1.
Grace, mercy, and peace to You from God our Heavenly
Father and our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
The message from God’s Word as we continue our Lenten series on the 10
Commandments is taken from 2 Samuel 11:1-27 and focuses on the 5th
Commandment. Dear brothers and sisters
in Christ.
2.
God’s good will as God for you and for the
world is that he wants life protected. He wants life to flourish. After all, he
is the Creator of life. All life from God is precious. Consequently, the Lord
says: “You shall not murder.” Again,
he’s talking to you! “You shall
not murder.” That means that you should fear and love—fear and love, that takes
you back to the First Commandment—you should fear and love God so that you do
not hurt or harm your neighbor in his body. The commandment forbids murder,
abortion, euthanasia, suicide, revenge, neglect, indifference, hatred, and
prejudice. The commandment expects you to help and support your neighbor in
every physical or bodily need. All life of the neighbor is included.
3.
So King David is having huge military success. His
army is defeating the Ammonites. What a magnificent warrior king he is! But, now we come to a turning point in his
reign. He loses an enormous battle against . . . himself! He is, as we heard
last week, “lured and enticed by his own
desire” (James 1:14) to commit adultery and now, of all things, murder.
Double crimes! Against the sanctity of holy marriage and tonight against the
sanctity of human life!
The Bible doesn’t censor or
cover up David’s sins. This text, 2 Samuel 11, like all of Scripture, is
written “for our instruction” (Rom
15:4). To warn you. “Therefore let anyone
who thinks that he stands take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:12) as King
David did. In addition, all Scripture is written to comfort you. There is
forgiveness for Christ’s sake for all sin—no matter how despicable. For
David’s. For yours. For the world’s.
4.
So I preach today’s sermon for your warning if you
are secure in your sin. But I also preach comfort to you who are burdened by
your sin. Here goes. King David covets
Uriah’s wife named Bathsheba. Breaks the Tenth Commandment with no worries. He
casually commits adultery with her as if he does that sort of thing every day.
Breaks the Sixth Commandment as easily as Taylor Swift writes and sings
mega-hit pop songs. As a result of their adultery, Bathsheba is now pregnant
with David’s baby. This isn’t Hollywood,
where affairs are common and babies conceived out of wedlock are roundly
celebrated. This is still King David’s court. He has to uphold a religious
example. An example and leader of God’s people in faith and holy living
according to God’s Word. Now what?
Bathsheba’s pregnant! And he’s the father!
5.
David goes into cover-up mode! Can’t let anyone find
out about the adultery, let alone the results. Plan A is put into effect. Call
husband Uriah in from the army. Give him a few days of military leave. Time off.
“Go home, Uriah,” David politely
mandates. “Be with your wife. You deserve
it. Know what I mean, Uriah? Hmm? Wink. Wink. And here’s a little gift from me
to show my appreciation. All the best to you and your wife! What’s her name
again? Oh, that’s right, Bathsheba! Wonderful woman! So faithful! You’re so
lucky, Uriah! Bye-bye now. Enjoy!”
6.
You know what David’s trying to do, don’t you? Give a soldier time off, and give him the
opportunity to be with his wife, and he’ll jump at the chance. And when
Bathsheba starts to show her baby bump, everyone will be just giddy! God bless
Uriah and Bathsheba. We remember when Uriah came home and . . . well, you know.
Wink. Wink. Now they’re expecting their first child!
7.
One big problem! Uriah doesn’t go home! He won’t! After
all, he is devoted to his duty as a soldier. His mates are at war. It’s not
fair for him to go see his wife and love her while they’re putting their lives
on the line for the king and for Israel. “As
you live [O King!], and as your soul
lives, I will not do this thing” (v 11). In addition, the ark of the
covenant, is there on the battlefield. That’s where the Lord is leading the
Israelite army against her enemies. Uriah knows he belongs there. And so should
the king! Plan A fails!
8.
Plan B then. David throws a party. Opens up his
royal liquor cabinet. The best and the stiffest stuff in all of Israel. Get a
soldier drunk and he’ll definitely want to take his wife to bed. And when the
baby bump shows, everyone will think the baby belongs to . . . Uriah. “Uriah! Great to see you!” King David
exclaims. “Here, have a drink. I’ve
poured you a drink. It’s on me! Have another one. And another. And another.
Chug! Chug! Chug! Oh, Uriah, you’re drunk as a skunk. Off you go now! Best that
you head home. Your lovely wife will know what to do. And so will you! Wink.
Wink.” But even Plan B crashes and
burns. Again, to David’s surprise, the inebriated Uriah doesn’t go home.
Incredibly, he sleeps outside on a mat with the king’s servants.
9.
Uriah won’t “cooperate.” So the king will kick up
the cover-up a notch! He will not be exposed as an adulterer or the father of
an illegitimate child. He can’t take that chance. He’s the king! He will
conceal and hide his sin. Deny it at all costs. No matter whom he hurts or
harms.
10.
So Plan C is hatched. It’s ruthless. Evil. Wicked.
Well thought out! Murder in the first degree! “General Joab,” David barks.
“Put Uriah in the frontlines where the fighting is the most intense and where
the enemy’s fiercest warriors are positioned. And then, General, pull back.
