Small Sins

After the end of the year, when kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the army and devastated the land of the Ammonites, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. (1 Chronicles 20:1, AMPC)

This slacking on David’s part happened many times before he got to the Bathsheba incident.

In the spring, when kings go forth to battle, David sent Joab with his servants and all Israel, and they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. (From 2 Samuel 11:1, AMPC)

That’s how sin progresses folks. One day we are just lazy and send someone else to do our job for us. It gets easier every time and eventually, we fall into a mess we hadn’t planned for.

David is lolly-gaging at home, sees Bathsheba, admires her, gets someone else to call her over and gets her pregnant. THEN he tries and eventually succeeds in getting her husband killed.

Note David could pretend he wasn’t guilty. Someone else called her, someone else plotted to kill the husband. Some one else did. But David? The king? The man in charge? He looks innocent. But in reality, he might as well have done each individual deed. He was the leader. He was responsible. He set the bad example.

We are all leaders in some area of our life. Maybe you run Home and School events, teach a school class, head up a church or a Bible study, write books, head up your home. 

What kind of leadership do you provide? Is it based on truth or lies, prejudice or partiality?

Prayer- Lord, we yearn to lead with your truth. Show us where our small sins have escalated, Lord, help us change. Amen.