{"id":13596,"date":"2013-08-25T03:30:03","date_gmt":"2013-08-25T03:30:03","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/?page_id=13596"},"modified":"2024-04-11T01:37:22","modified_gmt":"2024-04-11T01:37:22","slug":"addicts-in-the-bible","status":"publish","type":"page","link":"https:\/\/www.freedomfrommedom.com\/wp3\/addicts-in-the-bible","title":{"rendered":"Addicts in the Bible"},"content":{"rendered":"

Come to Your Senses (Restorative Recovery)<\/span><\/h1>\n

by Steven Gledhill<\/span><\/em> <\/span>for FREEdom from MEdom Project<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you haven\u2019t already, I recommend that you read the articles posted to FFMP entitled, Guilt and Shame, Scabs and Scars<\/a> and Caged by Shame<\/a>. These articles speak to the matter of guilt and shame and the differences between them. Guilt can be a vehicle for restored health by recognizing mistakes, learning from them, and taking responsibility to initiate changes and implement healthy disciplines for the purpose of repentance and growth. Shame, on the other hand, is the device of our internal self-centered devices, as well as a primary vehicle of our spiritual adversary to drive us into ourselves, internalizing our flaws and failures, and even the circumstances in our world to somehow define us to the point that we buy in to irrational beliefs about it all. Shame is the driving force behind self-condemnation that ultimately debilitates and ruins us. <\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus knew this matter of self-condemnation would be a problem for us so he told us about a very wealthy father who had two sons. One of his son\u2019s became uncomfortable with all that he had, and the way things were, and chose to leave and do his own thing his own way. He asked his dad if he could receive right now the inheritance that he would receive when his father died. Then, he thought he would have it all, everything he needed, and he would not be uncomfortable. Besides, money and possessions would mean power and control. Driven by an escalated sense of entitlement, the son would be able to do what he wanted, when he wanted to do it, without anyone telling him what to do. He wanted the control of his own life and destiny, motivated by discontentment, in order to minimize his discomfort.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus said, \u201cA certain man had two sons. And the younger of them said to his father, \u2018Give the portion of goods that falls to me.\u2019 So he divided to them his livelihood. And not many days after, the younger son gathered all together, journeyed to a far country, and there wasted his possessions with prodigal living.\u201d <\/span>Luke 15:11-13 (NKJV)<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI was so obsessed with me and the reasons that I might be dissatisfied that I couldn\u2019t focus on other people\u2026 What I trace this to is a certain selfishness on my part… The process of growing up is realizing that it’s not about me. When I find myself taking the wrong step, I think it\u2019s because I\u2019m trying to protect myself instead of trying to do God’s will.\u201d <\/em>—Barack Obama<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The son left his family, and everything that was good, well, and secure, to go do his own thing. The problem, though, was that all this power and control was as addictive then as it is today. He could not stop once his brain was fueled by lust and greed and put into drive. It took more of his self-centered pursuits in an addictive lifestyle to overcome discomfort and dissatisfaction. This young adult man was so obsessed with the reasons of his dissatisfaction and repeatedly made destructive lifestyle choices necessary to conquer his problem. The Bible says he wasted what he had on \u201cprodigal\u201d living, including his participation in drunken sexual escapades with prostitutes.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Words that describe \u201cprodigal\u201d living are: wayward, meaningless, self-indulgent, riotous, corrupt, wasteful, reckless, uncontrolled, degenerate, immoral, wicked, and depraved, to name a few. These words might also be descriptive of lifestyle patterns of our addictive behavior from lifestyle choices to address our obsession with dissatisfaction.<\/span><\/p>\n

But then this son began to squander and lose everything he had and was lost <\/em>in the cycle of addictive living. There are those stuck in addiction that know exactly what I am talking about, and others in recovery from addiction that know exactly what I am talking about. As we become more and more indulgent in addictive behavior, it develops into a lifestyle and the problems mount and life becomes a continuous struggle just to survive. Self-indulgent, reckless behavior may appear to be a good time at the beginning, but as it becomes a pattern of behavior and evolves into a lifestyle, the trappings of an uncontrolled addictive lifestyle and culture creep in a little at a time until they take over, and the addictive lifestyle costs outweigh its benefits.<\/p>\n

This is what the lost son in the Bible came to understand as well. Not only did he experience the direct effects of an addictive lifestyle that contributed to his destruction in life, but there was an occurrence that came out of left field that he did not expect. He had already run low on his resources when a famine hit the land and wiped out whatever resources he had left.<\/span><\/p>\n

Telling the story, Jesus said,<\/p>\n

\u201cBut when he had spent all, there arose a severe famine in that land and he began to be in want. Then he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country who sent him into his fields to feed swine. And he would have gladly filled his stomach with the pods <\/span>(husks, shells) that the swine ate, and no one gave him anything.”<\/span> Luke 15:14-16 (NKJV)<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/strong>\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Addicts in pain understand that this is how it is. It\u2019s bad enough that our behavior as self-absorbed addicts has its direct effects but then we often find ourselves in the wrong place at the wrong time and it goes from bad to worse and then even worse. For the lost prodigal son<\/em> that Jesus was talking about, a famine had hit the area where he made his home at the worst possible time, and it left him with nothing. He had to get a job caring for the pigs of an acquaintance. He could not even afford to eat the same \u201cfood\u201d that he fed those pigs.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

When he was with his dad, he had it all. His father was a wealthy man who treated his sons well and blessed them from the love in his heart that a father has for his sons. When this son ran off with his portion of his father\u2019s wealth without the loving guidance of his father, he couldn\u2019t handle it. He took what was meant for good and chose unwisely and poorly, resulting in his undoing.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Do you remember that Adam and Eve had it all, everything in the garden God provided them, but became uncomfortable when it was brought to their attention that they could have more? Do you remember that they essentially wanted the one thing that God had that in their hands would be their doom? God knew what they could not handle. They chose unwisely and poorly, and it was their undoing. Jesus tells this story of a man that bit a lot more than what he could chew, and, like Adam and Eve, what he bit into got the best of him, almost killing him.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Listen to what Jesus says about this young man who lost everything and how his father responded.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

“<\/span>But when he came to his senses, he said, \u2018How many of my father\u2019s hired servants have food enough to spare, and I perish with hunger? I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, \u2018Father, I have sinned against God and before you, and I am no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired servants.\u2019 And he arose and went to his father. <\/span>But when he was still a great way off, his father saw him and had great compassion, and ran and fell on his neck and kissed him. And the son said to him, \u2018Father I have sinned against God and in your sight, and am no longer worthy to be called your son.\u2019 But the father said to his servants, \u2018Bring out the best robe and put it on him, and put a ring on his hand and sandals on his feet. And bring the fatted calf and kill it, and let us eat and be merry; for my son was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.\u2019 And they began to be merry.\u201d <\/span><\/span><\/span>Luke 15:17-24 (NKJV)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Here is an opportunity to introduce the ABC principles of recovery right here in this wonderful story of the activation of the promise of God to empower us in recovery when we admit<\/em>, believe<\/em>, and commit<\/em>. These are the necessary steps to help us recognize the responsibility for our mistakes, for which we are indeed guilty. Once we come to believe that the one we are responsible to, loves us enough to forgive us, it becomes bearable to admit our mistakes without the hopeless shame we tend to link with our failures\u2014failed expectations.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Admit \u2013 <\/span><\/em><\/span>The son admitted his way of handling what his father had given him did not work. The Bible says he came to his senses. I believe the son hit rock bottom and hurt bad enough to seek help. I suppose there was a period of ambivalence where he may have been conflicted between the pleasure he experienced with his booze, drugs and women; and the life of peace and stability he could have if he turned from his ways and returned to what he knew was of greater benefit. This really hit home with him when he realized that even his dad\u2019s hired help had been better cared for than the care he was getting on his own (Luke 15:17).<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Believe <\/span><\/em><\/span>\u2013<\/span> The son believed that his father could care for him in a way that no one else could and that the only resolution to his mess was to return to his dad, admit that he blew it, and ask for forgiveness in the hope that his father would indeed forgive him (Luke 15:17-18). He believed that becoming dependent on his father was his only real<\/em> hope for a new life of recovery. He believed in his heart (his gut, his inner man) that his dad\u2019s way worked.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Commit<\/span><\/em><\/span> \u2013<\/span> The son did not just talk about what he needed to do to be restored by his father into a place of recovery, rather he committed himself to doing it. He left the addictive lifestyle that left him hungry and devastated, and returned to the one who could rescue him from himself. In fact, he committed to the care and also the will of his father, when he said, \u201cMake me like one of your servants.\u201d (Luke 15:19) The son was humbled and willing to do whatever it took to be successful in his recovery. Truth be told, he did what he had to do for a meal. But recovery was the payoff.<\/span><\/p>\n

