A Word about a Prodigal Family

 

As we continue in our series “Family Business,” today, I want us to consider the well-known parable we know as the Parable of the Prodigal Son. 

There is more to this story than just a son who makes many mistakes, however.  Let’s begin by reading Luke 15:11-19.

He also said: “A man had two sons. The younger of them said to his father, ‘Father, give me the share of the estate I have coming to me.’ So he distributed the assets to them. Not many days later, the younger son gathered together all he had and traveled to a distant country, where he squandered his estate in foolish living. After he had spent everything, a severe famine struck that country, and he had nothing. Then he went to work for one of the citizens of that country, who sent him into his fields to feed pigs. He longed to eat his fill from the carob pods the pigs were eating, but no one would give him any. When he came to his senses, he said, ‘How many of my father’s hired hands have more than enough food, and here I am dying of hunger I’ll get up, go to my father, and say to him, Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son. Make me like one of your hired hands.’

 The term “prodigal has come to mean wayward, or one who has been lost and who now has been found. This of course comes from our passage for  today, but that particular term is actually not found in the Biblical text. In truth the word prodigal comes from the word prodigious, and it means abundant or profuse or lavish. And in fact, our scriptures for today discuss a family and the word prodigal or prodigious could be used to describe each member of this family and their situation.

First, Let’s Consider the Prodigal Son:

We begin as we read in verses 11 through 19 with the prodigal son. What we can see from the prodigal son was that he had a prodigious need. Why do people act the way they do? They act out of a need in their lives. When there is an ache in their hearts it is like a hunger that must be satisfied.

What kind of needs do people have? People have many different needs, from self-esteem to love and acceptance, and including fulfillment and the need to be productive. Most of all, people have a need that they often do not recognize. Everyone has a God-shaped hole in their hearts that only He can fill. Sadly, many people try to fill that hole with other things, and this is the situation of the prodigal son.

The prodigal son was not only prodigious in need, but he was also prodigious in the wrong response to his need. Look at all the things he tried: Travel, riches and greed, freedom from family, wild riotous living. So, what was the result?  He wound up broke and hungry and feeding pigs. Anyone knowing anything about Old Testament Judaism would know how horrifying that result was.

The prodigal son reminds me of the song with the line that says that we often look “for love in all the wrong places.” And so, he did also.

Fortunately, the story of the prodigal son has a happy ending. Not only was he prodigious in need and prodigious in making bad decisions, but in the end, he was prodigious in the ultimate wisdom that he exercised.

He saw clearly that his former response to his need was sinful. Let me be clear, the sin was not in the need, but the sin was in the response. The answer to his need was found in his ultimate response, which was to confess his sin and to return home to confess that sin to his father. His sin had broken him, and he was returning to where he knew he could find love.

Next in this story we see the prodigal father as we read verses 20 through 24:

So he got up and went to his father. But while the son was still a long way off, his father saw him and was filled with compassion. He ran, threw his arms around his neck, and kissed him. The son said to him, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and in your sight. I’m no longer worthy to be called your son.’  “But the father told his slaves, ‘Quick! Bring out the best robe and put it on him; put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Then bring the fattened calf and slaughter it, and let’s celebrate with a feast, because this son of mine was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found!’ So they began to celebrate.

Next, Let’s Consider the Prodigal Father:

Although his youngest son was prodigious in his rebellion, the prodigal father was prodigious in his loyalty. It did not matter what his son did; he still claimed him. He allowed his son to make his own decisions, but he was always ready to receive him back when he repented of his prodigious mistakes.

Please note that this father did not help his son to continue his destructive ways, but note that, after his son came to his senses, the father was willing to help him find new and less destructive responses.

When the son repented, we find that his father was prodigious in acceptance. He hugged and kissed him even though he probably still smelled like pigs.  He also gave him a robe of honor, and a calf fattened on wheat. He gave him a welcome home party, and he let the whole world know that his son was home. He did not hold his son's mistakes over his head.

From his actions, we see that the father was prodigious in forgiveness. He did not make his son a servant, but instead he recognized his son as what he was: his son.

What we see here is an example of God's love in our own lives. After we repent of our sin but while we still stink of it, our God receives us into his family. As Paul told the Romans, while we were still sinners, Christ died for us! How prodigious is the love of God!

We also need to see the prodigal brother as depicted by Jesus in verses 25 through 32:

“Now his older son was in the field; as he came near the house, he heard music and dancing. So he summoned one of the servants and asked what these things meant. ‘Your brother is here,’ he told him, ‘and your father has slaughtered the fattened calf because he has him back safe and sound.’ “Then he became angry and didn’t want to go in. So his father came out and pleaded with him.  But he replied to his father, ‘Look, I have been slaving many years for you, and I have never disobeyed your orders, yet you never gave me a young goat so I could celebrate with my friends.  But when this son of yours came, who has devoured your assets[m] with prostitutes, you slaughtered the fattened calf for him.’  “‘Son,’ he said to him, ‘you are always with me, and everything I have is yours. But we had to celebrate and rejoice, because this brother of yours was dead and is alive again; he was lost and is found.’”

