What was David’s grave sin? You know what I’m talking about, that terrible thing he did that brought so many negative consequences for his family. Hint: it involves Bathsheba and Uriah.
Most of us are familiar with the account of David’s lust and subsequent defilement of Bathsheba, and then his dastardly plot to cover it up, which culminated in the murder of her husband Uriah. It is a terrible story, and certainly the low point in David’s life. You may well have answered the question of what was David’s grave sin by saying adultery, lust, murder, selfishness, or something else along those lines.
And that is true, for David is guilty and without excuse. But when he was confronted by Nathan the prophet, Nathan framed the sin as an affront against God first and foremost. He didn’t pull any punches. In 2 Samuel 12:9 he bravely asked the king, “Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in His sight?”
One verse later he said David’s impending punishment would be “because you have despised [God] and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.”
According to the prophet, David’s sin began when he despised God and His word. What happened next was an extension of that.
The Hebrew word translated as despised in both verses means to have disdain or find something contemptible. When David began to lust after Bathsheba he found God and His word to be contemptible. He chose himself and his own pursuit of pleasure over what he knew his God wanted.
The sins we commit often come down to being a heart issue. Do we love the Lord or ourselves more? Maybe rather than asking God to help you sin less, you should ask Him to help you love Him and His word more.
And for the record, it should be noted that David was forgiven for his grave sin, and we can find that same forgiveness as often as we confess and repent.
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