\".<\/a><\/p>\n

Best Robe<\/span> – <\/span>Upon arriving, the father immediately had his servants bring his son the best robe<\/em>. The best robe in this story represents the robe of righteousness<\/em>.The father was committed to helping in his son\u2019s recovery. The son was lost in his own choices and behavior. He was dead in his shame. His father expressed compassionate mercy becoming reconciled with his son by covering him with his own righteousness. In other words, it was the goodness of the father that made his son good. The son would no longer carry the weight of his shame since his father removed it and replaced it with his <\/em>goodness. The best robe <\/em>of righteousness that Father God has put on us to cover our sin is his son, Jesus Christ. We wear the righteousness of Jesus when we return to our Father who is in heaven.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Signet Ring<\/span><\/span> –<\/span> The father then ordered that a ring be placed on his son\u2019s finger. The ring was a signet ring that meant that the son was restored into the family once again as an heir to his father\u2019s estate. This is an astounding statement of a father\u2019s love for his son\u2014\u201cEverything that is mine is yours, my son\u201d. Everything the father owned would once again be inherited by his son now that the son\u2019s debt of disobedience was forgiven. This reconciliation meant that there was full recovery of their relationship.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sandals<\/span><\/span> –<\/span> The son arrived barefoot and his dad had the servants put sandals on his feet. Only permanent members of the family wore sandals, while the employees were barefoot in the master\u2019s house. The sandals were a symbol of affirmation that the young man was back home. He no longer was the lost son\u2014the dead son\u2014but was alive. He was the found son. He was family.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Feast<\/span><\/span> –<\/span> Finally, the father told his servants to kill and prepare the fatted calf for a feast. This meant that they would be celebrating a very special occasion. The father proclaimed with joy, \u201cMy son was dead (in his independence from the father) and is alive again (in his dependence on the father). He was lost (in addictive shame) and now is found (in relationship). Let\u2019s celebrate!\u201d (Luke 15:24).<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The point of this story is to recognize that Jesus is talking about our relationship with God. We are born into this world with the opportunity to submit to God in the person of Jesus Christ who has it all, and desires to show his favor on us and bless us with the riches of heaven. He wants us to be full of life. So why do we continually squander what God desires for us when we determine to live life our own way in an effort to minimize our discontented mindset? Why do we fall prey to selfish sin, and allow it to take hold of us?<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We have a fallen nature prone to addictive sin\u2014the logical cause and effect of compensating for our dissatisfaction and the failed expectations we have of ourselves. It takes over our lifestyle until it finally ruins us and we hit bottom. When we finally hurt badly enough, we might just admit that we are powerless and are resigned to die in our shame. We must reach out to God who loves us more than we can know. He is compassionate, always faithful to forgive us and give us a shot at a new life through his plan of recovery, which begins by restoring us into relationship with him. Our way of thinking leads to disorder (James 3:16) and emptiness, while God\u2019s way of recovery leads to peace and fulfillment. When we finally comprehend that letting go of our failed expectations means submitting to the will of our Sympathetic Savior Jesus Christ, we can know that he has set our captive hearts free. It is in submitting to recovery God\u2019s way that we can finally realize freedom.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

God cannot wait to set us free. He wants to set you free from your addiction to you. When he receives us back into his family, he showers us with his incredible love through blessings from heaven. Whenever one who was lost returns home to the family, there is a party in heaven. It is at home that we are free. All that is his is ours, freely given by him. <\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cI say to you there is joy in heaven in the presence of angels over one sinner who repents.\u201d<\/span> <\/span>Luke 15:10 (NKJV)<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Permanent Member of God\u2019s Family<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

One fact validated by the words of Jesus Christ himself is that he has the authority to set us free once and for all and that we are adopted into his family permanently. God has adorned you and me with the robe of Christ\u2019s righteousness. He has placed the ring of the inheritance of the full blessings of heaven onto our fingers, and has placed sandals on our feet, spiritually speaking, as indicative of our position as permanent members of the family of God. Jesus said,<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cA slave is not a permanent member of the family, but a son is part of the family forever. So if the Son sets you free, you are truly free.\u201d <\/span>John 8:35-36 (NLT)<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Our problem is that we don\u2019t readily accept that we are slaves of anything until we are wiped out by it, and drowning in the wake of its shame. Receive this word today. Let it resonate with you. Freedom comes from knowing Jesus. He has liberated us from a life of addiction to sin and shame. Quit crawling back into the cage of shame clinging to the memories and methods of your past. Let it go. Let go of failed expectations and reach out to Jesus. Let him heal your wounds. His expectation for you is that you receive forgiveness from him and live with peace and joy in his grace.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

We all eventually understand the reality of hell we are living in. The prodigal son<\/em> from the Bible came to believe in hell when his circumstances deteriorated to the extent that he was coveting the food he was feeding pigs. He knew hell when he had lost everything due to his addiction to overcoming dissatisfaction.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The point is that it does us absolutely no good no<\/em>t to give your shame to Jesus Christ to free you from it. Let the price that Jesus paid for your addictive sin be enough. Receive his forgiveness and be free to start a new life. Be willing to let go of all of it and let God love you. Submit your life to his compassionate mercy. Let go and let Jesus take you upward from your hell into a new stable life of peace, freedom, and joy.<\/span>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

A Man After God\u2019s Own Heart: David\u2019s Story of Addiction, Repentance, Redemption & Restoration<\/span><\/h1>\n
\"\"<\/a><\/h5>\n
by Steven Gledhill<\/em> <\/span>for FREEdom from MEdom Project<\/span><\/span><\/h5>\n

“It\u2019s long, but it\u2019s worth the read to the one who will take the time. It is admirable that you took on David\u2019s sexual addiction head-on, whereas most Bible scholars seem to treat the polygamy of the monarchy as a sort of sexual \u201cgrace period\u201d in the otherwise monogamous command of God.”<\/em> —Pastor Fran Leeman, Chicago (Plainfield), Illinois<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The LORD has sought out a man after his own heart and appointed him ruler of his people.\u00a0<\/span> 1 Samuel 13:14<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After removing Saul, he made David their king. God testified concerning him: \u2018I have found David son of Jesse, a man after my own heart; he will do everything I want him to do.\u2019\u00a0<\/span> Acts 13:22<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

A man after God’s own heart… That’s quite a claim from Samuel, inspired prophetically to write these words as testimony of the heart of God.<\/p>\n

We know that David is arguably the most iconic figure of the Old Testament who is not God (unless you prefer to say that about Abraham or Moses). When you include the likes of Simon Peter, Paul, Jesus, and Christ’s mother Mary onto the list, David is likely somewhere on the “Mount Rushmore” of biblical icons. The lineage of Jesus goes through David.<\/p>\n

We know that Paul, when he was Saul, murdered Christians in the name of Judaism. Then, he met Jesus, and the rest is history. Paul the Apostle would go on to mentor ministers of the gospel, and write much of the New Testament, via letters to churches of the major cities where he did ministry, and to evangelists he mentored after having encountered Jesus in a most revelational experience.<\/p>\n

In examining the life of David, there is no doubt that he killed for reasons he deemed justified, including conspiring to have a man murdered so that he could possess the man’s wife, whom he coveted. Is it possible, though, that David was a serial rapist, both before and after what he did with, or should I say did to<\/em>, Bathsheba? He was the king, so while his behavior may have been criminal, deviant, and most certainly sinful, it wasn’t a crime. Why not? Because, David was the king. He ruled the land as he saw fit.<\/p>\n

