Sin

by Ben

I read today's lesson in the One-Minute Bible 4 Students (OMB4S), which consisted of: 2 Samuel 11:14-17, 26-27; 2 Samuel 12:13-14; and Romans 6:23. I also read the related texts: Numbers 32:23; 2 Samuel 12:15-25; Proverbs 26:27; Matthew 1:1-6; and Hebrews 13:4.

I'm trying out the OMB4S because I think I'm going to use it with one of my youth small groups coming up this fall. It is really cool because it has for each day of the year a main Scriptures to read, some related Scripture verses, and a thought that relates to the passage.

In the texts for today, which were all related by the concept of sin, one of the passages was about David sending Uriah (Bathsheba's husband) to the front line of his armed forces, so he would be killed and then David could take Bathsheba as his wife. An obvious wrong from our eyes. And I'll bet David wasn't blind to the sin of it either. In the heat of the moment, I'd wager he knew exactly what he was doing, but he was just so overtaken with sin that he didn't care. He turned his back on God.

The most interesting thing about these passages though, is what we learn through the prophet Nathan. David confesses his sin to Nathan and Nathan says very simply, "Yes, but the Lord has forgiven you, and you won't die for this sin. But you have given the enemies of the Lord great opportunity to despise and blaspheme him, so your child will die."

Whoa. I started thinking about this. We look to David's words today for comfort and guidance in how to connect to God. I know that I have thought once or twice about the whole Bathsheba/Uriah incident while reading some of the Psalms and wondered why I should be paying any attention to what David had to say. I would guess that the slander against one of God's chosen would be much worse from a non-believer. And that is modern day. Think to how it could have been in David's time. And all the way through history since then. How many people's faith has been shaken by David's sin?

A little closer to home: How many people's faith will be shaken by my sins? Or yours? God forgives us, but the act is not forgotten. How does what we do today affect our children or grandchildren?

The thought for today is:
"Another way to identify sin is 'the wrong use of a right thing.'"

How easy it is for us to sit back and say that we did nothing wrong today. Sure, we aren't sending someone to die so that we can steal their wife (well, some are), but we do commit sins of our own.

I'm sorry Father.