2 Samuel 11 records a disturbing event: David, the man after God’s own heart, crashing and burning and not only committing adultery, but then arranging for the murder of his lover’s husband. What in the world happened here, and what lessons can we learn?

This is probably a familiar story to most, so I won’t recap. Just read 2 Samuel 11 on your own. There surely are many reading this blog who, like me, have heard 20-30 sermons (minimum) about this event. So, I’m not inventing the wheel – but for the next couple of days I’d like to camp on this and look at the aspects of this account that I find to be most compelling.

In the words of Julie Andrews (my personal favorite flibbertijibbet, will-o’-the wisp, and clown!), “let’s start at the very beginning: a very good place to start.”

2 Samuel 11:1 – It happened in the spring of the year, 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 people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.

Lesson one: David is not where he is supposed to be!

As king of Israel, he had been given an important task which included protecting the people God placed in his care. As king, he should have been with his troops. He chose to stay at home and not do his task, for whatever reason, and it set him up to fail.

Anytime we are not fulfilling the tasks given us to do or avoiding our responsibilities, we are setting ourselves up for failure. Personally, what are the primary tasks God has given to me? Titus 2:4-5 sums up the job of young married women as

“to love their husbands and children, to be self-controlled and pure, to be busy at home, to be kind, and to be subject to their husbands, so that no one will malign the word of God.”

[I already dealt with my own journey of reluctance to accept this high calling back in The Nobility of Motherhood, so I won't rehash. If you're resistant to this and think that I wouldn't understand, read that post!]

Girls, our divinely given job is to love our families, to manage and care for our homes, and to control ourselves! Like it or not, these difficult and humbling responsibilities directly attack the common tendencies of women to become self-indulgent, gossipy and meddling, controlling, etc. If I truly love my husband and children, God constantly teaches me the true meaning of sacrificial love and putting another’s needs ahead of my own. If I’m keeping myself busy at home (and wow – there is a never-ending supply of work to do at home!), I don’t have time to gossip and meddle in other people’s affairs! If I’m learning to be self-controlled and pure, I’m going to be modest and not trying to gain attention or control over others through my physical appearance, my social influence, etc (among a host of other things!)

If I neglect these things, I set myself up for disaster. Notice what Paul says is at stake: the Word of God could be maligned! Ungodly, unsubmissive women who engage in gossip, self-indulgence and immodesty, and neglect their calling at home are a huge blight on the message of the Gospel.

So, our take-away for today is: do what you have been called to do. Do it well. We must busy our hands and hearts with what is most important, so that we don’t find ourselves stumbling into sin simply because we have nothing better to do!

On that note, I need to turn off my computer and go clean this house. And make dinner. And wipe some runny noses. It is a high calling, ladies – never underestimate the impact of small acts of obedience and self-sacrifice. Do it all for the glory of God!

For the grace of God that brings salvation has appeared to all men. It teaches us to say “No” to ungodliness and worldly passions, and to live self-controlled, upright and godly lives in this present age, while we wait for the blessed hope—the glorious appearing of our great God and Savior, Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us to redeem us from all wickedness and to purify for himself a people that are his very own, eager to do what is good.
Titus 2:11-14