King David of the Bible suffered from a cunning, baffling disease known as addiction—addiction to self. When you feel you are permitted to behave without consequence, being a slave to sin takes on a whole ‘nother dimension. Borne out of addiction to self comes all other symptoms of addiction. David strayed from the truth of what he understood intellectually to be good and right, according to the will of God. Lost was the innocence of the young warrior who killed a lion to protect his sheep, and took down a giant of a man to defend a nation. Even with the anointing and power and all of the blessing bestowed on him by his Heavenly Father, David grew in pride and selfish ambition, overrun by his sin nature, and rooted in a core belief that he is entitled. David would have to submit one day at a time, even one moment at a time, to the will of his Lord, or David would succumb to unimaginable temptation that would avail itself to him as the King of all Israel. But it would take David most of a lifetime to repent to the degree of surrender necessary to be truly repentant in terms of activating behavioral change; transformed by a renewed mind.<\/p>\n

This writing is not meant to disparage David so much as it is intended to reveal the sin nature in every single one of us, and our need to repent with a heart of surrender, lest we give in repeatedly to temptation. God hates sin, PERIOD! Sin is the hostile enemy of God. Therefore, we all need God’s grace and mercy, every bit as much as David did.<\/p>\n

That being said, let’s get into it.<\/p>\n

Consider the “drugs” of temptation that David had to choose from as both a king, and as a human being: sexual temptation; every form of lust, power, and greed; money and possessions; alcohol and “herbs” (drugs); anger, rage, resentment, and revenge; lying and deceit; self-preservation at all cost (even if it meant murder to protect his reputation); issues of codependency; and the list goes on. The difference for David that you and I cannot relate to is that unless he was surrendered to the will and care of God moment by moment there was no one else to tell him “no”, “stop”, or “wait”. His advisers were in his ear constantly, but David was the man in charge and too often ignored sound counsel. Unless he heard from a prophet, or received a prophetic word via God’s own voice, David was, for the most part, self-governed. A very auspicious, yet dangerous, arena to be living in.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a>This is King David! He’s the man after God’s own heart. As a boy, David learned of God and came to know God. David was a young man of deep, supremely confident faith. The only “arrogance” in David was how confident he was in trusting his God to go ahead of him to do even the impossible. God knew David as a man of integrity. As a teenager, David would take on a mountain of a man (on behalf of an entire army), perhaps as tall as seven to eight feet, and who may have weighed, what… 400 pounds or more? The beast’s sword is said to have weighed some thirty to forty pounds. David put the giant down slinging a stone into his brain, and would slay Goliath by his own sword. How was that possible? Not for a second did David doubt he would defeat the man.<\/p>\n

David would be anointed by God to be the next king of Israel.<\/p>\n

The truth is that no matter who you are, if you are living outside of God’s perfect will and plan, then you are living according to your own desires and intentions driven by a systemic pattern of brain activity that wants what it wants when it wants it. It’s not that the self-centered brain is some monster come alive in you to do its bidding; but I suppose it’s something like that. The Apostle Paul wrote from a deeply sincere heart when he said (I’m paraphrasing Romans 7 stuff), “What I do and don’t do often goes against my God-driven conscience and I am ashamed of myself. It’s as though I’m not even the one doing it but it’s the sin in me controlling my mind and behavior. I am a slave to this thing alive in me. I am sick in it, and I am sick about it.”<\/p>\n

When we put our faith in ourselves, even as we claim to trust and depend on Christ, we trend toward ambition, feel the need to protect of ourselves, and in doing so, choose unwisely. Trusting our gut can take us the opposite direct of where we want, and know we need, to be.<\/p>\n

The primary focus of this writing is not <\/em>to altogether present King David as having maladaptive, addictive behavior on several levels, but rather bring attention to the reality that deviant selfish sin is a cunning and powerful weapon against even the best of people; even “a man after God’s own heart.” And then to bring attention to the compassion of God’s mercy, and the nature of God’s grace.<\/p>\n

People can love God deeply and intensely, yet still struggle with the addiction to self—MEdom. People can have a personal relationship with Jesus Christ, according to His merciful grace, and struggle with addiction to lust, greed, and sexual sin. The key to recovery empowered by the Spirit of God happens one day at a time committed to faith-driven principles: Admit<\/em> the sin by confession; Believ<\/em>e<\/strong> in the truth of redemption by a Sympathetic Savior with complete authority; and, Commit<\/em> to a lifestyle of repentant recovery by turning everything over in submission to the One in authority according to that belief.<\/p>\n

The Story Inside the Story<\/span><\/h2>\n

“How could one who was known for his devotion to God fall so horribly? What were the steps that led to his demise? David’s steps to losing his first love were subtle; but very real. When David sat on his rooftop watching Bathsheba bathe on that fateful night, he was not walking with the Lord as he once had… At this particular point in his life, we don’t read of him worshiping or singing love songs to God. David was spiritually idle.”<\/em><\/span> —Pastor Greg Laurie, Harvest Ministries<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Faithful Young Man of Valor<\/span><\/h3>\n

Early on in his life, David was the boy, and then the young man, that was too good of a kid to be brassy enough to someday be king. David was one of those kids you kind of hope never grows up. He was innocent and you didn’t want growing up to ruin that. He was compassionate, and the Bible called him good looking. The King James translation suggests David had a “beautiful countenance”, likely a reflection of a good-natured heart (disposition). David was a skilled musician. He had a way about him. He was also courageous and strongly determined when he put his mind to something. He was also skilled at tending sheep. He was the kind of teenager, then young adult, who had that moxy, that special something that you can’t quite put your finger on exactly what it is but you know when someone’s got it. That was David.<\/p>\n

One of the servants said to Saul, \u201cOne of Jesse\u2019s sons from Bethlehem is a talented harp player. Not only that, he is a brave warrior, a man of war, and has good judgment. He is also a fine-looking young man, and the Lord is with him.\u201d<\/span>\u00a0 1 Samuel 16:18 (NLT)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At a young age, David was one that worshiped God. He loved God and played his instrument to the glory of God. When Samuel (the last of the judges) was led by the Spirit of God to Jesse of Bethlehem to identify and anoint the next king of Israel, well, here’s the story…<\/p>\n

4\u00a0<\/sup>So Samuel did as the Lord<\/span> instructed. When he arrived at Bethlehem, the elders of the town came trembling to meet him. \u201cWhat\u2019s wrong?\u201d they asked. \u201cDo you come in peace?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

5\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cYes,\u201d Samuel replied. \u201cI have come to sacrifice to the Lord<\/span>. Purify yourselves and come with me to the sacrifice.\u201d Then Samuel performed the purification rite for Jesse and his sons and invited them to the sacrifice, too.<\/span><\/p>\n

6\u00a0<\/sup>When they arrived, Samuel took one look at Eliab and thought, \u201cSurely this is the Lord<\/span>\u2019s anointed!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

7\u00a0<\/sup>But the Lord<\/span> said to Samuel, \u201cDon\u2019t judge by his appearance or height, for I have rejected him. The Lord<\/span> doesn\u2019t see things the way you see them. People judge by outward appearance, but the Lord<\/span> looks at the heart.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

8\u00a0<\/sup>Then Jesse told his son Abinadab to step forward and walk in front of Samuel. But Samuel said, \u201cThis is not the one the Lord<\/span> has chosen.\u201d<\/span> 9\u00a0<\/sup>Next Jesse summoned Shimea,[a<\/a>]<\/sup> but Samuel said, \u201cNeither is this the one the Lord<\/span> has chosen.\u201d<\/span> 10\u00a0<\/sup>In the same way all seven of Jesse\u2019s sons were presented to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, \u201cThe Lord<\/span> has not chosen any of these.\u201d<\/span> 11\u00a0<\/sup>Then Samuel asked, \u201cAre these all the sons you have?\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThere is still the youngest,\u201d Jesse replied. \u201cBut he\u2019s out in the fields watching the sheep and goats.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cSend for him at once,\u201d Samuel said. \u201cWe will not sit down to eat until he arrives.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

12\u00a0<\/sup>So Jesse sent for him. He was dark and handsome, with beautiful eyes.<\/span><\/p>\n

And the Lord<\/span> said, \u201cThis is the one; anoint him.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

13\u00a0<\/sup>So as David stood there among his brothers, Samuel took the flask of olive oil he had brought and anointed David with the oil. And the Spirit of the Lord<\/span> came powerfully upon David from that day on.\u00a0 <\/span>1 Samuel 16:4-13 (NLT)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

David was the youngest of Jesse’s sons and seemed very comfortable as the shepherd of sheep that also seemed to enjoy adventure from time to time. The Scriptures tell us that David killed vicious wild animals to protect his flock of sheep. He was a compassionate kid that was growing up. By the time he was in his mid to late teens, David was anointed the next king of Israel who would then be the one who would be the musician with the charge to console the down-trodden king he would replace.<\/p>\n

