COVETOUSNESS: Lesson 13 David Covets Bathsheba

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And when he (the Lord) had removed him (Saul), he raised up unto them David to be their king; to whom also he gave testimony, and said, I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfil all my will (Acts 13:22). See also: 1 Sam. 13:14; 2 Sam. 2:4; 1 Kings 15:5.

What is the history of David and Bathsheba? For a moment, consider some of the background of their situation. We read in 2 Samuel 3 and 2 Samuel 4 that Saul’s son, Ishbosheth, who began to reign over Israel after Saul’s death, has been murdered by two captains of his own guard. In 2 Samuel 5:1-3, David is crowned king over Israel, and by this time he is in the prime of his life, only 37 or so years old (2 Sam. 5:3-5). After battle with the Philistines (2 Sam. 5: 17-25), David was able to recover the Ark Of The Covenant which had been captured when Samuel was young, and to bring it back to Jerusalem with great rejoicing (1 Sam. 4:11; 2 Sam. 6:6-7; 2 Sam. 6:12-17). He loved the Lord enough to desire to build a house for Him, but was told that his son would build it instead (2 Sam. 7:12-13; 1 Chron. 28:6). The Lord was with him to secure his throne and give him victory over all his enemies (2 Sam. 8:1-18). (See verses 14-18, and also chapter 10). These are long readings, but vital for understanding King David’s temptation.

Then read 2 Sam. 11:2-27. David’s is the sad account of a temptation during an era when God’s people had not been guaranteed a way of escape (1 Cor. 10:13).  We are not told why King David did not go to battle with his army, but we know he did not (2 Sam. 11:1). After running from Saul for approximately ten years, he may have been weary and felt the need of a rest. We can only glean bits and pieces of the rough introduction to his new position as king over both Judah and Israel. Some had not learned to trust him yet, so his kindnesses to them had been spurned (2 Sam. 10).  The fact remains: David was at home, rose from his bed and walked on his roof-top during the evening. He was now king of the whole nation of Israel and his power and authority established, but he fell into a great temptation.

Consider that David had already inherited or was given his wives (2 Sam. 12:7-8), but seeing Bathsheba brought a new temptation to call a very beautiful woman to himself. He coveted her and sent for her. As the king, he had every right to choose who would serve him in any capacity, but Bathsheba belonged to a warrior in David’s army (2 Sam. 11:3-4). When David called her, it was approximately seven days after her “flowers” had passed and she had been purified according to the Law (Lev. 12:2-5; Lev. 15:19-28; Lev. 15:30-33). Conception took place immediately. We are not told why David did not confess his sin, or why he determined to conceal it with a murder which could look like a normal battle event, but he did.

As we have seen, 2 Samuel 11 gives the details. We are left to wonder how and why such an egregious sin could tempt a man who had overcome so many other temptations (1 Kings 15:5). Even when he almost took vengeance against Nabal, the Lord saved him by the counsel of Abigail and he was spared (1 Sam. 25).

Use the following questions to help understand more; let the scriptures do the teaching.

  1. Under the Old Testament what was the command concerning taking another man’s wife [adultery] (Exo. 20:14, 17; Lev. 20:10)?
  2. King David had a right to make any woman in Israel his wife, but when his messengers told him who Bathsheba belonged to, what should he have remembered that would help him to overcome the temptation (Exo. 20:17; Pro. 5:15-21)?
  3. Why did he determine to kill Uriah after Uriah refused to go home (Pro. 6:30-34)?
  4. According to Romans 13:9-10 what consideration should King David have given to Uriah?
  5. What spirit did David have when he was confronted with his sin (Psa. 34:18; 51:17)?
  6. Was King David forgiven when he confessed (2 Sam. 12:13)?
  7. What principle did David follow that caused God to forgive his sin (Pro. 28:13)?
  8. Was forgiveness the end of the matter (Psa. 99:8)?
  9. Even though David was forgiven, what three things did God promise as a punishment for his sin (2 Sam. 12:7-14)?
  10. When and how were those promises fulfilled? Cite scripture references.
  11. David didn’t have the New Testament command in Hebrews 13:5-6, but if he had considered that principle, would he have been better equipped to resist the temptation to take another man’s wife? He probably did have that knowledge and understanding, but it wasn’t on his mind at the time.
  12. Was King David tempted in a way that was not common to men?  Was his temptation any different than the ones we face (1 Cor. 10:11-13)?
  13. What does the New Testament tell us about the same sins (Rom. 13:9)?
  14. Are all temptations of the same degree, or are some temptations more severe than others (Luke 22:31)?
  15. We have a choice when we are tempted to do wrong: We can get as close to it as possible without actually doing wrong, or we can get as far away from it as possible and put it out of our thoughts. Which does God say a prudent person will do? When David caught sight of a woman washing herself, what should he have done that could have avoided Satan’s trap (Pro. 22:3-5; Rom. 13:14; Job 31:1)?
  16. Is it possible for a thought to be sinful (Matt. 5:27-28)?
  17. Can we meddle with evil things or even think about wrong things (like reading inappropriate books or watching questionable movies) and then expect to come away without any damage to our hearts (Pro. 6:27-28; Pro. 4:23-27)?
  18. Can I do something wrong, hide it, and expect not to suffer any consequences for it or any punishment (Eccl. 8:11-13; Psa. 10:11-14; Matt. 10:26; 2 Cor. 5:9-11; Pro. 28:13-14)?
  19. According to 2 Timothy 2:22 and 1 Corinthians 6:18, what should we do when temptation presents itself to us?
  20. From where does all sin come (Mark 7:21-23)?
  21. What could make the temptation to commit fornication or adultery stronger for the unmarried (1 Cor. 7:1-5)?
  22. What is the conclusion to the whole matter for all of us (Ecc. 12:13-14)?