Leave Uriah totally exposed to enemy fire. I’ll be rid of this Goody two shoes
once and for all.”
11.
Well, the battle takes place. Not only is Uriah the
Hittite killed, but other soldiers in David’s army fall in the line of duty as
well! Uriah’s death was made to look valid, legal, and justifiable. Poor
Uriah—a casualty of war! So sad. Tragic. We wish it didn’t happen. But that’s
how it goes in the army. Everyone knows what could happen when recruits sign on
the dotted line.
12.
But the fact of the matter is this: Uriah was set
up. A hit was put out on him! Cold-blooded murder! David planned it. David
ordered it. David was responsible! Not only for Uriah’s death but also for the
other soldiers killed in that battle in order to snuff out Uriah. It doesn’t
get any more depraved than that! When
the news breaks to everyone in Jerusalem that Uriah is dead, David goes into an
all-out public relations blitzkrieg. “We’ll
have a national day of mourning, honor him for his bravery, name a street after
him, and set up a foundation for the families of our fallen soldiers.” Then,
after all the tears and all the public ceremonies, King David pulls off one of
the biggest PR stunts in the history of the world. He announces on television—interrupting
Monday Night Football—that His Royal Majesty will take care of the poor,
grief-stricken war widow Bathsheba. He went to Jared, politely proposed that
they get hitched, and she graciously accepted the marriage proposal. The
wedding takes place. It is magnificent. What a king! That he cares so much for
the war widow. And then, when Bathsheba’s baby bump appears a few months later,
what joy! A royal baby! All legit! At least that’s how it looks.
13.
But it took a murder, check that, murders (remember
the other soldiers that died too?), to pull off such cunning and
pious-appearing deception. Appearances are deceiving. What David did didn’t
please the Lord! Well, no doubt, you’re
appalled by David’s breaking the Fifth Commandment. Rightly so. But how about
the murder(s) that you’ve committed? Yes, that’s right, you’re a murderer too,
even if you haven’t taken a gun and shot someone in the head or taken a knife
and driven it through a person’s heart. Does that appall you? Just wait. Listen
to what Jesus declares. “You have heard
that it was said to those of old, ‘You shall not murder; and whoever murders
will be liable to judgment.’ ” So far so good. But then Jesus turns, looks
directly at you, and audaciously and categorically proclaims: “But I say to you
that everyone who is angry with his brother will be liable to judgment . . .
whoever says, ‘You fool!’ will be liable to the hell of fire” (Mt 5:21–22).
In connection with 1 Jn 3:15: “Everyone
who hates his brother is a murderer, and you know that no murderer has eternal
life abiding in him.”
14.
Shoe fits, doesn’t it! Perfectly. I’ll bet you can’t
count the number of people you’ve called a fool, let alone all the other names
I can’t repeat in a G-rated sermon! Tell me, with whom aren’t you angry? Who is
it you don’t hate? Very few. See! The Fifth Commandment exposes not just your
deeds but also your thoughts and your words as damnable sin. Despicable King
David. Despicable you. Despicable me. A whole world of despicables.
15.
Despicable murderers who desperately are in need of
the Savior, Jesus. And his will is to do just that! That’s precisely his cup of
tea. What he’s really the best at. So he goes and does a Good Friday.
Consequently, whatever sins you’ve committed, they now belong to Jesus. After
all, on that Friday, God laid on him the iniquity of us all (Is 53:6).
Seriously! All sin—every sin—was borne by Jesus in his crucified body. Yours
too.
16.
This crucified Jesus, then, is your highest comfort
and joy. He clothes and wraps himself in David’s sin, your sin, and the sin of
the entire world. God the Father heaped all sin on Jesus and said to his Son: “Be Peter the denier. Paul the persecutor,
blasphemer, and assaulter. David the adulterer and murderer. Adam the
apple-eater in Paradise. The thief on the cross. And all the folks seated and
standing here at CHRIST & CALVARY Lutheran Church. See to it that you
become sin—become the sinner—and thereby pay and make satisfaction for all
sinners and their sin.”
17.
And Jesus did just that. He carries your sins, dies
with them, and gets damned with them. And so I can tell you with the utmost
certainty: the Lord has taken away your sin. Buried it all forever in the black
hole of Jesus’ tomb. You are forgiven. Forgiven,
the Lord’s Good Use for You Is to Be His Instruments to Protect and Promote
Life.
18.
From conception to the ending of life. To fear and
love God so that you support your neighbor in every physical need. After all,
your neighbor needs such help. The Lord gives such help through you. And you
want to be of help. In the name of
Jesus. Amen. Let us pray. Creator
God, You alone give life and breath and everything. Breathe into us Your
life-giving Spirit that we may be caretakers of all You have made and honor
life from the womb to the tomb; O God, from whom come all holy desires, all
good counsels, and all just works, give to us, Your servants, that peace which
the world cannot give, that our hearts may be set to obey Your commandments.
Turn us away from all angry thoughts and hurtful actions so that we may learn
to help and support our neighbor in every physical need and, thereby, live
peacefully with one another; through Jesus Christ, Your Son, our Lord, who
lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.
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