Then came the signature event in the life of a young man that would prove he was indeed the man. David would be respected and recognized as a fearless leader. Stepping into the on deck circle would catch the real men of war by surprise. Even his older brothers didn’t think David should even be at the end of the bench in the dugout.<\/p>\n

Now Eliab his oldest brother heard when he spoke to the men; and Eliab\u2019s anger was aroused against David, and he said, \u201cWhy did you come down here? And with whom have you left those few sheep in the wilderness? I know your pride and the insolence of your heart, for you have come down to see the battle.\u201d And David said, \u201cWhat have I done now? Is there not a cause?\u201d Then he turned from him toward another and said the same thing; and these people answered him as the first ones did. Now when the words which David spoke were heard, they reported them to Saul; and he sent for him. Then David said to Saul, \u201cLet no man\u2019s heart fail because of him; your servant will go and fight with this Philistine.\u201d\u00a0<\/span> 1 Samuel 17:28-32 (NKJV)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The rest is history; a phenomenal feet. David would trash talk the giant Philistine soldier and then back up every word with action.<\/p>\n

Then David said to the Philistine, \u201cYou come to me with a sword, with a spear, and with a javelin. But I come to you in the name of the Lord of hosts, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied. This day the Lord will deliver you into my hand, and I will strike you and take your head from you. And this day I will give the carcasses of the camp of the Philistines to the birds of the air and the wild beasts of the earth, that all the earth may know that there is a God in Israel. Then all this assembly shall know that the Lord does not save with sword and spear; for the battle is the Lord\u2019s, and He will give you into our hands.\u201d\u00a0<\/span> 1 Samuel 17:45-47 (NKJV)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The only thing David cared about was bringing glory to his Lord, the great God of Israel that would go before David and the army standing behind David, leading them to victory.<\/p>\n

It is interesting to me that King Saul put the fate of a nation into the hands of this spunky good-looking teenager. Did Saul really trust David? Did he have faith in God to use David? Or was there a back-up plan had David failed, whether it was to attack, run, or surrender? Well, no matter, because David slayed the giant with a stone and Goliath’s own sword. David would continue to love and worship God, who was indeed glorified.<\/p>\n

2\u00a0<\/sup>So Saul chose 3,000 elite troops from all Israel and went to search for David and his men near the rocks of the wild goats.<\/span><\/p>\n

3\u00a0<\/sup>At the place where the road passes some sheepfolds, Saul went into a cave to relieve himself. But as it happened, David and his men were hiding farther back in that very cave!<\/span><\/p>\n

4\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cNow\u2019s your opportunity!\u201d David\u2019s men whispered to him. \u201cToday the Lord<\/span> is telling you, \u2018I will certainly put your enemy into your power, to do with as you wish.\u2019\u201d So David crept forward and cut off a piece of the hem of Saul\u2019s robe.<\/span><\/p>\n

5\u00a0<\/sup>But then David\u2019s conscience began bothering him because he had cut Saul\u2019s robe.<\/span> 6\u00a0<\/sup>He said to his men, \u201cThe Lord<\/span> forbid that I should do this to my lord the king. I shouldn\u2019t attack the Lord<\/span>\u2019s anointed one, for the Lord<\/span> himself has chosen him.\u201d<\/span> 7\u00a0<\/sup>So David restrained his men and did not let them kill Saul.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

After Saul had left the cave and gone on his way,<\/span> 8\u00a0<\/sup>David came out and shouted after him, \u201cMy lord the king!\u201d And when Saul looked around, David bowed low before him.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

9\u00a0<\/sup>Then he shouted to Saul, \u201cWhy do you listen to the people who say I am trying to harm you?<\/span> 10\u00a0<\/sup>This very day you can see with your own eyes it isn\u2019t true. For the Lord<\/span> placed you at my mercy back there in the cave. Some of my men told me to kill you, but I spared you. For I said, \u2018I will never harm the king\u2014he is the Lord<\/span>\u2019s anointed one.\u2019<\/span> <\/span>11\u00a0<\/sup>Look, my father, at what I have in my hand. It is a piece of the hem of your robe! I cut it off, but I didn\u2019t kill you. This proves that I am not trying to harm you and that I have not sinned against you, even though you have been hunting for me to kill me.\u00a0<\/span> <\/span><\/span>1 Samuel 24:2-11 (NLT)<\/span><\/p>\n

David was then sought after by Saul, who wanted the threat to his reign killed. David was the kind of man that was so driven by the presence and power of God that even when he had opportunity to stop the manhunt by killing Saul he would not. Saul was his king and David was loyal and faithful to him. David spared his pursuers life and showed him mercy. That is what a man after God’s own heart would do. Soon enough though, after his adventures with Saul, David would become king and the story would change.<\/p>\n

Unfaithful Man with Power<\/span><\/h3>\n

King David, may be the most esteemed hero of the Old Testament. According to historians he lived to be around 70 years of age from 1040 to 970 BC. David was a family man. He was married to\u00a0Ahinoam the Jezreelitess, Abigail the Carmelitess, Maachah the daughter of Talmai king of Geshur, Haggith, Abital, Eglah, Michal, and Bathshua (Bathsheba) the daughter of Ammiel.\u00a01 Samuel 19 also identifies Merab who was given to David by her father Saul.<\/p>\n

David’s first wife was Michal who loved David very much (1 Samuel 18:18, 20). She was the key to David’s freedom from her father, King Saul, helping David to escape (1 Samuel 19). It is not reported that David loved Michal in return but he married her, perhaps to enhance his lineage and improve his claim to the throne. Perhaps David married her out of convenience and ambition and not love. In fact, when David married two more women, Abigail (after her first husband died, David praised God that she became eligible to be his wife) and Ahinoam, King Saul took Michal back to be married to another man, Palti, recognizing no longer her marriage to David—perhaps because Saul hated his enemy David out of jealousy (the king’s subjects adored David and placed their confidence in him), and because he understood that his daughter, Michal, was unloved and neglected by her husband.<\/p>\n

When Saul died, David made it a point to have Michal brought back to him (2 Samuel 3:13-15) since he had paid the steep price of 100 Philistines killed by his sword for her. Michal’s new husband, Palti (according to King Saul’s “executive order” to annul her marriage to David), loved her and followed her along the way back to David weeping for her until he was sent home by David’s thugs. Anointed by God, David, a 30 year old man in the prime of his life, would become king over all of Israel. As king, David captured Jerusalem, moved into the Zion fortress, and called it the City of David. David conquered the Philistines and then gathered his troops (some 30,000 of them) to go to Baalah of Judah to retrieve the ark of the Lord, symbolic of the armies of heaven, which would proceed them into battle from that point forward.<\/p>\n

A powerful trigger for David’s engaging in addictive behavior was victory and celebration. While David was in awe of the power of the Lord God, he was fearful of it. So much so that he did not want the ark of God in his home. For three months, David housed the ark of God at the house of a trusted friend, whom the Lord blessed richly while his friend held onto it. Then he had the ark of God returned to the palace and had it placed in a special tent.<\/p>\n

As David celebrated his triumphs with invited guests, he danced before the Lord, wearing a priestly garment that appears to have exposed his sexuality before the servant girls of his wives. It is possible, if not likely that these young, possibly teenage girls were being subject to their king in a sexually predatory manner. David is there king, yet he also may very well be the man coming to their rooms when they were alone.<\/p>\n

12\u00a0<\/sup>Then Abner sent messengers to David, saying, \u201cDoesn\u2019t the entire land belong to you? Make a solemn pact with me, and I will help turn over all of Israel to you.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

13\u00a0<\/sup>\u201cAll right,\u201d David replied, \u201cbut I will not negotiate with you unless you bring back my wife Michal, Saul\u2019s daughter, when you come.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

14\u00a0<\/sup>David then sent this message to Ishbosheth, Saul\u2019s son: \u201cGive me back my wife Michal, for I bought her with the lives[c<\/a>]<\/sup> of 100 Philistines.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

15\u00a0<\/sup>So Ishbosheth took Michal away from her husband, Palti son of Laish. <\/span>16\u00a0<\/sup>Palti followed along behind her as far as Bahurim, weeping as he went. Then Abner told him, \u201cGo back home!\u201d So Palti returned.<\/span> 2 Samuel 3:12-16 (NLT)<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