Now, Let’s Consider the Prodigal Brother:

The prodigal brother was prodigious in his lack of understanding. He may have said to himself, “If I can handle life, why can't my brother?” He did not understand his brother's needs, nor did he understand his father's love.

His lack of understanding resulted in him being prodigious in resentment. He asked, “What about me?” His pride in his own work for his father overcame any love he had for his brother. And it was clear that he only cared for himself.

The prodigal brother was prodigious in his resentment, which is arrogance, but he was also prodigious in his judgment. He was like the person I knew once, at a previous church.

This person was a leader in that church, and we had need to discuss a situation in which one of our church members had found themselves.  This person had lived a rough life but had come to Christ. This new Christian was growing, but he had recently experienced a bit of trouble in his life. As the church leader and I were considering that situation, he revealed the attitude of his heart by saying, “Well, you know people never really change, do they?” I was so stunned that I failed to correct that mistaken idea.

To be honest, that church leader’s statement was half right. We cannot do right, and we cannot change our lives, by way of our own means and efforts. When we repent and turn to God, however, our lives can be transformed, and in fact they will be transformed! So, as the saying goes, a half-truth is the worst form of a lie, and this is where the prodigal brother was, when his brother returned home. 

Of all the people in this parable, the one we don’t want to be is the prodigal brother!

Finally, I would like us to consider Galatians 5:1-6:

Christ has liberated us to be free. Stand firm then and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery. Take note! I, Paul, tell you that if you get yourselves circumcised, Christ will not benefit you at all. Again I testify to every man who gets himself circumcised that he is obligated to keep the entire law. You who are trying to be justified by the law are alienated from Christ; you have fallen from grace. For through the Spirit, by faith, we eagerly wait for the hope of righteousness. For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision accomplishes anything; what matters is faith working through love.

Finally, Let’s Consider the Prodigals in the Pew:

In this message so far, we have been considering what I call the Prodigal Family. In doing so we have seen a sad tale, but in the end, when the son came home, he was forgiven and blessed. But is this just an interesting story of family drama?  Or does it have a personal meaning and application to our lives today?

We need to consider God’s message to the prodigals in our pews, the real-life people with whom we interact in our churches and in our community and in our families. They may be our friends, our family, our coworkers, our enemies, or even ourselves. What would God want us to know today?

First, Prodigals need Jesus! Prodigals are either helpless, or they think they are helpless. How often have we heard someone say, “That’s just the way I am . . .” or “I have tried everything I know, but nothing works . . .”?  Here’s the truth, nothing we try before we find Jesus can cause God to forgive our sins. Also, nothing we try after we meet Jesus, but have strayed away from Him can bring us back close to God except Jesus.

Only Jesus can make a difference in our lives. Only He can move us from slavery to sin to freedom in our spiritual lives. Only He can move us from burden to rest, and from works to grace. Only He can move us from fear to love, and from helplessness to helpfulness.

Next, let’s read Galatians 5:16-26:

I say then, walk by the Spirit and you will not carry out the desire of the flesh. For the flesh desires what is against the Spirit, and the Spirit desires what is against the flesh; these are opposed to each other, so that you don’t do what you want. But if you are led by the Spirit, you are not under the law. Now the works of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, moral impurity, promiscuity, idolatry, sorcery, hatreds, strife, jealousy, outbursts of anger, selfish ambitions, dissensions, factions, envy, drunkenness, carousing, and anything similar. I tell you about these things in advance—as I told you before—that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God. But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faith, gentleness, self-control. Against such things there is no law. Now those who belong to Christ Jesus have crucified the flesh with its passions and desires. Since we live by the Spirit, we must also follow the Spirit. We must not become conceited, provoking one another, envying one another.

Next, prodigals need the Fruit of the Spirit,

 True life requires growth. This is true physically as well as spiritually. For we prodigals in the pew, this means we must walk in the Holy Spirit. How do we do that? First, Paul would tell us to forsake sin.  This means to turn our backs on our destructive ways. In other words, we decide to stop doing dumb things! The first step to getting out of a hole you have dug for yourself is to stop digging!

 Forsaking sin is not enough, because that leaves a vacuum in our lives. Jesus told the parable of the man who had an evil spirit cast out of him. Sadly, he did not replace that evil spirit with the Holy Spirit, and when the evil spirit discovered his life was empty of God, he came back into the man along with seven others.  Just saying “no” is not enough. We must say “yes” to the filling of the Holy Spirit who will produce His fruit in us.

 So often we ignore the Holy Spirit, or we live in ways that prevent Him from working in our lives. We also can try to produce the fruit of the Spirit in ourselves, but that’s a fool’s errand. We can’t do it. When we walk with the Lord, however, the Holy Spirit will fill the emptiness in our lives and produce His fruit in us.

 Prodigals also need fellowship. Let’s read Galatian 6:1-2:

Brothers, if someone is caught in any wrongdoing, you who are spiritual should restore such a person with a gentle spirit, watching out for yourselves so you also won’t be tempted. Carry one another’s burdens; in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.

The challenges of this fallen world are great, and we should not face them alone, but we don’t have to! Not only has God sent us the Holy Spirit, He also has established the church. Just as a burning ember will cool when it is removed from the body of flames, so can we cool when we remove ourselves from the body of Christ.

