Good morning! There is a story that I have heard many times about something that happened when I was 3 years old. My parents were organising a big party and were busy putting out food and drinks in preparation for the guests to arrive. Mum would have been preparing platters of hot food and Dad would have been popping out ice blocks into the punch bowl. All of sudden, they realised that their little 3-year-old son, Luke, me, had gone missing. There was a moment of panic until one of them finally looked behind the old large yellow corduroy armchair in our living room and found me hiding in between it and the wall. Next to me on the ground was half a bowl of lolly snakes. The other half of the bowl of lolly snakes was protruding from my mouth. I had shoved in so many snakes that I was unable to chew or swallow them! Whilst my parents had been distracted, I had given in to the temptation of the bowl of lollies, sitting unattended on a coffee table right at my height. I had made a mistake and even at that young age, I knew that if I was caught there would be consequences – so what did I do?… I tried to cover up my mistake.

Have you ever tried to cover up a mistake? It is a very human desire to want to avoid the shame and pain of our mistakes, but as with my example, the truth finds a way of revealing itself, and the results are often worse. Today’s passage about David is an excellent example of this, with David attempting to cover up his sinful behaviour and God dramatically revealing it. We have been reading through the Old Testament books of 1& 2 Samuel following the journey of Israel as they seek a King to rule over them. Israel asked God for a King and they were warned by the prophet Samuel that the King will send their sons to war and will take what they want from the people. Firstly, King Saul does this by abusing his power and becomes a tyrant. Following the death of Saul, King David rises to power, and we are expecting a different kind of King. David is the humble shepherd boy who is “one after God’s own heart”. David illustrates perfect faith by slaying Goliath and defeating the evil nations surrounding Israel, David illustrates perfect obedience when he doesn’t kill the anointed King Saul, and David illustrates perfect humility when he dances in front of the Ark as it enters the City of Jerusalem.

Yet in today’s readings we witness David’s fall into sin, as he continues the same pattern of abusing power. Israel is at war with the Ammonites and instead of leading the army, David avoids his responsibilities as King and sends the army off and stays in Jerusalem. David is a coward in contrast to his brave soldiers who are fighting their enemies. David is being lazy and selfish, eating, drinking and sleeping. David has a harem of wives, something God forbade in Deuteronomy 17:17, and this sexual sin has affected him. We read that David looks down into a private bathing area from the roof of his palace and sees Bathsheba, the wife of one of his closest soldiers and friends, Uriah. David orders Bathsheba to come.

Bathsheba is a victim who is without choice as the all-powerful King seeks to satisfy his desires. By looking at the verbs that describe David’s actions we can feel the raw abuse of power that occurs: David saw, David desired, David sent for her, David took her and David lay with her. The sin was quick but the cover up and consequences were extensive. Bathsheba becomes pregnant and David concocts a plan to bring her husband, Uriah, back from the war and grant him opportunity enough that he would sleep with Bathsheba and make him think that the child is his.

The glaring contrasts in this story continue, as David’s shame sits in stark contrast to Uriah’s honour. Uriah is a Hittite and even a mercenary from another nation is shown to be more honourable than the Israelite King. Uriah will not return to his home but sleeps outside in the street, even when David gets him drunk.

When we are comfortable in a sinful lifestyle, nothing feels worse than having good people around us. It reminds us of how shameful we have become. David tries his best to get Uriah to break his oath as a soldier to return home to his wife before the war is over, but Uriah will not break his oath and sin. David’s anger leads him to set up a successful plan for Uriah to die on the battlefield instead. With Uriah dead, David takes Bathsheba into his harem and looks like a hero. We can imagine the way it looked to others as David takes in the poor widow and her baby. What a “great King”.

For a year, the cover-up is successful, and David returns to his lazy and selfish lifestyle. When David’s General Joab returns from the war, David takes the credit. The prophet Nathan visits David and shares a story about a rich man who steals from a poor man. David’s angry response and judgement of the “rich man” unknowingly reveals God’s judgement on David for his abuse of Bathsheba and murder of Uriah.  The “great” King David is uncovered as a murderer. David repents to God for his sin.

With the benefit of a few thousand years, as Christians we can recognise the contrast between King David and Jesus the King. The man David is thought of as the “greatest” King of ancient Israel, but is an imperfect murderer and abuser; where as the divine man Jesus, used his power as King to heal and sacrificed himself to provide a way to bring all everlasting life. Paul’s letter to the Philippians puts it this way in chapter 2, Jesus:

“Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be used to his own advantage;
⁷ rather, he made himself nothing
by taking the very nature of a servant,
being made in human likeness.
⁸ And being found in appearance as a man,
he humbled himself
by becoming obedient to death—
even death on a cross!

Where David is imperfect, Jesus is perfect. Where David kills, Jesus brings life. Where King David sins, King Jesus provides forgiveness.

David’s sin is about as bad as it gets, his mistake should have wrecked his life and his legacy. When we consider confessing hidden sin or have it exposed, it sometimes feels like our life is over, but the story of David shows us something significant. David is not written off in history because of his failing, instead because of his repentance he is written in to history. He confesses his sin and accepts the consequence. The consequence affects all those around him and goes on for the rest of his life, but he realigns himself to God and seeks to faithfully serve God again. David paid a terrible price for his sin, but he was not beyond redemption, and none of us are.

As a 3-year-old, with a mouth full of lolly snakes, like David, I knew that I had been caught in my sin. I tried to avoid the consequences of my selfishness, but I couldn’t hide any longer. I spat out the snakes and was very sorry. My parents cleaned me up and let me take part in the party. God knows the hidden sins in our lives and there will be consequences, but our King is perfect and forgiving. Our King Jesus desires us to get right with him and our neighbour. God desires us to turn away from our sin, face the consequences and be ready and willing to receive God’s Grace and mercy. Whatever you may have done, however much you fear it being exposed, God can renew you and give you a new beginning today. This is the promise of a forgiving and good King, a King who wants the best for his people-Amen