There are a number of reasons a tree might fall. Some common reasons include poor planting, poor root structure, root damage, shallow roots, and disease. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t claim to be an arborist, brothers! Just a few weeks ago we had a storm that produced a small tornado. There was a lot of tree damage. There were broken limbs and some trees were left with broken trunks. There were also trees that were toppled by the storm. It is amazing to see huge trees laying on the ground with their roots pointing skyward. The reason a tree topples over is a root issue. For those toppled, there was no way to hide the issue. Many of those trees had been in place for 20, 50 or even 100 years then, what seems like suddenly, the tree is toppled. The truth is, the issues were just under the surface the entire time. It just took the right storm for the issue to be exposed.
David had an underlying issue, and now he is King and it will be exposed. David had never lost a battle. In his victories, he had expanded the kingdom from only 6,000 square miles to 60,000 square miles. David had experienced victory upon victory. I mean, for anyone looking in, he would be the man who “has it made”. He was prosperous, wealthy, and loved! There is a verse in 1 Corinthians 10 that fits right here…
“Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.” (1 Cor. 10:11)
David is described in scripture as a “man after His own heart” (God’s own heart) (1 Sam. 13:14). The scriptures do not attempt to place a lovely veneer over David’s failures. It is quite the contrary. There is a spotlight placed on them.
David’s fall didn’t happen suddenly on the roof of his palace. David had already compromised and was disobeying the Law. David had multiple wives (opinion varies on the exact number) and concubines. It was his desire and giving into his sin that weakened him. You see, the structure was already compromised.
Root rot can be caused by over watering or some type of damage to the actual roots. As the rot sets in, it is not immediately noticed. Then if untreated, it spreads on through the root system. One by one, the roots become weak, and useless except for spreading the rot. Roots that once were healthy and carried nutrition and were a source of life have become tools of decay.
So, David didn’t go to battle as was the custom of that time. He had decided to stay home. (2 Samuel 11:1) Why didn’t he go to battle? He was lounging around the house. Maybe he thought he would just let Ammon handle it. David was hanging out at the house while his men were out fighting.
“Lord, I cry unto thee; make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I cry unto thee…But my eyes are unto thee, O God the Lord: in thee is my trust…keep me from the snares which they have laid for me, and the fins of the workers of iniquity…” (Psalm 141).
These are the words of David. This same David that was standing on the roof that night as his neighbor, his warrior, his mighty man of valor, his faithful servant Uriah’s wife bathed. David inquired of her and he was told plainly that she was a married woman. In the very next sentence, scripture says he sent and took her. (v.4) The rot had already set in & there was already a foundation of compromise. He saw something his flesh desired, and so once again he took it. It was a practiced behavior. No one was going to tell the King he was breaking the Law of Moses. There was no accountability. Men…do you have accountability brothers? You need men who will hold you to the standard!
“Be not deceived; God is not mocked: for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.” (Gal. 6:7)
An arborist is a person who is trained in planting, caring, and maintaining individual trees. The work of the arborist helps to improve the overall health of trees. The arborist takes special care with each tree. Taking the time to inspect not just the tree but the environment to spot signs of compromise. Many times arborists are volunteers who have a love of trees and a concern for their health.
“ In our members there is a slumbering inclination toward desire, which is both sudden and fierce. With irresistible power, desire seizes mastery of the flesh. All at once a secret, smoldering fire is kindled. The flesh burns and is in flames. It makes no difference whether it is a sexual desire, or ambition, or vanity, or desire for revenge, our love of fame and power, or greed for money…At this moment God is quite unreal to us. [Remember those words.] He loses all reality, and only desire for the creature is real. The only reality is the devil. Satan does not here fill us with hatred of God, but with forgetfulness of God… The lust thus aroused envelopes the mind and will of a man in deepest darkness. The powers of clear discrimination and of decision are taken from us. The questions present themselves as, ” Is what the flesh desires really sin in this case?” And, ” Is it really not permitted me, yes, expected of me now, here in my particular situation to appease desire?” It is here that everything within me rises up against the Word of God…. Therefore the Bible teaches us in times of temptation in the flesh, there is one command: Flee! Flee fornication. Flee idolatry. Flee youthful lusts. Flee the lusts of the world. There is no resistance to Satan in lust other than flight. Every struggle against lust in one’s own strength is doomed to failure.“. – Dietrich Bonhoeffer
When David’s eyes settled on Bath-Sheba he didn’t flee. He didn’t even attempt to resist and in reading the scripture there doesn’t appear to be any hesitation in him. He sent for her. Even in this failure we see the frailty of man against his flesh. These events on their own were grievous to God. Once again David was commiting adultery. This is unfortunately not the end of this account.