Remember, when Christ sent out the disciples to minister, he sent them out in teams. Being spiritually isolated is dangerous. As Proverbs 27:17 tells us, “As iron sharpens iron, so does one person sharpen another.”

Finally, Galatians 6:3-5 tells us, prodigals need to take responsibility for themselves. This passage says,

For if anyone considers himself to be something when he is nothing, he deceives himself. But each person should examine his own work, and then he will have a reason for boasting in himself alone, and not in respect to someone else. For each person will have to carry his own load.

God has no grandchildren, and no one can get to heaven on their parents’ faith. Each of us, on our own, must make our own decision for or against God, and for or against walking daily with Him.

God expects us to own up to our own frailties and take responsibility for our own needs. He has provided us all of the power and resources we need to grow and to be blessed. He expects us to use them.

Conclusion:

In conclusion today I hope what we see is our prodigal God. Remember that the word prodigal means extravagant or lavish. And when I mention our prodigal God, I am referring to His prodigious love for us and His prodigious care for us.

We are obviously the prodigal son, but at the same time we might also be the prodigal brother. We have great needs, and we often look to satisfy them in the wrong places. We can only really find the help that we need, however, in our prodigal God.

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Lip Service

Today, I want us to consider the cost of providing lip service to our Heavenly Father.  Let’s begin by reading Matthew 21:23-32.

When He entered the temple complex, the chief priests and the elders of the people came up to Him as He was teaching and said, “By what authority are You doing these things? Who gave You this authority?” Jesus answered them, “I will also ask you one question, and if you answer it for Me, then I will tell you by what authority I do these things. Where did John’s baptism come from? From heaven or from men?” They began to argue among themselves, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say to us, ‘Then why didn’t you believe him?’  But if we say, ‘From men,’ we’re afraid of the crowd, because everyone thought John was a prophet.” So they answered Jesus, “We don’t know.” And He said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.  But what do you think? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said, ‘My son, go, work in the vineyard today.’ He answered, ‘I don’t want to!’ Yet later he changed his mind and went. Then the man went to the other and said the same thing. ‘I will, sir,’ he answered. But he didn’t go. “Which of the two did his father’s will?” “The first,” they said. Jesus said to them, “I assure you: Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you! For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you didn’t believe him. Tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him, but you, when you saw it, didn’t even change your minds then and believe him.

This parable of Jesus reminds me of a story I heard that dates back to the days of the British Empire in India. Three very proper, stiff-upper-lip British Army officers stationed there had hired a local man to take care of their quarters and cook their meals. They were very hard to please and they constantly corrected him, but he'd just smile and bow and carry on. They told him off every day, yet he'd just smile and nod. They finally got tired of him and let him go. "We won't be telling you off anymore," they said.  He replied, "And I will not be spitting in your soup anymore either." 

\o we smile at God, and yet spit in His soup?  Jesus told a parable about such behavior in Mattew 21.  Let us look at it today.

First, Let's See Lip Service:

The parable Jesus told involved a man asking his sons to go work in their vineyard. It was a common request, and a reasonable one. Farmers always need more hands to work their fields, and they often assign chores to their children. This is why agrarian societies have large birthrate to have workers.

One son said, “Yes, I’ll go.” But he didn’t go. He lied and he reneged, and he was in rebellion.  He could not be honest with his father, so he deceived him. Maybe he had decided it was “easier to ask forgiveness than it is to ask permission.”

esus said that the Jewish religious leaders of that day were like this son. They gave lip service, but no real service. They were more interested in their own will than God's. In other places in the Scriptures, Jesus compares them to whitewashed graves: They looked good outwardly, but they were corrupt inwardly. 

They hid their nature from others, but that did nothing to change it, like the son who was punished with a time-out because of his behavior who said, “I'm sitting down, but I'm standing up inside.” Or, like the ex-hippie who had become a business executive wearing a suit and tie who said, “I'm still wearing leather sandals and long hair on the inside.”

Jesus condemned these religious leaders for their lip service to God.

Next, Let's See Reluctant Service:

The other son’s words and actions were 180 degrees out of phase with his brother’s. When he was asked to go work in the vineyard, he was honest with this father, and told him, “No!” He didn’t mince his words, he didn’t hem and haw, he didn’t beat around the bush. He just said, “I’m not gonna do it.”

There is something to be said for the honest sinner. They know that they are doing wrong, and they own up to it. Their honesty doesn’t save them from punishment, however. 

Gary Plauche’ was the father of a son who had been kidnapped and abused by Jeffery Doucet. Police officers arrested Doucet in California and flew with him back to Baton Rouge. LA to stand trial, but that never happened. At 9:30pm on March 16, 1984, Gary was at the airport pretending to use a payphone, but as the Doucet and his police escort passed behind him, he turned and shot Doucet in the head, killing him. Plauche’ replaced the telephone receiver as the police subdued him, asking him, "Gary, why? Why, Gary?" Gary was charged with second-degree murder but agreed to a plea-bargain for a lesser sentence. At age 67, Plauché gave an interview where he stated that he did not regret killing Doucet and would do so again.