David’s first wife, Michal, he never loved romantically. Davide divorced (annulled his marriage) with Michal. She would remarry and be happy with someone who would love her, be intimate with her, and could have children with her. David would then later would barter for her return against her will (since she had happily remarried, which would have been allowable and ‘legal” considering David’s numerous adulterous affairs with multiple wives and Egyptian concubines.<\/p>\n

20\u00a0<\/sup>When David returned home to bless his own family, Michal, the daughter of Saul, came out to meet him. She said in disgust, \u201cHow distinguished the king of Israel looked today, shamelessly exposing himself to the servant girls like any vulgar person might do!\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

21\u00a0<\/sup>David retorted to Michal, \u201cI was dancing before the Lord<\/span>, who chose me above your father and all his family! He appointed me as the leader of Israel, the people of the Lord<\/span>, so I celebrate before the Lord<\/span>.<\/span> 22\u00a0<\/sup>Yes, and I am willing to look even more foolish than this, even to be humiliated in my own eyes! But those servant girls you mentioned will indeed think I am distinguished!\u201d<\/span> <\/span>23\u00a0<\/sup>So Michal, the daughter of Saul, remained childless throughout her entire life. <\/span>2 Samuel 6:20-23, NLT<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

David was wearing a linen undergarment, resembling something of an an apron. It was thigh to knee length and would flop up as David danced. Did David deliberately expose himself before the servant girls? Or was David’s “nakedness” a symbol of humble worship before the Lord? Was David merely angry and used sarcasm to express his anger against Michal? Or was he making the point that he was chosen to lead? Is David’s point of appearing “distinguished” a reference to his genitalia? Or is David emphasizing that he is to be respected as God’s anointed king among the servants? Both rationales are possible depending on one’s perspective, interpretation, and motivation. My interpretation of this passage is that David’s obsession with women directed him to use his authority as king to have any woman he wanted whenever he wanted her, fitting the pattern of chronic sexual addiction.<\/p>\n

Michal at one time loved David and was happy to be married to him. However, neglected by her husband David, her marriage to him was annulled, and she was given in marriage by her father to another, and grew to love that<\/em> man as her husband. And then, forcefully reclaimed by David after her father died, Michal is installed back into this bizarre marriage with a this husband, David seems to have always had some sense of contempt for her. He appears to have sought out her counsel until she challenges him on a level that renders him uncomfortable. And there Michal would remain in a loveless marriage, not even with the honor of motherhood (since it is likely from Scripture that her and her husband, David. never consummated this marriage. So, Michal would never have children).<\/p>\n

David would go on to marry four more women, a practice common to kings and wealthy men in David’s time though never<\/em> sanctioned by God (Abraham had one<\/em> wife; Isaac had one<\/em> wife; and Jacob one<\/em> wife upon his conversion). During that time he would be sexually active with young, perhaps very young (preadolescent) female Egyptian servants as well. David took on a number of what are referred to as concubines (“sort of” wives), and he would have children with them. Concubines were typically Egyptian slaves of the palace that with David (and then with Solomon) also provided sexual services for their master. However, with all of these women at his beckoned call throughout the palace, David still had some time alone to look out over the city. Perhaps he worried about his army in battle. Maybe he was concerned for his children. Could he have been in prayer for the nation under his reign? Or, I suppose it was possible that this king was feeling discontent in his circumstances and wondering what it was he was missing.<\/p>\n

Once again, though David’s sin against God is terrifying, this not meant to be judgment against David any more than it is judgment of my own sin, and the nature of evil that lurks within me. There are certainly times when I am conflicted regarding my motivation in the behavioral choices I make. If I am entirely honest, I have schemed to get my way on something I didn’t deserve; episodes of coveting something (perhaps an opportunity personally or professionally) that belonged to someone else that I very much wanted for myself. There are moments when I go to God for what I<\/em> want and perceive that I need with impure motives. And, I’m not in the position to simply reach out and take<\/em> what I want (when I want it) the way David, the King of Israel, in this culture of depravity he may have lived in. (Not that the culture of the time is an excuse or justification for anything.)<\/p>\n

What is causing the quarrels and fights among you? Don\u2019t they come from the evil desires at war within you?<\/span> 2\u00a0<\/sup>You want what you don\u2019t have, so you scheme and kill to get it. You are jealous of what others have, but you can\u2019t get it, so you fight and wage war to take it away from them. Yet you don\u2019t have what you want because you don\u2019t ask God for it.<\/span> 3\u00a0<\/sup>And even when you ask, you don\u2019t get it because your motives are all wrong\u2014you want only what will give you pleasure.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

4\u00a0<\/sup>You adulterers! Don\u2019t you realize that friendship with the world makes you an enemy of God? I say it again: If you want to be a friend of the world, you make yourself an enemy of God.<\/span> 5\u00a0<\/sup>Do you think the Scriptures have no meaning? They say that God is passionate that the spirit he has placed within us should be faithful to him.<\/span> 6\u00a0<\/sup>And he gives grace generously. As the Scriptures say,<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\u201cGod opposes the proud <\/span>but gives grace to the humble.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

7\u00a0<\/sup>So humble yourselves before God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.<\/span> 8\u00a0<\/sup>Come close to God, and God will come close to you. Wash your hands, you sinners; purify your hearts, for your loyalty is divided between God and the world.<\/span> 9\u00a0<\/sup>Let there be tears for what you have done. Let there be sorrow and deep grief. Let there be sadness instead of laughter, and gloom instead of joy.<\/span> <\/span>10\u00a0<\/sup>Humble yourselves before the Lord, and he will lift you up in honor.\u00a0<\/span> James 4:1-10 (NLT)<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

David and Bathsheba<\/span><\/h3>\n

“When Nathan tells David the parable of the rich man who took the ewe, David is portrayed as stealing, not as two people running off together. Bathsheba is portrayed as an innocent lamb that is slaughtered. This is the exact imagery for rape from the Old Testament.”<\/span> <\/span><\/em><\/span>—<\/span>Rachel Denhollander<\/a>, Attorney, Advocate, and Author<\/span><\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

There is huge debate among religious scholars, apparently wanting (needing) to protect the legacy of David, who appear to believe that once Bathsheba was in David’s company, she more than acquiesced to David’s intentions for her. There is often the suggestion that Bathsheba was attracted to David, and perhaps seized the opportunity to be David’s wife and the mother of the future king with governing authority. After all, there is scripture of David promising Bathsheba that their son, Solomon, would indeed be his successor.<\/p>\n

I start with the biblical translation that clarifies that Bathsheba was engaged in a monthly purification—cleansing—ritual, washing herself after having her menstrual period. I have also included the translation more accurate to the original Hebrew text, and will explain why.<\/p>\n

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.\u00a0He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, \u201cShe is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

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.\u00a0<\/span> 2 Samuel 11:2-4 (NLT)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

While looking out over the city from the palace roof, David’s eyes beheld the beauty of Bathsheba while she bathed. It was customary for a woman bathe in a pool or something adjacent to the living quarters. It is likely that Bathsheba and her husband, a military commander, lived very comfortably with walls around the property. Bathsheba is washing as a means of purification after her menstrual period. While she was likely within the walls of her property, not visible to anyone else, King David could Bathsheba clearly from his vantage point in the palace tower.<\/p>\n

Some scholars suggest, that Bathsheba most likely was not naked. She probably had on a robe or gown as she washed. Either way, she caught the lustful eye of the king.\u00a0 Apparently, the king had nothing better to do. It’s very possible, even likely, that this is not<\/em> out of character for David. What the king wants, the king deserves. With responsibility as king, comes privilege as king.<\/p>\n

In my research for the latest edition of this article, I came across the study of Richard M. Davidson, who himself lived in Jerusalem for time. Dr. Davidson is a religious scholar and professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Andrews University Theological Seminary in Michigan.<\/p>\n

In his article, Did King David Rape Bathsheba? A Case Study in Narrative Theology<\/em>, Dr. Davidson does an incredible job breaking down the original Hebrew text of 2nd Samuel, chapters 11 and 12. If you put the title of the article into your browser’s search, click on the pdf version of the article by Richard M. Davidson, to read it for yourself.<\/p>\n