COVETOUSNESS: Lesson 9 – Balaam

Posted on by BETH

COVETOUSNESS

Lesson 9—Balaam

Balaam loved the wages of unrighteousness (2 Pet. 2:15). You will find the account of Balaam’s wicked betrayal of Israel in Numbers, chapters 22 to 24. The reading is long, but well worth the time you will spend to understand this covetous man. Balaam has been described as a prophet, a magician and a soothsayer (Josh. 13:22). He was summoned by the Moabite king, Balak, to curse the Israelites before they entered Canaan (Num. 22:5-24:25; Deut. 23:4-5).

The New Testament mentions Balaam in three passages. Peter speaks of false teachers who “…have forsaken the right way, and are gone astray, following the way of Balaam the son of Bosor, who loved the wages of unrighteousness” (2 Peter 2:15). Jude speaks of backsliders who “…ran greedily after the error of Balaam for reward…” (Jude 11). Balaam’s error was greed or covetousness, and obviously he was well paid to bring a curse upon the people of Israel.

The nature of Balaam’s curse is made clear by John in the Book of Revelation. It refers to some members of the church in Pergamos who held “the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balak to put a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication” (Rev. 2:14).

Before leaving Balak, Balaam apparently told the Moabite leader how Israel could be defeated if its people were seduced to worship Baal, “…to eat things sacrificed to idols and to commit fornication” (Rev. 2:14). This was exactly what happened. Israel was strong while she remained faithful to Jehovah, but she incurred the curse which Balaam could not inflict, the moment that the men of Israel committed whoredom with the daughters of Moab (Num. 25:1, 6; 31:15-16). In condemning “the way of Balaam,” the New Testament condemns the greed of all who are well paid to tempt God’s people to compromise their moral standards.

QUESTIONS:

1. What was Balak’s original offer to Balaam (Num. 22:16-17)?

2. Why did King Balak send more honorable men to Balaam the second time?

3. Whose idea was it to get money for cursing Israel (Num. 22:16-19)?

4. What was in Balaam’s mind from the beginning? (Num. 22:18)?

5. Was Balaam sincere in his desire to speak only what the Lord had put in his mouth (Num. 22:38; 23:12)?

6. Why did Balaam ask God the second time with the same question when he already knew God’s answer?

7. What did Balak offer to give to Balaam (Num. 22:16-17)?

8. Can we prove that Balaam got money from King Balak (Jude 11)?

9. Give the context and teaching about those who are like Balaam (Jude 11).

10. Think of as many kinds of people in the world today as you can who might be paid to seduce God’s people to do wrong.

COVETOUSNESS: LESSON 1–Eve Coveted the Forbidden Fruit

Posted on by BETH

COVETOUSNESS

Lesson 1

EVE COVETED THE FORBIDDEN FRUIT

Gen 2:15-18—And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.  And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die. And the LORD God said, It is not good that the man should be alone; I will make him an help meet for him.

Gen 2:21-24—And the LORD God caused a deep sleep to fall upon Adam and he slept: and he took one of his ribs, and closed up the flesh instead thereof; And the rib, which the LORD God had taken from man, made he a woman, and brought her unto the man.  And Adam said, This is now bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh: she shall be called Woman, because she was taken out of Man. Therefore shall a man leave his father and his mother, and shall cleave unto his wife: and they shall be one flesh. 