What saves the honest sinner is what saves us all: repentance. The son initially defied his father, but then he repented and obeyed him. This meant that he ultimately fulfilled his father’s wishes, unlike his brother who only gave lip service to their father.

Jesus said the tax collectors and harlots who had actually listened to John were the true servants of the father. This was both a bold and an accusatory statement because the tax collectors and harlots were outcasts of society. The tax collectors were traitors and thieves. The harlots were sexually defiled in what was officially a very prudish society (though they had to get their customers from somewhere didn’t they?). The key was that when they repented, they did the will of God more than the hypocritical religious leaders of Israel.

Jesus commended these outcasts of society for their repentant service to God. For a better model of servanthood, let’s read Luke 17:5-10.

The apostles said to the Lord, “Increase our faith.” “If you have faith the size of a mustard seed,” the Lord said, “you can say to this mulberry tree, ‘Be uprooted and planted in the sea,’ and it will obey you. “Which one of you having a slave tending sheep or plowing will say to him when he comes in from the field, ‘Come at once and sit down to eat’? Instead, will he not tell him, ‘Prepare something for me to eat, get ready and serve me while I eat and drink; later you can eat and drink’ Does he thank that slave because he did what was commanded? In the same way, when you have done all that you were commanded, you should say, ‘We are good-for-nothing slaves; we’ve only done our duty.’”

Now, Let's See Full Service:

For most of us, a full-service gas station is a distant, or probably non-existent memory. Except for New Jersey, in every other state of the union, people pump their own gas, unless they physically can’t. If that is the case they can ask for help, but there once was a time when a motorist would drive over a pneumatic hose as they approached the gas pumps. This would ring a bell, and an attendant would come out to your car. Attendants would not only fill your gas tank as you sat in the car, but they usually would also check the oil and clean the windshield as well. Many gas stations would replace worn-out windshield wipers and perform other minor repairs as well. 

The days of full-service gas stations are long gone, but if Jesus had come to earth in the mid-20th Century, he might have used them as the illustration of how we should serve God. Instead, He used the case of a man who had a slave, which was common in those days. It was not right or just, but it was common. What was uncommon in this situation was that this slave was expected to work in the field as well as in the home. Usually, those tasks were separate and done by different individuals, but in this case, this man needed a full-service slave; one who did what his master wanted, when and where his master wanted.

What Jesus wanted to emphasize here is that, when you serve someone, you don’t get to pick and choose when and what and where and how you serve them. That is their prerogative, not yours. In fact, Jesus even complimented a Roman centurion who understood this principle far better than the Jewish religious leaders did. Matthew 8:5-13 says,

When He entered Capernaum, a centurion came to Him, pleading with Him, “Lord, my servant is lying at home paralyzed, in terrible agony!” “I will come and heal him,” He told him.  “Lord,” the centurion replied, “I am not worthy to have You come under my roof. But only say the word, and my servant will be cured. For I too am a man under authority, having soldiers under my command. I say to this one, ‘Go!’ and he goes; and to another, ‘Come!’ and he comes; and to my slave, ‘Do this!’ and he does it.” Hearing this, Jesus was amazed and said to those following Him, “I assure you: I have not found anyone in Israel with so great a faith! I tell you that many will come from east and west, and recline at the table with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of the kingdom will be thrown into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.” Then Jesus told the centurion, “Go. As you have believed, let it be done for you.” And his servant was cured that very moment.

Jesus commended the Centurion for his faith but also for the fact that he knew he was a man under authority. What about us?

 Finally, Let's See Our Service:

The best thing about our country is our concept of individual liberty. This provides us the kinds of freedom that the people in most other countries of the world only dream about. At the same time, our concept of individual liberty is also one of our most troublesome aspects. Some people forget that just because they can do something doesn’t mean that they should do it. We all like to believe that we are our own master and that we are beholden to no one else. Our Lord would beg to differ.

The parable that Jesus taught about the full-service slave, and the way He responded to the faith of the Centurion demonstrates that Jesus recognized that we all serve some master or another. We might serve the master of debt, or the master of our stomachs, or the master of our lusts, or the master of our leisure. God forbid, but some people are serving the master of evil, and they are working hard at it.

We all have a master, but there is only one benevolent master who blesses us with an abundant life in the here and now and in the hereafter. This is what Paul said about that situation in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20,

Don’t you know that your body is a sanctuary of the Holy Spirit who is in you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought at a price. Therefore glorify God in your body.

We also should remember what Paul taught the church at Rome about this in Romans 12:1-3, 

Therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, I urge you to present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God; this is your spiritual worship. Do not be conformed to this age, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may discern what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God. For by the grace given to me, I tell everyone among you not to think of himself more highly than he should think. Instead, think sensibly, as God has distributed a measure of faith to each one.

Finally, let’s remember how important obedience is to God. Early in King Saul’s reign, he began to do things his way instead of God’s way, and he was confronted in his sin by the prophet Samuel in 1 Samuel 15:22-23:

Then Samuel said: Does the Lord take pleasure in burnt offerings and sacrifice as much as in obeying the Lord? Look: to obey is better than sacrifice, to pay attention is better than the fat of rams. For rebellion is like the sin of divination, and defiance is like wickedness and idolatry. Because you have rejected the word of the Lord, He has rejected you as king.

