“But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.” - 2 Samuel 11:27
As humans, we need others to keep us accountable. A person without accountability soon drifts far beyond the line of acceptable behavior. That is why we often hear reports of scandal and wrongdoing among those in lofty positions. When a man or woman reaches the highest job in their company, they tend to think they are no longer required to answer to others. When a person thinks like this, it is just a matter of time before they fall.
Church leaders are no different. There are some who've established churches and ministries and have seen these ministries reach large crowds. Thinking that they are not accountable to others, the behavior of such ministry leaders go off the rails. Soon we hear of their termination and humiliation. Moral, ethical and financial compromise has brought down many who thought they were invincible in their position.
We tend to think that such behavior is common only for our times, but that isn't so. The Scriptures reveal such a sad saga in the life of a prominent leader. His name was David. David was the King of Israel. He was a popular leader. He had led his army to victory numerous times. He was feared by his enemies. He was a man after God's own heart.
Yet David sinned. He sinned greatly. Rather than going to battle with his troops, he stayed home one day. While on his roof top, he watched a beautiful woman bathing. Her name was Bathsheba. Soon he committed adultery with her. A while later, she sent word to David that she was expecting his child. Yet that was not the end.
Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, was a soldier in David's army. Uriah was away at battle (where David should have been). In an attempt to cover-up his sin, David had Uriah brought back to the palace. Under the ruse of giving a report of the battle's progress, David had privately schemed for Uriah to return and be with his wife, so it would appear that her child was conceived during Uriah's visit. Yet Uriah was an honorable man. He refused to go home. He stayed at the palace, stating that it was wrong for him to go home when the other soldiers were on the battle line. David tried a second time to get Uriah to go home, yet the soldier refused.
Sounds like a bad soap opera, doesn't it? Yet David's scheming didn't stop there. He send Uriah back to battle. David had Uriah carry secret written instructions for the commander. The instructions were to have Uriah placed at a vulnerable point in the batter, then have the soldiers retreat. In other words, Uriah would be killed in battle. When word came back that Uriah had indeed died at war, Bathsheba went through her grieving period, then David married her. His cover-up seemed to work.
But God saw everything and wasn't pleased. David had plunged to the gutter of sin. His sin with Bathsheba was a hot-blooded sin, but his arrangement of Uriah's death was a cold-blooded, calculated sin.
To the people of Israel, Uriah died a hero and David did an honorable thing in marrying Uriah's widow. But God knew better.
A man after God's own heart became an adulterer and murderer. What a tragedy! A sad case of low living in high places.
These days, we aren't shocked when political leaders are exposed for their sin and corruption. Yet we should be. The bar for acceptable behavior has been lowered to such a depth that nearly anyone can be a public servant.
Yet the bigger issue is not in Washington, but our own hearts. It isn't the low living in our nation's capitol that should bother us, but our own low standards.
David sinned greatly against God, yet it took nearly a year before he would confess and repent of his sins. You may not be guilty of the crimes that David committed, but can you honestly say that you are clean before the Lord? Is everything right between you and others?
Although David ultimately sought and received God's forgiveness, he still had to reap what he had sown. There was a huge price attached to his transgressions. David's life was never the same after his fall.
Rather than condemning the low living in Hollywood or Washington, perhaps we need to focus on our own level of living. Lester Roloff used to say that the best Christians today would have been considered backsliders years ago. Yes, we may be satisfied that we are meeting our standard. Yet our standard tends to be much lower than God's.
God's standard is perfection. I can't reach that level on my own, what about you? That's why I need a Savior. His Name is Jesus. God is satisfied with the standard He reached.
Be assured, in the highest of places (or any place), low living will never be acceptable.
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