Once rot sets in and spreads throughout the root system then the roots are weak and they are unable to anchor the tree. The tree begins to loose its grip. Some roots break off, while others hang on but in the end they don’t have the strength to hold the tree upright. So after a time of decay and when the conditions are right the tree will experience a fall. Once the clouds clear and the wind and rain has subsided the tree will be on its side with its dead and diseased roots exposed.
Bathsheba tells the king she is pregnant and her husband has been at war so there is no question who the father is. So David sets out to cover his sin. Isn’t that the way we react. We try to cover. Just like Adam and Eve our first reaction is to cover ourselves! (Gen.3:7)
“Give me understanding, and I will keep your law and obey it with all my heart.” (Psalm 119:34). These words were written by this same man that now is rushing to cover his sin!
The plan that David thought up and Bathsheba went along with doesn’t work. Why? Because Uriah was a mighty man of valor! He was a man of integrity! He was a faithful man! He loved his king and his men! He loved his wife and knew his flesh was weak so he went out of his way to not be tempted. He was determined to not be favored over his own men.
Men, it takes decisive action to stand against our flesh! Unlike a tree, David had a choice to stand for truth. David had a choice on the strength of his root structure! A tree has no choice but to stand still while the rot spreads. Instead of repenting before God something David knew was important and he had done in the past. (Psalm 25:11) He just continued to allow the rot of sin to take hold.
David set Uriah up and no matter how you look at it the blood of Uriah was on David’s hands. Uriah took his death warrant and handed it to Joan who obeyed the order of the King and Uriah was murdered. That is shocking! Isn’t it? A man who saw a woman he wanted…and now a man is dead and the chosen king of Israel is the murderer. Now David takes Bathsheba as his wife and all is well. That might have been so except for these words…”But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.” (v.27)
I have been talking about the tree roots being exposed. In the case of our trees it was a storm (tornado) that exposed the weakness. In David’s case God sends Nathan. Nathan will be the tool that God uses to expose the sin (weakness/rot) of David. In Chapter 12 of 2 Samuel you can read the full account of Nathan’s exposure of David’s sin. In verse 12 the LORD says…”For thou didist it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.” The Lord tells David he is going to bring this out in the light. This thing that was under ground that no one could see. This rot that was eating away at David for so long. This failure was going to be exposed to everyone and “before the sun.”
David’s sin began with one compromise. David didn’t take multiple wives overnight. David didn’t build a large herem in one day. This sin was repeated day after day. His flesh was allowed to eat away at his relationship with God. Now look, God sent Nathan to rebuke David. Why? David at least at that time and on that topic was not willing to listen to God. His sin had caused a separation. David’s source of strength and power was his reliance on God and his sin had rotted that!
So now what? Sin has taken hold and so now what must be done? The truth is sin effects us all from brith. We are born into it. None of us are righteous not even one. (Romans 3:10) All of man kind has trampled the glory of God. (Romans 3:23) While David was God’s chosen he was still tempted by his fleshly desire. David a man that loved God was also guilty of sin! David a man who wrote many Psalms was guilty of sin. David the man who “had it made” displeased God. Throughout the word of God there is a conjunction that pops up from time to time. It is the reason I am able to write this post today. That conjunction is “BUT”; you see while I was a sinner (while David was a sinner) God commended his love for us and sent his son Jesus to die. (Romans 5:8) The Bible says the wages of sin is death, and as we see David experienced death in his family. The Bible goes on to say that the gift of God is eternal life through Jesus. (Romans 6:23)
David knew that he must submit to God’s word and repent. David cleansed himself from mourning and went to the house of the LORD to worship. (2 Sam. 12:20) This speaks of repentance. David would go on to write what we have as the 51st Psalm.
“Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy loving kindness: according to thy tender mercies blot out my transgression…” (Psalm 51:1)
Brother these words are always a good place to start when we seek God. What will happenNext? Whoever calls on his name WILL be saved! (Romans 10:13)
Do you recall what God told David back in 2 Samuel 12:12? He told David you did this thing in secret, now I am going to bring out into the light. He was going to bring it out before the sun.
Men, the best thing we can do when we sin is to bring it out into the light before God. It is through the SON that my sins that were scarlet are now white as snow! This man knew he had to repent. He couldn’t fix it all on his own. Of all of the sorted details of this account it was repenting before Lord when David was finally being the Man God I tended him to be!
Be the Man!
Read the beautiful words of this hymn!
“White as snow, white as snow, though my sins were scarlet, Lord I know, Lord I know, that I’m clean and forgive. Through the power of your blood, through the wonder of Your love through faith in you I know I can be white as snow!” (based on Isaiah 1:18; Brentwood-Benson Music Publishing).
Be The Man 