Plan C

O. T. #706  "Plan C"
March 2, 2016
2 Samuel 11-Part 6
So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver.
 2 Samuel 11:14 

LET IT GLOW

David's plan A and plan B failed. He could not cover up his sin by getting Uriah to go home to his wife. So David devised plan C:

• David sent a letter to Joab, his commander of the army, by way of Uriah. Little did he know that he was carrying his death warrant.
• He deliberately plotted the murder of Uriah, only it was to occur on the battlefront so it looked innocent.
• Joab's orders from his commander-in-chief was to station Uriah on the front lines where the battle was the fiercest. Then pull back so that he would be killed. (verse 15)
• So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy's strongest men were fighting. (verse 16)
• When the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers. (verse 17)

That was David's plan C, as it was. It is hard to read, that months earlier David was a godly king leading his army to victories. Now he has stooped so low as to plot a murder.

David decided to have the man murdered and then to take his wife. Joab was more than willing to cooperate, since this would give him opportunity later to take advantage of the king. (Wiersbe)

Do we learn from that a small sin of lust, so we think it is small, can blow up into a huge ordeal?

James 1:15 says Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.

How many families have been destroyed (died) because the sin of lust was not stopped, confessed? It was allowed to grow into an affair and adultery. Then the marriage and family was destroyed.

Friends, let us recognize the temptations out there and not take a second look or allow a second thought to stay in our mind.

LET IT GROW

Bathsheba's husband, Uriah, was killed in the battle. Joab sent a messenger with the news to David. (verses 22-24)

Joab was no fool; he probably put two and two together. The mission was accomplished. Guess who has the information for blackmail later on. One day Joab would rise up and make David regret all of this. Joab had set it up for Uriah to be killed, by the orders of the king of Israel.

David's reply to the message was for Joab to not be discouraged. Fight harder next time and conquer the city. (verse 25) His reaction was not one of grief for Uriah.

David had become callous to his own sin. The only was he could cover up his first sin was to sin again, soon be no longer felt guilty for what he had done.  Deliberate, repeated sinning had dulled David's sensitivity to God's laws and other's rights. Don't become hardened to sin as David did. Confess your wrong actions to God before you forget they are sins. (Life Application Study Bible)

When Bathsheba heard about her husband's death, she mourned for him. When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace and she became one of is wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done. (verse 27)

Our plan C may be displeasing to the Lord. Do we ask Him before we execute it? Are we calloused over so w don't recognize it in our own life?

LET IT GO

When there are problems, temptations, sins in my life, stop today and confess them to the Lord.