And we must not forget what Jesus said in John 14:15-18:

If you love Me, you will keep My commands. And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Counselor to be with you forever. He is the Spirit of truth. The world is unable to receive Him because it doesn’t see Him or know Him. But you do know Him, because He remains with you and will be in you. I will not leave you as orphans; I am coming to you.

You see, our God is a Full-Service God. Not only does He save us from our sin and adopt us as His children, but He also even helps us to do the right thing. In fact, Romans 8 :26 tells us that even when we don’t k now how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for us! The key to accessing that help, from Jesus’s own mouth, however, is an attitude of obedience.

A good illustration of this took place at the auto repair shop that I used for the twelve years we lived in Covington County, AL. When I began trading with this shop, I dealt with the father of the family. Then, about six or seven years later, his son-in-law began managing the store. The father was still there in the back office, but he only came out to shake hands and chat. The son-in-law was in charge of the day-to-day operations. He was not as affable as his father-in-law, but he was honest and efficient, he got me back on the road, and he always treated me right. It was just recently announced that the father had officially transferred the business to his daughter and son-in-law. The son-in-law had worked diligently for six or seven years, and now he was the owner. We will never own the Kingdom of God, but if we diligently serve Him, we will share in His glory!

Jesus commends us to the Holy Spirit, who helps us be the servants of God in ways we cannot be in our own strength.

 Conclusion:

As the adopted children of God, He expects us to obey Him. He has called for us to go out into the fields which are white unto harvest and bring in a crop of disciples into His household. He is serious about this task, and He requires that we are obedient to Him.

Let me also remind us, that while God expects our obedience, He also cherishes us. He went more than the extra mile, and He paid the highest possible price, to adopt us as His children. He would never abuse us or ask us to do something that He would not help us do.

Finally, as His children we are His heirs. We are not hired hands being paid a wage. No! We will benefit from benefit from every increase in Kingdom of God our Father. Again, as Paul told the church at Rome,

The Spirit Himself testifies together with our spirit that we are God’s children, and if children, also heirs—heirs of God and coheirs with Christ—seeing that we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.

Let us determine today to give more, and much, much more, than lip service to God our Father. He deserves it, and we need to do it!

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about Ruthless People

 

Today, I want to share a lame joke that I read in Boys Life magazine many years ago: 

Sam and Ruth were out on a date.  As they were driving along in his convertible, they hit a bump, and Ruth fell out.  That didn’t stop Sam, however, because he drove on, ruthlessly! 

The world is full of ruthless people, but our Christian walk is all about love, especially in our family relationships. People who love are never ruthless.  A prime example of this is Ruth. Let’s begin by reading Ruth 1:1-10:

During the time of the judges, there was a famine in the land. A man left Bethlehem in Judah with his wife and two sons to live in the land of Moab for a while.The man’s name was Elimelech, and his wife’s name was Naomi. The names of his two sons were Mahlon and Chilion. They were Ephrathites from Bethlehem in Judah. They entered the land of Moab and settled there. Naomi’s husband Elimelech died, and she was left with her two sons. Her sons took Moabite women as their wives: one was named Orpah and the second was named Ruth. After they lived in Moab about 10 years, both Mahlon and Chilion also died, and Naomi was left without her two children and without her husband. She and her daughters-in-law prepared to leave the land of Moab, because she had heard in Moab that the Lord had paid attention to His people’s need by providing them food. She left the place where she had been living, accompanied by her two daughters-in-law, and traveled along the road leading back to the land of Judah. She said to them, “Each of you go back to your mother’s home. May the Lord show faithful love to you as you have shown to the dead and to me. May the Lord enable each of you to find security in the house of your new husband.” She kissed them, and they wept loudly. “No,” they said to her. “We will go with you to your people.”

Ruth Grieved Her Loss:

Marriage in Biblical times was different than it is in our society today. Marriages were arranged by parents or grandparents, and the bride and groom usually had no say in the matter. Wealth, religion, power, and politics were vital factors, but love was not expected nor required. This is also true in some parts of our world today, however.

When we served in Africa, we worked with a Muslim people group in which the men could have up to four wives. Often a man’s existing wife or wives only knew when a new wife was coming when the husband said, “Make room in the house, the new wife is coming today.” We were told that the only thing those wives had in common was their hatred for their husband!

In this case, the grief expressed by Ruth and of these women seems real. Ruth loved her husband and her family. When her husband died her world was rocked. She genuinely grieved the death of her husband. She missed him, she longed for him, and she wanted him back.

This is not like what happens in some relationships today. When some marriages fail, one or both of the former spouses will host a “freedom party.” Others will just be relieved it’s all over, like the line in the Country Western song that says, “Thank God and Greyhound she’s gone!”

Ruthless people don’t love like this: They only care about themselves. They only care what others can do for them.

 So, was Ruth Ruthless?  No! Not at all!