Dr. Davidson reveals clear indicators in the text from the scriptural text that David, as the primary subject, was absolutely in a position of power, and by way of his “messengers” (plural) takes<\/em> Bathsheba, summoning<\/em> her to the palace, as though she did not have a choice in the matter. David is the king, and though is a young woman of wealth, Bathsheba is a subject of the king. David then has sex with Bathsheba. Original translations of the text report that David “came to her”, meaning that he is in fact the initiator of the act.<\/p>\n

Dr. Davidson also writes that David was likely engaging in something inappropriate while looking out from his roof in the twilight between afternoon and evening (dusk)when it’s typical to bathe on your property. According to Jewish custom, it is inconsiderate of the privacy of your neighbors if you’re in a position of being able to look down from a higher vantage point to watch. David is aware, and likely was intentional in taking a peek. As he glanced down from the balcony, his eye caught this beautiful young girl. I suppose at that point, he went from glancing at Bathsheba to gazing at her.<\/p>\n

Dr. Davidson also refers to the punishment enforced upon David in 2 Samuel 12 when Nathan tells David that the same thing he did to Bathsheba, will be occur in his own experience as someone else lays down with his wives in full view, and that the same pattern of behavior will continue in David’s household.<\/p>\n

You will read in this article that David’s son, Amnon, will take<\/em> his half-sister, Tamar, once she is summoned by messenger to see him, and then Amnon rapes her.The difference between Tamar and Bathsheba is that Tamar knew her brother, and was fond of him. So she trusted him. Tamar said “no” to having sex with her brother, so he forced himself on her against her will raped her. Then, Amnon has Tamar taken away from him like the taking away of dirty dishes. She is devastated.<\/p>\n

The consequence to Amnon is that he will be murdered by representatives of the family, as ordered by his brother, Absalom, who follow that up by attempting a military coup to take the kingdom from his father. The consequence to Absalom is that he is eventually killed by his father’s henchman (against David’s intentions). The rape of Tamar by Amnon, and the behavior that included murder, represents a pattern of behavior carried down by David to his sons, as prophesied by Nathan.<\/p>\n

David’s son with Bathsheba, Solomon, reportedly had a thousand wives (700 wives and 300 concubines). How is that possible? Solomon was king for some 2000 weeks (almost 40 years). That’s a new wife every other week, give or take the number of Solomon’s wives before he became king. Unbelievable! Solomon took the Egyptian Pharaoh’s daughter to be his wife to cement a political alliance with Egypt. Is it possible that King Solomon, too, took young women against their will, made them wives, so that he had whoever he wanted, whenever he wanted her, whoever she was at any given time? Of course, it’s possible. How many were ordered into King Solomon’s bed at the same time?<\/p>\n

King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women besides Pharaoh\u2019s daughter\u2014Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Sidonians and Hittites.<\/span>\u00a0 They were from nations about which the Lord<\/span> had told the Israelites, \u201cYou must not intermarry with them, because they will surely turn your hearts after their gods.\u201d Nevertheless, Solomon held fast to them in love.<\/span> He had seven hundred wives of royal birth and three hundred concubines, and his wives led him astray.<\/span> As Solomon grew old, his wives turned his heart after other gods, and his heart was not fully devoted to the Lord<\/span> his God, as the heart of David his father had been.<\/span> He followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.<\/span> So Solomon did evil in the eyes of the Lord<\/span>; he did not follow the Lord<\/span> completely, as David his father had done.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

On a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the detestable god of Moab, and for Molek the detestable god of the Ammonites.<\/span> He did the same for all his foreign wives, who burned incense and offered sacrifices to their gods.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The Lord<\/span> became angry with Solomon because his heart had turned away from the Lord<\/span>, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice.<\/span> Although he had forbidden Solomon to follow other gods, Solomon did not keep the Lord<\/span>\u2019s command.<\/span> <\/span>So the Lord<\/span> said to Solomon, \u201cSince this is your attitude and you have not kept my covenant and my decrees, which I commanded you, I will most certainly tear the kingdom away from you and give it to one of your subordinates.<\/span> <\/span> 1 Kings 11:1-11 (NIV)<\/span><\/span>\u00a0<\/span>
\n<\/sup><\/p>\n

Like father, like son.<\/span><\/p>\n

Solomon also had people killed to serve his purposes. He took<\/em> young brides away from their husbands, just like his father had done. He pillaged communities and nations for property, possessions, and immense wealth. He was particularly fond of Egyptian horses. Solomon took whatever he wanted and whomever he wanted. He often built temples to the foreign gods of his foreign wives. The evil, addictive behavior of Solomon went way beyond the scope of his father, David, of whom this article is about. My comments about Solomon are for perspective that demonstrate the powerful cycle of addictive thinking and behavior.<\/p>\n

We, as the church community, are able to (justifiably) condemn the behavior of church leaders who have molested children and assaulted women. The church community has a tendency to villainize fallen preachers most often because of sexual (adulterous) sin and greed; especially greed and ambition that involves what is essentially stealing from parishioners; congregants. Typically, those who have fallen are gifted in preaching and teaching, healing, evangelism, prophecy, and can be so inspirational. We may wonder, how can someone so gifted fall like that?<\/p>\n

Yet, we prop up David and Solomon as great men of wisdom and character without adequately considering their<\/em> behavior, involving horrific atrocities. Like his father, David, there was much of the lifestyle of Solomon that today would rank with the most tyrannical of the world’s dictators of our day, when speaking of violations of human rights, social injustice, and so many more atrocities (genocide and slavery) of the past couple of centuries of so-called civility (compared to the thousands of years prior).<\/p>\n

David gave us the Psalms, and Solomon gave us the Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon (sometimes referred to as Song of Songs). How is it possible that such profound literary works of great wisdom came from those guys?<\/p>\n

I’ve digressed.<\/p>\n

For the remainder of this article, I will stick with David’s issues as they pertain to the problem of addiction, and the redemptive and restorative theme of merciful grace and divine favor that is promised when the sinner’s heart is contrite and repentant.<\/p>\n

The high and lofty one who lives in eternity, <\/span>the Holy One, says this:<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n\u201cI live in the high and holy place <\/span>with those whose spirits are contrite and humble.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\nI restore the crushed spirit of the humble <\/span>and revive the courage of those with repentant hearts.\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>Isaiah 57:15 (NLT)<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We read that David is a man of God. That being the case, he is a deeply flawed man of God, as many of us men are, even in the pursuit of godliness as men of faith.<\/p>\n

Each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. <\/span>Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.\u00a0<\/span> <\/span>James 1:14-15 (ESV)<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

The king coveted something, and in this case someone, that was not his. David made up his mind that this was going to happen. So, what if she was fifteen or so years old. So what if she was married. So what if David was a married man. So what if she was married to one of his commanders in the army. Consequence? What consequence? Consequence, be damned; this is happening!<\/p>\n

David was also sexually active with Egyptian concubines, the servants of his wives. He had children with them that are not recorded historically as his. Were many or most of them also teenage girls, victims of traumatic sexual assault committed by the king?<\/p>\n

David, the man after God’s own heart, is not all that concerned about how God will respond to what he has in mind for young Bathsheba; an adolescent child. It’s already a pattern of behavior, so why would this be any different?<\/p>\n

King David sent messengers to retrieve her. Bathsheba was brought to the king, who had sexual relations with her. Was Bathsheba a willing participant? Could she have been ambitious enough that she was a willing participant, intentionally seducing the king from her roof, and then got what she wanted? Was she was advised by by the king’s messenger that he values her company, and would like to get to know her better, and then went willingly to the king? Was Bathsheba, once in David’s company seduced by the king, and willingly became intimate with the King of Israel?<\/p>\n

Or, does it make more sense that David had her brought to him with one thing in mind, to have sex with this young teenage girl, whether she was willing or not? Was this sexual assault… rape? I think so. Even if neither Bathsheba or David was unmarried, what David did is despicable. It’s still rape!<\/p>\n

It’s important to note that if Bathsheba was recently in an arranged marriage she most likely would have been a young teenager and that much more<\/em> vulnerable. She may have willingly gone to the king’s quarters to hear of news about her husband, a commander in the Israeli army. Imagine the sudden fright Bathsheba experienced when she realized this was more than news about her husband, and much more than a casual visit.<\/p>\n

