but it will lead you along, taking you deeper and deeper, ever tightening its grip on your heart and life.  Don’t be deceived by the giant that dwells in your heart.  He will settle for nothing short of your total destruction! When the Bible says “the way of the transgressor is hard”, Pro. 13:15; it means what it says!)

 

C.  v. 26-27a  It Led Him Down A Devastating Path – Ill. The Context.  After Uriah dies and Bathsheba fulfills her mourning period, David takes her as his wife. But, folks can count and a thinking person can figure out at least part of what happened!  At any rate, David shows no remorse.  It appears that his heart is hard and that he has lost the sensitivity to the Lord that marked his earlier days.  Sin has devastated his life.

            It is interesting to note that verse 27 says “David sent and fetched her.”  This is the second time David “fetched” someone to his house.  The first time was in 2 Sam. 9:5, when he “fetched” Mephibosheth from Lo-Debar.  The first time, David fetched someone to show love.  The second time, he fetched someone to satisfy his lust.  Oh, how the mighty are fallen!

 

(Ill. This is what sin does!  It sears the conscience making sin easier and easier until the entire life is devastated and destroyed, 1 Tim. 4:2. It dulls a person’s sensitivity to the Lord and His voice.  Sin will wreck and ruin your life if you allow it take hold of you!  Be careful!

      Satan never shows his cards.  He never tells you about the worm hidden in his apple.  He never tells the drunk that drink will destroy his life and ruin his family.  He never tells the fornicator or adultery that their sexual activities may lead to pregnancy, disease or death.  He never tells the drug user that his habit will control him forever.  He never tells the truth about sin!  But, God does! Listen to Rom. 6:23; Eze. 18:4; Gal. 6:9. Don’t let the giant that dwells in your heart to destroy and devastate your life.)

 

Conc: This is a sad place to leave David. The last part of verse 27 hangs over this chapter like a funeral pall. But, if you think the story is over, it is not!  In truth, it is merely beginning!  God does not leave those He loves in the grip of sin.  He has ways of bringing them to their senses and of setting them free.  We will see that played out in David’s life over the next couple of weeks.

      For now, here is the issue that we must deal with: David’s sin was just sin!  It could have been committed by anyone of us!  Yet, it is magnified by who David was and by how he handled it.  The fact is, we are no greater than David.  We are as prone to fail as he was.  If we are not careful, there is a giant lurking in the recesses of our heart and his desire is our demise, 1 Cor. 10:12.

      Are you dealing with a giant that is trying to destroy you?  If you are, you do not have to lose the battle!  You can have victory and you can have it today!  The first step is going to be getting honest with the Lord about the battle you are fighting.  It is going to mean telling Him the whole truth and leaning upon His for your strength to fight the battle.

      If you have already been beaten by the giant, I want you to know that the war is not over!  God knows how to restore you and help you out of sin’s grip.

      If the Lord has spoken to you on any level, whether it is about your own sins, or about what you see another person going through, I invite you to come before the Lord and talk to Him about it.  If you have never been saved, I invite you to come to Jesus for salvation, if He is calling you.

      You do not have to lose the battle with your giant!  You can have victory if you want it!