 Next, let’s read Ruth 1:11-15:

But Naomi replied, “Return home, my daughters. Why do you want to go with me? Am I able to have any more sons who could become your husbands? Return home, my daughters. Go on, for I am too old to have another husband. Even if I thought there was still hope for me to have a husband tonight and to bear sons, would you be willing to wait for them to grow up? Would you restrain yourselves from remarrying? No, my daughters, my life is much too bitter for you to share, because the Lord’s hand has turned against me.” Again they wept loudly, and Orpah kissed her mother-in-law, but Ruth clung to her. Naomi said, “Look, your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and to her god. Follow your sister-in-law.” But Ruth replied: Do not persuade me to leave you or go back and not follow you. For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you live, I will live; your people will be my people, and your God will be my God. Where you die, I will die, and there I will be buried. May Yahweh punish me, and do so severely, if anything but death separates you and me.

Ruth Did Not Cut Her Losses:

In Biblical times a woman had to be related to a man. Fathers watched over daughters and husbands watched over wives. When a man died, his brothers or cousins married his wife. We saw this in Africa also. Our language tutor had three wives, one of which had been the wife of his deceased older brother. She lived in her own place in a different town, and she ran her own affairs. We were never sure how intimate their marriage was, but he was her husband, and he could have intervened in any situation he chose to do so.

We also employed a cook who was a middle-aged widow with adult children. She had lived on her own for many years, but one day she told us that she had to travel to her parent’s village because they had arranged a new marriage for her.  These are very different customs than the ones we have today, but they are similar to the patterns we see in the Bible.

In this case, however, Naomi had no help to give Ruth. She, herself, had no more husbands, and no more sons. She did not know of any other relatives that might help. They were all bereft of help and protection, and they were vulnerable to exploitation.

In business, the “sunk cost fallacy” would apply to this situation. Successful business leaders don’t believe in the saying, “In for a penny, in for a pound.” The amount of resources you have invested in products or people doesn’t matter if those products or people are no longer producing a profit. Therefore, business leaders have learned to cut their losses, and move on.

Likewise, A ruthless person would have cut her losses in this case and moved on. Ruth wasn’t even Jewish!  She could’ve gone back home, with the attitude of, “It’s been real & it’s been fun, but it ain’t been real fun!” She also could have abandoned her morals and done anything for money, like the character in the play A Streetcar Named Desire who said, “I have always depended on the kindness of strangers.”

Ruth was made of sterner stuff than that. She did neither; regardless of the cost, she stayed with Naomi because she loved her!

So, was Ruth Ruthless?  No! Not at all!

 Next, let’s read Ruth 1:18 to 2:1-3:

 When Naomi saw that Ruth was determined to go with her, she stopped trying to persuade her. The two of them traveled until they came to Bethlehem. When they entered Bethlehem, the whole town was excited about their arrival and the local women exclaimed, “Can this be Naomi?” “Don’t call me Naomi. Call me Mara,” she answered, “for the Almighty has made me very bitter. I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the Lord has pronounced judgment on me, and the Almighty has afflicted me?” So Naomi came back from the land of Moab with her daughter-in-law Ruth the Moabitess. They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest. Now Naomi had a relative on her husband’s side named Boaz. He was a prominent man of noble character from Elimelech’s family. Ruth the Moabitess asked Naomi, “Will you let me go into the fields and gather fallen grain behind someone who allows me to?” Naomi answered her, “Go ahead, my daughter.”  So Ruth left and entered the field to gather grain behind the harvesters. She happened to be in the portion of land belonging to Boaz, who was from Elimelech’s family. 

Ruth Did Not Wallow in Her Loss:

How a person deals with a loss reveals much about them:  They can wallow in self-pity, and they can convince themselves there is no hope. They can become helpless, hapless, and hopeless. A New Orleans Seminary professor saw this happening in that city after Hurricane Katrina. He moved his family from New Orleans after Katrina because he did not want his children to grow up around people who could only see themselves as victims.

Ruthless people often collapse when faced with adversity: at heart they are mercenaries and when they can’t see a way forward, they collapse. This is often the case with bullies, and a good example of that is the people of Jericho who were quaking in their sandals at the approach of Joshua and the Children of Israel.

Ruth knew the truth: It is what it is; you have what you have; you do what you can do! She had no problem working to save her family and she was not too proud to seek the help that they needed from the support systems of that day. Remember, it is easier to act yourself into feeling better than it is to feel yourself into acting better.

When you do what you can do in a tough situation, this can set yourself up for blessings that come in unexpected ways. Let’s read Ruth 2:4-11.

Later, when Boaz arrived from Bethlehem, he said to the harvesters, “The Lord be with you.” “The Lord bless you,” they replied. Boaz asked his servant who was in charge of the harvesters, “Whose young woman is this?” The servant answered, “She is the young Moabite woman who returned with Naomi from the land of Moab. She asked, ‘Will you let me gather fallen grain among the bundles behind the harvesters?’ She came and has remained from early morning until now, except that she rested a little in the shelter.”  Then Boaz said to Ruth, “Listen, my daughter. Don’t go and gather grain in another field, and don’t leave this one, but stay here close to my female servants. See which field they are harvesting and follow them. Haven’t I ordered the young men not to touch you? When you are thirsty, go and drink from the jars the young men have filled.” She bowed with her face to the ground and said to him, “Why are you so kind to notice me, although I am a foreigner?”  Boaz answered her, “Everything you have done for your mother-in-law since your husband’s death has been fully reported to me: how you left your father and mother and the land of your birth, and how you came to a people you didn’t previously know. May the Lord reward you for what you have done and may you receive a full reward from the Lord God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge.”

