CROSSED THE LINE

2 Samuel 11:2-5
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright © 1996, 2004 by Tyndale Charitable Trust.

David and Bathsheba

2 Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 3 He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her. She had just completed the purification rites after having her menstrual period. Then she returned home. 5 Later, when Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant, she sent David a message, saying, “I’m pregnant.”


David’s problem was not the midday rest … the walk on the roof … the view of the city. His problem was not even noticing the beautiful woman. Where David’s trouble comes was going beyond the noticing to putting a plan in place to sin. He should have turned his eyes away, practicing self control. Instead David crossed the line. The result of his lack of self control … adultery … pregnancy … murder … displeasing the LORD.

God has given us the fruit of the Spirit, one of which is self control (Galatians 5:22-23). Woe if we don’t practice it.