Now ladies, imagine for just a second, that your husband did something like that with the neighbor’s teenage daughter sunbathing by the pool. Her parents (possibly, your neighbor friends) are not home, and your husband somehow lures the girl into the house. Maybe, you’re not home, and somehow he got her into your house. Somehow, you find out that they had sex. What happens next?<\/p>\n

Men, even if you had a curious fantasy about the girl by the pool, as fleeting as it might be, can you imagine actually acting on it? Not only would it be adultery, and bring an end to your marriage and family life as you know it, IT’S A CRIMINAL ACT! It would end your life as you know it! King David, on the other hand? Not a problem. What consequence?<\/p>\n

I apologize if you, man or woman, are sickened by this. Upon examination of 2nd Samuel in the Old Testament, you’ll see that this is most likely what occurred between David and Bathsheba. And though there was no legal consequence to David, God saw the whole thing. God allowed the choices of the anointed king to play out.<\/p>\n

(Please understand that the point of emphasizing the severity of David’s addictive, horrifically deviant, sin is to bring into focus the merciful grace of God whenever any sinner repents.)<\/p>\n

Whether adultery or rape, these would not be David’s only crimes. When learning that Bathsheba became pregnant, it was obvious to David that the baby was his since her husband, Uriah had been away in battle for months. David got word to Uriah to take some leave and spend some quality time with his wife and family. If Uriah made love to his wife, it would not so be untimely that Bathsheba’s pregnancy would be the outcome of her time with her husband. But Uriah, out of respect for his fellow soldiers, warriors in the midst of battle, would not allow himself to experience pleasure by sleeping with his wife (I suppose a custom of nobility of some kind).<\/p>\n

When Uriah arrived, David asked him how Joab and the army were getting along and how the war was progressing.\u00a0Then he told Uriah, \u201cGo on home and relax.\u201d David even sent a gift to Uriah after he had left the palace.\u00a0But Uriah didn\u2019t go home. He slept that night at the palace entrance with the king\u2019s palace guard.<\/span><\/p>\n

When David heard that Uriah had not gone home, he summoned him and asked, \u201cWhat\u2019s the matter? Why didn\u2019t you go home last night after being away for so long?\u201d Uriah replied, \u201cThe Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents,\u00a0and Joab and my master\u2019s men are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I would never do such a thing.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWell, stay here today,\u201d David told him, \u201cand tomorrow you may return to the army.\u201d So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. Then David invited him to dinner and got him drunk. But even then he couldn\u2019t get Uriah to go home to his wife. Again he slept at the palace entrance with the king\u2019s palace guard.\u00a0 <\/span>2 Samuel 11:7-13<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“You’ve got to be kidding. I got him drunk; sent a gift with him that would enhance the mood, but… Now what do I do? The people can’t know that I am so heartless as to sleep with a commander’s wife while he’s fighting for our country. How now<\/em> do I cover up this \u00a0mess (addictive behavior) I’ve gotten myself into?” Typical of addicted people is that as mistakes are made it becomes imperative to cover it up through lies and deceit. “The more I mess up, the more I gotta cover and lie; and the more I cover and lie, the bigger my mess.”<\/p>\n

So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. The letter instructed Joab, \u201cStation Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.\u201d So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy\u2019s strongest men were fighting. And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.\u00a0 2 Samuel 11:14-17 (NLT)<\/span><\/p>\n

When Uriah\u2019s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.\u00a027<\/sup> When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.\u00a0<\/span> 2 Samuel 11:26-27 (NLT)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

“David wasn’t becoming more and more wicked, David was becoming more and more insane.”<\/em> <\/span>—Pastor Josh Fenska, Redeemer Community Church<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

At least for a time, David hadn’t a clue how his behavioral choices affected anyone else other than himself. His commander and friend would be killed. Uriah’s blood was on David’s hands. An entire family on Uriah’s side of things would be devastated. David’s wives must have been horrified, whether they actually knew anything about the event, or were simply left with obvious suspicions when Bathsheba’s husband is killed in battle, David marries her, and soon after she shows that she is pregnant.<\/p>\n

Bathsheba lived it. If she was raped by the king, impregnated by the man, and having to marry her rapist with barely a week to process this trauma, barely any time to grieve the death of the man she loved, how is she ever<\/em> truly happy with him? Or, does she in some jaded fashion, learn to live with it in order to somehow survive<\/em> the rest of her life, a loving mother to the children she would later have with the king (Solomon).<\/p>\n

Is that how it was for each of David’s wives, in lieu of these<\/em> accounts of this king’s behavior?<\/p>\n

David Confesses<\/span><\/h3>\n

Before moving on to the famous and romantically portrayed confession regarding his sin of sexual assault and murder, I would like you to consider this. Confession and repentance are not necessarily the same thing. Repentance suggests a willingness and effort to terminate the pattern of sinful behavior, empowered by the Holy Spirit of God. David, however, has most likely continued the pattern of behavior confessed with such raw emotion in Psalm 51. There is a confession of another kind, written by David much later in life, that is quite pitiful. It sounds as though David is desperately begging God to stop punishing him. He sounds like an addict suffering from withdrawal. Whatever David’s addictions (drugs, sex, wealth, power, risk, jealousy, resentment, worry), they had taken their toll. Take a look, from Psalm 38.<\/p>\n

\n

1\u00a0<\/sup>O Lord<\/span>, don\u2019t rebuke me in your, anger <\/span>or discipline me in your rage!<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n2\u00a0<\/sup>Your arrows have struck deep, <\/span>and your blows are crushing me.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n3\u00a0<\/sup>Because of your anger, my whole body is sick; <\/span>my health is broken because of my sins.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n4\u00a0<\/sup>My guilt overwhelms me\u2014<\/span>it is a burden too heavy to bear.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n5\u00a0<\/sup>My wounds fester and stink <\/span>because of my foolish sins.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n6\u00a0<\/sup>I am bent over and racked with pain. <\/span>All day long I walk around filled with grief.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n7\u00a0<\/sup>A raging fever burns within me, <\/span>and my health is broken.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n8\u00a0<\/sup>I am exhausted and completely crushed. <\/span>My groans come from an anguished heart.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

\n

9\u00a0<\/sup>You know what I long for, Lord; <\/span>you hear my every sigh.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n10\u00a0<\/sup>My heart beats wildly, my strength fails, <\/span>and I am going blind.<\/span><\/span><\/span>
\n11\u00a0<\/sup>My loved ones and friends stay away, fearing my disease. <\/span>Even my own family stands at a distance.\u00a0 <\/span>Psalm 38:1-11 (NLT)<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n

As the story goes, King David was so caught up in himself that he did not consider the gravity of his egregious behavior against even the most fundamental precepts of God as it pertains to creation, life, and worship to God. David had lost his way; that is until Nathan, his trusted advisor and beloved friend, got up the courage to confront his friend who was, first and foremost, King of Israel. Here is what Nathan the prophet said to David:<\/p>\n

\u201cThere were two men in a certain town. One was rich, and one was poor.\u00a0The rich man owned a great many sheep and cattle.\u00a0The poor man owned nothing but one little lamb he had bought. He raised that little lamb, and it grew up with his children. It ate from the man\u2019s own plate and drank from his cup. He cuddled it in his arms like a baby daughter.\u00a0One day a guest arrived at the home of the rich man. But instead of killing an animal from his own flock or herd, he took the poor man\u2019s lamb and killed it and prepared it for his guest.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

David was furious. \u201cAs surely as the Lord\u00a0lives,\u201d he vowed, \u201cany man who would do such a thing deserves to die!\u00a0He must repay four lambs to the poor man for the one he stole and for having no pity.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Then Nathan said to David, \u201cYou are that man! The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul. I gave you your master\u2019s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more. Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.”\u00a0<\/span> 2 Samuel 12:1-9 (NLT)<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Nathan would go on to prophecy that David would experience the circumstances of his addictive sin. David’s first newborn child with Bathsheba became sick and died. The consequences are what they are and David’s family would reap what they sowed. David fell prostrate on the ground and repented of his sin to God, from which we get the following famous Psalm of repentance, Psalm 51:<\/p>\n