 When you make yourself available to the Lord, it allows Him to bless you. People who do that don’t have to be ruthless, because they know that their God is working on their behalf.

 So, was Ruth Ruthless?  No! Not at all!

 Let’s continue by reading Ruth 3:1-5, 

Ruth’s mother-in-law Naomi said to her, “My daughter, shouldn’t I find security for you, so that you will be taken care of? Now isn’t Boaz our relative? Haven’t you been working with his female servants? This evening he will be winnowing barley on the threshing floor. Wash, put on perfumed oil, and wear your best clothes. Go down to the threshing floor, but don’t let the man know you are there until he has finished eating and drinking. When he lies down, notice the place where he’s lying, go in and uncover his feet, and lie down. Then he will explain to you what you should do. So Ruth said to her, “I will do everything you say.”

Ruth was Restored from Her Loss:

We expect stories to have happy endings: 

• The underdog always wins. 
• The hero always gets the girl.  
• The cavalry always arrives in the nick of time. 
• The miracle cure is found. 
• The couple lives happily ever after.

Reality is somewhat different: The world is a cruel place, and happy endings are not as common as we would like them to be. Good things don’t always come to those who wait. Ruthless people know this, and they use it as an excuse for cutting corners.  Loving people don’t!

 In God’s economy, however, we do win. Jesus came that we might have abundant life: in the here and now or in the hereafter. Paul taught us that all things work together for our good, either in the here and now or in the hereafter. As the old hymn says, “I know whom I have believed and am persuaded that He is able to keep that which I have committed unto Him against that day.” God is good to His people all the time; He makes provision for us, so we have no reason to be ruthless! We are to be as wise as serpents but also as harmless as doves!

 In this case, God brought Boaz into Ruth’s life. They were a match made in heaven, but there was one problem. Boaz wasn’t the closest relative, and he could not redeem Ruth. If he had been a ruthless person, he would have thrown up his hands and said, “That’s just too bad. We could have had a great thing, but better luck next time.” Because Boaz wasn’t ruthless, we can see what he did in Ruth 4:1-10

 Boaz went to the gate of the town and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz called him by name and said, “Come over here and sit down.” So he went over and sat down. Then Boaz took 10 men of the town’s elders and said, “Sit here.” And they sat down.  He said to the redeemer, “Naomi, who has returned from the land of Moab, is selling a piece of land that belonged to our brother Elimelech. I thought I should inform you: Buy it back in the presence of those seated here and in the presence of the elders of my people. If you want to redeem it, do so. But if you do not want to redeem it, tell me so that I will know, because there isn’t anyone other than you to redeem it, and I am next after you.” “I want to redeem it,” he answered. Then Boaz said, “On the day you buy the land from Naomi, you will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the deceased man, to perpetuate the man’s name on his property.” The redeemer replied, “I can’t redeem it myself, or I will ruin my own inheritance. Take my right of redemption, because I can’t redeem it.” At an earlier period in Israel, a man removed his sandal and gave it to the other party in order to make any matter legally binding concerning the right of redemption or the exchange of property. This was the method of legally binding a transaction in Israel. So the redeemer removed his sandal and said to Boaz, “Buy back the property yourself.”  Boaz said to the elders and all the people, “You are witnesses today that I am buying from Naomi everything that belonged to Elimelech, Chilion, and Mahlon.  I will also acquire Ruth the Moabitess, Mahlon’s widow, as my wife, to perpetuate the deceased man’s name on his property, so that his name will not disappear among his relatives or from the gate of his home. You are witnesses today.”

 Boaz was as harmless as a dove, but he was as cunning as a snake, and he set-up Ruth’s kinsman redeemer. By the man’s own words, Boaz showed him to be the ruthless person that he was in front of the whole town. This allowed Boaz to marry Ruth and also to perpetuate her husband’s line and legacy. This is also something a ruthless person would not do.

 So, did Ruth Have to Be Ruthless?  Not at all!

Conclusion

The relationship between Ruth and Naomi was a prime example of God’s type of love. Because of God’s steadfast love, Ruth did not have to be ruthless. The same is true of us.

Many years ago, a man who had just buried his mother told me, “Preacher, no one ever loves you like your mother.” I understood what he meant, and I didn’t have the heart to disagree with him.

The reason our mothers can love us so much is that God loved them first. As Paul said, “God manifested His love toward us in that, while we were stll sinners, Christ died for us.”

The Book of Ruth is a love story and a promise of God’s eternal love for us. Have you received His love?

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt

A Word about the Fall of a Man of God

 

Today I want to share a word about the fall of a man of God. Let’s begin by reading 2 Samuel 11:1-3:

In the spring when kings march out to war, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah, but David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and strolled around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing—a very beautiful woman. 3 So David sent someone to inquire about her, and he reported, “This is Bathsheba, daughter of Eliam and wife of Uriah the Hittite.”

