The Power of Choices

‘And David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her…’(2 Sam 11:3-4).

The Bible is a book of choices and consequences. By people’s daily choices they write the stories of their future and carve out their own destinies (Joshua 24:15). The secret of a man’s future is hidden in his daily routines. The things seen and heard affect one’s thoughts. Thoughts result in choices or actions. Choices made repeatedly grow into habits. Habits form character and every one’s character carves out their individual destiny.

Everyday we face innumerable decisions, some of which have the potential to change the course of our lives forever. Certain avenues open to us are with pitfalls or lead in harmful directions. In some instances the wrong choice can even bring death. What do you do when faced with temptation? How do you decide what choices to make? This study examines the choices of David the resulting consequences. What choices did David make that brought negative consequences in his life and that of his family.

1.             He should have gone to war but he chose to stay home: Kings went to war at spring which marked the end of the rainy season. During spring the roads were passable, there would be fodder for the animals and an army on the move would be able to raid the fields for food.

2.             The first time he saw Barsheeba he should have exercised self control and fled like Joseph did, when Portiphar’s wife tempted him.

3.             He should have repented after the first sin and not committed more sin to cover up.

4.             He shouldn’t have abused his leadership authority by sending people to bring Beersheba and finally commanding Joab to get Uriah killed. Today many are abusing their God given priviledges, forgetting that they will give an account to the one who gave them that priviledge.

5.             He should have been accountable and taken responsibility for his actions. Most of the time we blame others for our misfortunes, without doing our part to solve the problem. You can blame others for your past and present situation but not your future.

6.             He shouldn’t have been secretive and covered his sin. ‘You’re never more vulnerable than when you can hide from others. Secrecy is the ideal breeding ground for deception, leading us into sin’ (Bob Gass). Jesus points out that we love darkness rather than light because our deeds naturally gravitate toward evil (Jn 3:19).

What were the consequences of David’s Actions? First, the child he fathered with Bathsheba died. Secondly, his son raped his daughter, and he didn’t have the moral authority to deal with it. Thirdly, Absalom the beloved son destined to inherit his throne, fomented war and died at the hands of his own people. Fourth, civil war broke out in Israel and thousands of people died as a result. Fifth his son slept with his wives. Sixth, Absalom killed his brother Amnon for raping his sister. The lesson is clear: never accuse in another what you excuse in yourself.‘Principles can never be broken, they contain inherent judgment. For example when you put your hand in fire, you can expect to get burned because fire produces heat. In other words you don’t get burnt because God burns you or the devil burns you. You get burnt because heat is a principle of fire’ (Miles Munroe).

God set in motion certain laws and they never change. One is the law of gravity. Another is the law of sowing and reaping. “While the earth remains, seedtime and harvest…shall not cease” (Ge 8:22 NKJV). This law works both negatively and positively. If you sow good things you will reap good things; if you sow bad things you will reap bad things.