We can easily see in these passages that Adam and Eve were given a specific job to do and that job, although a pleasant one, had restrictions.  Adam and Eve were to dress and keep the garden God had created.  They were given the freedom and the privilege of eating from any tree they chose—except for one.  The LORD showed it to them and very clearly gave the reason for not eating.

Gen 3:1-6—Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden? And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden: But of the fruit of the tree which is in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die. And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die: For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil. And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Appealing to Eve’s desire to be better and to her weakness in desiring a shortcut to get it, Satan subtly pointed out to Eve the advantages of disobeying the Creator of all to gain something for herself.  He turned her attention away from her responsibility to serve and obey her Creator to things that she could get.  Notice what Satan said would be the benefits and what Eve ultimately concluded.

• In direct contradiction to the LORD, Satan said, “You shall NOT surely die.” Using the same word with a different meaning, Satan turned Eve’s attention away from God’s statement that she would die spiritually in the day she sinned by disobeying His command.  Or, he could have simply contradicted God’s statement.  He could also have indicated that God meant physical death—that she would not die physically the day she ate of it.  In any case, Eve lacked faith and believed Satan’s word above God’s word.  Eve was thus deceived.  She no longer believed that she would die.

• Then Satan attributed an evil motive to the Lord by saying, “God knows you will become like gods, knowing good and evil.”

By this means, Satan subtly turned Eve’s attention to God’s wisdom with the hope she could get it by simply eating some fruit.  Every person wants to be wise, so Satan appealed to a natural desire in all men.  Satan’s words were at least partially correct.  Eve was not deceived by this statement for she did learn what good and evil was.  False teachers, like Satan, many times quote scripture and speak the truth, but only with the distinct intention of turning souls to their false doctrines.  We should not be deceived into believing that just because a teacher gives some parts of truth that everything he teaches is truth. Like Satan, false teachers may impart much good for they are Satan’s ministers and follow his pattern to tell enough truth to turn God’s children to evil.

Being a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44), Satan first caused Eve to covet the ability to be as gods with the knowledge of good and evil.  In doing this, she appeared to forget the warning about death coming to her the day she ate.  Possibly Eve did not know what spiritual death was.  If she believed God spoke about physical death, she had to reject God’s truth and believe Satan’s lie.  In either case she was certainly deceived by Satan’s half truths and lies. Her response was consider her own personal desires and judgment rather than to trust her Creator.. 

• It was good for food.

• It was pleasant to the eyes.

• It was desired to make one wise.

Benevolent lady that she was, she shared the coveted fruit with her husband who obviously let her lead him into rejecting the command of God.  Thus, sin came into the world because Eve coveted wisdom, beauty and food.  Eve’s covetousness led to Adam’s and her spiritual death by sin (Rom 7:7-9).  We see the LORD’s view of what took place in the Garden of Eden through His words in 1 Timothy 2:13-15. “For Adam was first formed, then Eve. And Adam was not deceived, but the woman being deceived was in the transgression.”

No mention is made of the incident after Genesis 3:24 until Paul, in defense of his apostleship in 2 Corinthians 11:3 says, “But I fear, lest by any means, as the serpent beguiled Eve through his subtlety, so your minds should be corrupted from the simplicity that is in Christ.”  Paul was concerned that the Corinthians had left the pathway (job they had been given to do) to follow after “another Jesus” and “another gospel.”

QUESTIONS:

1. What/who caused Eve to covet the forbidden fruit?  How was this brought about?

2. Was Eve exonerated because she was enticed and lied to (Gen. 3:16)?

3. What did the Lord do to punish Adam and Eve for their sin (Gen. 3:14-24)?

4. What happened to the young prophet who believed an old prophet’s lie (1 Kings 13:1-34)?  

5. What should the young prophet have said when the old prophet contradicted what God had told him?  What should Eve have said to Satan?

6. Notice Satan’s twist of the words “surely die” in Genesis 3:4.  Did Satan give Eve the right understanding of God’s promise of death (1 Tim. 2:14)?

7. Which kind of death was Paul speaking of in Romans 7:7-9?

8. Which kind of death came to Eve in the Garden of Eden and how do you know (Rom. 7:7-9; 8:2)?

9. Decisions bring consequences.  Tell what decision(s) Eve made and what the consequences were.

10. Research Question:  Study about two kinds of death spoken of in the scriptures.  Explain which one comes as the result of sin.  What is the “second death (Rev. 2:11; 20:6, 14; 21:8) ?”