Despising the Lord?

A Sermon delivered to All Saints Anglican Church on June 17, 2007, based on:

2 Samuel 11:26-12:10,13-15 Galatians 2:11-21, Luke 7:36-50 Psalm 32


There was once a young man who grew up in the country. He and his family were poor, but they made a decent living for themselves by raising livestock. The job of watching the sheep usually fell to the youngest son, who was diligent and did a good job tending the sheep and keeping them safe from predators. One day, the young man was out in the field playing his harp and uploading the files to his IPOD, when his brother came running to him and told him to come quickly, that there was a very important man at the house who was calling for him.

The young man came home and low and behold, there was a prophet of God, who took him and anointed him King. After much struggle the young man eventually ascended to the throne and became King. He became very weatlthy and powerful and had everything he could have wanted. But just when he was reaching the Zenith of his power, something disastrous happened.

In the spring of the year, when kings go out and wage war our young man, David, was at home taking care of the affairs of state - which seemed to amount to sunbathing on the roof and looking at the neighbors as they took baths. And as we all know, this course of action got David in trouble.

See if this quote doesn’t describe what happened to David:

“Each one is tempted when he is carried away by his own lust. Then when lust has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and when sin is accomplished it brings forth death.” (James 1:15,16)

David was carried away by lust for Bathsheba and had an affair with her that resulted in the conception of a child. Then he plotted the murder of Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband. This was all evil in the sight of the Lord, and God sent Nathan the prophet to confront David about his sin, saying, “I anointed you king over Israel, and I rescued you from the hand of Saul; I gave you your master's house, and your master's wives into your bosom, and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added as much more. Why have you despised the word of the LORD, to do what is evil in his sight?

David’s evil actions were the result of despising the word of the Lord! What an amazing thought! Do you think of your sins as the result of despising the word of the Lord? If not, remember what Adam and Eve did in the garden. Even though they were told very specifically what would happen if they ate of the tree of the knowledge of God and Evil, they went ahead and did it anyway. They despised the word of the Lord. And we do too.

For Sin is really a matter of deciding whose Word is more trustworthy- Mine or God’s. Here’s David lying on his chase lounge in the sun, and he sees a beautiful woman and asks himself, “What would be better, to obey God and enjoy my own harem of wives and concubines, live in luxury and prosper, or risk it all by pursuing something God told me not to do? After about a nanosecond, he decides his own idea would be better. Friends, this is craziness.

But we’re just the same as David. Our basic fault as humans is that we ignore and forget what we know about God. We despise his Word. Then when it all turns out badly, we try to cover it up. In Psalm 32 David describes what happened in his life when he tried this:
“I kept it secret and my frame was wasted. I groaned all day long. For night and day your hand was heavy upon me. Indeed my flesh was dried up, as by the summer’s heat.” (Ps 32: 3,4)
[“While I held my tongue, my bones withered away, because of my groaning all day long. For your hand was heavy upon me day and night; my moisture was dried up as in the heat of summer”]

Sin results in suffering and separation from God. It robs us of intimacy with God the Father and exposes us to disaster. Here is the judgment levied against David by Nathan:
“You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, for you have despised me, and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife." (2 Sam. 12:9, 10). His wives were also to be given to his enemy and publicly violated, for “you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, says the Lord, (v. 12).

David’s sin was done in private, but it was publicly exposed. Just as the old saying goes, ‘Be sure your sin will find you out.’ But here’s where the story takes a turn. David confesses to Nathan, "I have sinned against the LORD." (Duh!). And Nathan replies: "Now the LORD has put away your sin; you shall not die. God responds immediately to David’s repentance and he is forgiven, but there is a consequence to bear. Nathan continues, “Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the LORD, the child that is born to you shall die." (v. 14). David’s choice to despise God’s word scorns the Lord and it results in judgment and death. The baby that Bathsheba bears to David dies as a result of David’s sin.

This certainly seems unfair from our vantage point. But remember – the primary offense is against God – God Almighty, El Shaddai, Maker of Heaven and Earth, the Holy One of Israel, Who dwells in Light Unapproachable, who cannot lie and who lives eternally, self-existent, non-contingent, Father Son and Holy Spirit. The One who is High and Lifted Up, Thrice Holy, to whom the 24 elders bow down and before whom they cast their crowns. This is the God whom David has offended. To not acknowledge this God and give Him the praise he is due is to be like an unintelligent beast who needs bridle and bit to be controlled (Ps. 32:9).

In contrast, the return to health and sanity begins with an acknowledgment that I have sinned:
“Then I acknowledged my sin to you, and did not conceal my guilt. I said," I will confess my transgressions to the LORD." Then you forgave me the guilt of my sin. (Ps. 32:5,6)
The result of this confession is blessedness:

“Happy are they whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sin is put away!
Happy are they to whom the LORD imputes no guilt, and in whose spirit there is no guile!” (Ps. 32, vv.1,2)

And confidence in our God:

“Therefore all the faithful will make their prayers to you in time of trouble; when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach them. You are my hiding-place; you preserve me from trouble; you surround me with shouts of deliverance.” (Ps. 32, vv. 6, 7)

How then, do we get to this place of blessedness on a day-by-day basis? The Psalmist has God say to us:

"I will instruct you and teach you in the way that you should go; I will guide you with my eye.
(I will give you counsel with my eye upon you). (v. 10)

The counsel that has come down to us through the ages is that in order to experience the joy and the fellowship of the Lord, we must stay in close fellowship with him through confession of sin and submitting my will to His.

Paul says it this way in Galations 2:20: “I have been crucified with Christ; and it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”

More specifically, it is the Holy Spirit who lives in me and empowers me to live the Christian Life. One of the ways that the Church has discovered to be empowered is to pray the “Jesus Prayer”: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” (cf. Luke 18:13).

This simple prayer covers all the necessary ground as we approach our God. It acknowledges the Lordship of Christ in our lives, recognizes that Jesus Christ is One with the Father, asks forgiveness for sin, and pleads for mercy. As we pray this pray, then Ps 32:11 becomes a reality for us. Instead of experiencing great tribulation because of our wickedness, …”mercy embraces those who trust in the LORD.” Being justified by God and righteous through the blood of Christ, we can “Be glad …and rejoice in the LORD; We can “shout for joy, all who are true of heart.”
(Ps. 32:12)

So let’s recite the Jesus Prayer together: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.”

Jesus encountered this spirit of repentance in a certain sinner woman who “brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment.” When she did this Jesus pronounced, “Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little."

Friends, let us realize that we have been forgiven much. We are all Davids and sinner women at heart. Let us not despise the word of the Lord, but rather confess our sins so that we me hear Jesus say to us, as he said to the woman, "Your sins are forgiven.Your faith has saved you; go in peace." ( Luke 7:36-50) Amen.