1<\/sup> Have mercy on me, O God, because of your unfailing love.<\/span>
\n Because of your great compassion, blot out the stain of my sins.<\/span>
\n 2<\/sup> Wash me clean from my guilt. Purify me from my sin.<\/span>
\n 3<\/sup> For I recognize my rebellion; it haunts me day and night.<\/span>
\n 4<\/sup> Against you, and you alone, have I sinned; I have done what is evil in your sight.<\/span>
\n You will be proved right in what you say, and your judgment against me is just.<\/span>
\n 5<\/sup> For I was born a sinner\u2014 yes, from the moment my mother conceived me.<\/span>
\n 6<\/sup> But you desire honesty from the womb, teaching me wisdom even there.<\/span><\/p>\n

7<\/sup> Purify me from my sins, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.<\/span>
\n 8<\/sup> Oh, give me back my joy again; you have broken me\u2014now let me rejoice.<\/span>
\n 9<\/sup> Don\u2019t keep looking at my sins. Remove the stain of my guilt.<\/span>
\n 10<\/sup> Create in me a clean heart, O God. Renew a loyal spirit within me.<\/span>
\n 11<\/sup> Do not banish me from your presence, and don\u2019t take your Holy Spirit\u00a0from me.<\/span><\/p>\n

12<\/sup> Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and make me willing to obey you.<\/span>
\n 13<\/sup> Then I will teach your ways to rebels, and they will return to you.<\/span>
\n 14<\/sup> Forgive me for shedding blood, O God who saves; then I will joyfully sing of your forgiveness.<\/span>
\n 15<\/sup> Unseal my lips, O Lord, that my mouth may praise you.<\/span><\/p>\n

16<\/sup> You do not desire a sacrifice, or I would offer one. You do not want a burnt offering.<\/span>
\n 17<\/sup> The sacrifice you desire is a broken spirit. You will not reject a broken and repentant heart, O God.<\/span>
\n 18<\/sup> Look with favor on Zion and help her; rebuild the walls of Jerusalem.<\/span>
\n 19<\/sup> Then you will be pleased with sacrifices offered in the right spirit\u2014with burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings. Then bulls will again be sacrificed on your altar.<\/span><\/p>\n

What an incredible prayer of repentance. David hit all the right notes. He did know the heart of God. He understood that no matter how vile and deviant his sin, and no matter who all he violated as a result of his sin, ultimately all that mattered was that he sinned against God. He violated the law of God carrying with it the most severe of consequences. David spoke of his sin as being guilty of hostile rebellion and evil. It would require the mercy of a compassionate God of unfailing love to be cleansed of his guilt and shame. It would require this king to be completely broken and contrite before God to experience true repentance. David knew intellectually that any act of sacrificial worship would need to be from this broken repentant heart since if his lifestyle did not reflect as such his acts of praise to God would be in vain. He cannot worship two masters. To worship by living to please himself would render his praise to God as insincere and nullify the benefit of true spiritual worship in his life.<\/p>\n

So the question for David is the same as it would be for you and me: What in the life of David changed? Consider the following passage from 2nd Samuel, chapter 12:<\/p>\n

13\u00a0<\/sup>Then David confessed to Nathan, \u201cI have sinned against the Lord<\/span>.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Nathan replied, \u201cYes, but the Lord<\/span> has forgiven you, and you won\u2019t die for this sin.<\/span> 14\u00a0<\/sup>Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord<\/span>\u00a0by doing this, your child will die.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

15\u00a0<\/sup>After Nathan returned to his home, the Lord<\/span> sent a deadly illness to the child of David and Uriah\u2019s wife.<\/span> 16\u00a0<\/sup>David begged God to spare the child. He went without food and lay all night on the bare ground.<\/span> 17\u00a0<\/sup>The elders of his household pleaded with him to get up and eat with them, but he refused.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

18\u00a0<\/sup>Then on the seventh day the child died. David\u2019s advisers were afraid to tell him. \u201cHe wouldn\u2019t listen to reason while the child was ill,\u201d they said. \u201cWhat drastic thing will he do when we tell him the child is dead?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

19\u00a0<\/sup>When David saw them whispering, he realized what had happened. \u201cIs the child dead?\u201d he asked.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYes,\u201d they replied, \u201che is dead.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

20\u00a0<\/sup>Then David got up from the ground, washed himself, put on lotions, and changed his clothes. He went to the Tabernacle and worshiped the Lord<\/span>. After that, he returned to the palace and was served food and ate.<\/span><\/p>\n

21\u00a0<\/sup>His advisers were amazed. \u201cWe don\u2019t understand you,\u201d they told him. \u201cWhile the child was still living, you wept and refused to eat. But now that the child is dead, you have stopped your mourning and are eating again.\u201d\u00a0 <\/span>2 Samuel 12:13-21 (NLT)<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/p>\n

22\u00a0<\/sup>David replied, \u201cI fasted and wept while the child was alive, for I said, \u2018Perhaps the Lord<\/span> will be gracious to me and let the child live.\u2019<\/span> 23\u00a0<\/sup>But why should I fast when he is dead? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him one day, but he cannot return to me.\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

24\u00a0<\/sup>Then David comforted Bathsheba, his wife, and slept with her. She became pregnant and gave birth to a son, and David named him Solomon. The Lord<\/span> loved the child <\/span>25\u00a0<\/sup>and sent word through Nathan the prophet that they should name him Jedidiah (which means \u201cbeloved of the Lord<\/span>\u201d), as the Lord<\/span> had commanded.\u00a0<\/span> 2 Samuel 12:13-24 (NLT)<\/span>
\n<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

We have this wonderful record of David’s prayer from Psalm 51. Was David writing a prayerful note to God as he prayed and fasted for his dying son? David fasted for a week. When his newborn son died, David returned to the temple to worship, whatever that meant to David, in the light of these circumstances. Maybe it true worship, or perhaps a ritualistic formality and process, of some kind. Who can know? Only God knows. It’s not for me to judge. David, today, is in the presence of Jesus in glory, as is Bathsheba, Uriah, and most of those mentioned in this article.<\/p>\n

It is suspect to me that considering the trauma suffered repeatedly by Bathsheba by David’s behavior regarding her, that she would find comfort in his arms; the man who nine months prior, forced himself upon her and then murder the husband she treasured. Was she resigned to her fate as another one of this tyrant’s wives, and so came to love him? Or, is this a case when a man of such power and privilege held Bathsheba intending to comfort her, as she cringed in another moment of her post-traumatic experience only to perhaps be traumatized again and again as her murderous\/rapist husband penetrated her in her bed in the hopes of bearing beautiful children with his beautiful young wife of (what?) sixteen years of age or so?<\/p>\n

No matter the traditional customs of 1000 B.C or there abouts, terror is terror to a young girl, and trauma is trauma. In the way the scripture is written, it appears it wasn’t long before David was intimate with Bathsheba. Had God given Bathsheba the grace to love this man, God’s anointed King of Israel, or would she beg God to protect her from him… to comfort her, and to give her strength to withstand his advances and endure her suffering? No doubt, during a time when women were treated as not much more than caregivers of children, caretakers of their home, and playthings for men’s gratification, was she told by other women that it was her duty as a wife to oblige her husband sexually; regardless of their history together.<\/p>\n

For the sake of full disclosure, I will inform you that there are scholarly types with material (that you can easily find on the internet) that will suggest a completely different story pertaining to this account; flipping this script entirely. They will claim that this beautiful young siren, Bathsheba, shrewdly lured David into paying attention to her as she openly and provocatively bathed, perhaps unclothed, in clear view of the king’s palace balcony. They’ll suggest that the scriptural reference to Bathsheba’s purification time of cleansing during her menstrual cycle is a deliberate cue to David that, not only does she want to be intimate with the king, but desires to bear his child.<\/p>\n

These scholarly types would like you to believe that Bathsheba is motivated by ambition and greed to rule with a son on the throne promised by the king around the time of Solomon’s birth; something she would contend for as David neared death, even though another successor had already been appointed.<\/p>\n

I suppose the story could be spun to suggest that this young, most likely, teenage girl could be so manipulative as to set in play this incredible cycle of events; including her own pregnancy, and the murder of her husband. About that, they would also like you to believe that Uriah would not go to his wife when his commander in chief summoned him because he had been told of their affair, perhaps even her pregnancy, and wanted nothing to do with her. So, David would send Uriah back into combat to have him killed; which likely resulted in the death of other Jewish soldiers.<\/p>\n

The Reality of Consequences<\/span><\/h3>\n

Was it the intentional plan of God that a man be married to more than one woman… ever… whether in this day and age, or during biblical times?<\/p>\n