God Is Great
Introduction
To some, it is a story of judgment and condemnation. Others see it as a story of grace, restoration, and hope. For those willing to admit their sin and accept God's judgment, grace, and restoration, it is both.
For those of us who have experienced moral failure, divorce, or other such life experience, it is a message of hope, healing, and restoration that reminds us that God's agenda is not to crush sinners under his feet, but to heal them and restore their relationship with Him.
For the sake of fast page loading, we've divided this study into four parts. In Part 1, The Sin, we will examine how David and Bathsheba got into this mess in the first place. Part 2, The Cover-up, looks at the frantic efforts of David to hide his sin. Part 3, The Condemnation, is a look at God's efforts to straighten out His servant. Part 4, The Restoration, studies God's grace and restoration in the lives of both partners. Scripture references are taken from the 1995 Edition of the New American Standard Version.
The realization that God's agenda is one of healing and restoration will change your perspective oneverything. It is my prayer that this study will have as much impact in your life as it has had in mine.
Part 1: The Sin
The story begins in 2 Samuel 11:1:
1 Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.
At the very root of David's problems, we find a king who wasn't where he belonged. If David had been out in the battlefield, where the king was supposed to be, instead of hanging around the palace looking at naked women, this whole incident would have never happened. Some have suggested that David may have been battling depression, or having a "mid-life crisis." In either event, he wasn't where he belonged -- which, at least in my life, is often the first step of a downhill slide.
2 Now when
To some, it is a story of judgment and condemnation. Others see it as a story of grace, restoration, and hope. For those willing to admit their sin and accept God's judgment, grace, and restoration, it is both.
For those of us who have experienced moral failure, divorce, or other such life experience, it is a message of hope, healing, and restoration that reminds us that God's agenda is not to crush sinners under his feet, but to heal them and restore their relationship with Him.
For the sake of fast page loading, we've divided this study into four parts. In Part 1, The Sin, we will examine how David and Bathsheba got into this mess in the first place. Part 2, The Cover-up, looks at the frantic efforts of David to hide his sin. Part 3, The Condemnation, is a look at God's efforts to straighten out His servant. Part 4, The Restoration, studies God's grace and restoration in the lives of both partners. Scripture references are taken from the 1995 Edition of the New American Standard Version.
The realization that God's agenda is one of healing and restoration will change your perspective oneverything. It is my prayer that this study will have as much impact in your life as it has had in mine.
Part 1: The Sin
The story begins in 2 Samuel 11:1:
1 Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem.
At the very root of David's problems, we find a king who wasn't where he belonged. If David had been out in the battlefield, where the king was supposed to be, instead of hanging around the palace looking at naked women, this whole incident would have never happened. Some have suggested that David may have been battling depression, or having a "mid-life crisis." In either event, he wasn't where he belonged -- which, at least in my life, is often the first step of a downhill slide.
2 Now when