
2 Sam. 11:1-2 “Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance.”
Twice in the verse above, it is emphasized that David neglected his duty to go out to battle when the time arose – a duty befitting his role as king. His comfort in the palace made it easier for him to delegate these responsibilities to his chief commander, Joab. Rather than fulfilling his duty on the battlefield, David chose to stay back and unwind.
In the relaxed atmosphere of his palace, David’s gaze wandered, leading to lust, which then progressed to coveting, adultery, pregnancy, and ultimately, the desperate acts of lying and deceit. These actions culminated in the tragic murder of Uriah the Hittite, Bathsheba’s husband and one of David’s most loyal followers. Remarkably, this destructive chain didn’t commence with murder; it didn’t even start with the desire for another man’s wife. It began with a state of relaxation.
David’s palace, unlike the cave of Adullam where he spent his youth, represented his comfort zone – a stark contrast in terms of luxury and comfort. Ironically, prosperity, often perceived as a blessing, has ensnared many individuals. Our world grapples with the curse of excessive comfort, wherein what should bring ease becomes a stumbling block for many men and women.
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