They say that a good man is hard to find.  I heard of a pastor search committee that would agree with that.  Here is their report to the church: 

“We do not have a happy report to give. We've not been able to find a suitable candidate for this church, though we have one promising prospect.  The following is our confidential report:

• ADAM: Good man but there are some problems with his wife.
• NOAH: Former pastorate of 120 years with no converts. Prone to unrealistic building projects.
• JOSEPH: A big thinker, but a braggart, believes in dream-interpreting, and has a prison record.
• MOSES: A modest and meek man, but a poor communicator, and even stutters at times. Sometimes he blows his stack and acts rashly in business meetings. Some say he left an earlier church over a murder charge.
• SOLOMON: Great preacher but our parsonage would never
• hold all those wives. We also hear he has girlfriends on the side.
• HOSEA: A tender and loving pastor but our people could never accept his wife's occupation.
• JONAH: Told us he was swallowed up by a great fish. He said the fish later spit him out on the shore near here. We hung up.
• JOHN: Says he is a Baptist but doesn't dress like one. May be too charismatic. Tends to lift both hands in the air in worship when he gets excited. Sleeps in the outdoors, has a weird diet, and provides denominational leaders with a lot of grief.
• PETER: Too blue collar. Has a bad temper, and he is even said to curse. He's a loose cannon.
• PAUL: Powerful CEO type and fascinating preacher. However, he is short on tact, unforgiving with younger ministers, and harsh. He has been known to preach all night.
• TIMOTHY: Too young.
• JESUS: Has had popular times, but once when his church grew to 5000, he managed to offend them all and this church dwindled down to twelve people. Seldom stays in one place very long. And, of course, he's single.
• JUDAS: His references are solid. A steady plodder. Conservative. Good connections. Knows how to handle money. We're inviting him to preach this Sunday in view of a call.

David was known as a man after God’s own heart. He is a giant in the history of Israel, but like Goliath, whom he slew, David also had a great fall, one that had devastating consequences and could have been easily avoided. 

David’s Sin:

We saw in past episodes that David had been anointed king to replace Saul and He was a good choice: 

• He was the best king Israel ever had.
• He was the best warrior Israel ever had.
• He was the best musician and poet Israel ever had.
• He had established Jerusalem as the capital of Israel.
• He laid the ground works for Solomon’s Temple.
• He was even good looking!

Yet, despite all that David was, and despite all that he had accomplished, David was a human being, and David like all people made mistakes. This is what sin is, falling short of God’s perfection.

Sin is one of three terms in the Bible used for wrongdoing. It is a generic term for falling short of God’s standards.  Specifically, it is the term used for “missing the mark,” or being less than perfect. The Bible shows us that there are two types of sin: sins of omission and sins of commission. Paul describes these in Romans 6:18-24,

For I know that nothing good lives in me, that is, in my flesh. For the desire to do what is good is with me, but there is no ability to do it. 19 For I do not do the good that I want to do, but I practice the evil that I do not want to do. 20 Now if I do what I do not want, I am no longer the one doing it, but it is the sin that lives in me. 21 So I discover this principle: When I want to do what is good, evil is with me. 22 For in my inner self I joyfully agree with God’s law. 23 But I see a different law in the parts of my body, waging war against the law of my mind and taking me prisoner to the law of sin in the parts of my body.  24 What a wretched man I am! Who will rescue me from this dying body?

In this event, David committed sins of omission and commission. In terms of a sin of omission, David was not where he was supposed to be, and he was not doing what he was supposed to be doing. He was not fulfilling his role as king because he had gotten complacent and lazy.

Many times, when people get hurt or in trouble, they weren’t where they were supposed to be, doing with they were supposed to be doing. That’s why it can be so shocking when someone “who was minding their own business” is the victim of a random crime. Usually, people who are minding their business are not in a place for that to happen.

Besides a sin of omission, we can also see that David committed a sin of commission. To see a lovely woman was not a sin, but to look at her was. To ask about her was even a longer step out of bounds. 

David acted like the man who told his wife, “When I stop looking, you’ll know that I am dead.” In contrast to this, Jesus, in the Sermon on the Mount took this situation more seriously. He said in Matthew 5:27-30, 

You have heard that it was said, Do not commit adultery.  28 But I tell you, everyone who looks at a woman to lust for her has already committed adultery with her in his heart. 29 If your right eye causes you to sin, gouge it out and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to be thrown into hell. 30 And if your right hand causes you to sin, cut it off and throw it away. For it is better that you lose one of the parts of your body than for your whole body to go into hell!

The sad fact is that David was not diligent in doing what God expected of him, and that got him into trouble.

Let’s read 2 Samuel 11:4-5 next,

David sent messengers to get her, and when she came to him, he slept with her. Now she had just been purifying herself from her uncleanness. Afterward, she returned home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to inform David: “I am pregnant.”

David’s Transgression:

The second term for sin in the Bible is transgression. To transgress is to be deliberately disobedient to God; it is to knowingly step over the line and to deliberately and intentionally defy God and His will and His Word. Isaiah 59: 12-14 describes the transgressions of the Jewish people this way,

For our transgressions have multiplied before You, and our sins testify against us. For our transgressions are with us, and we know our iniquities: 13 transgression and deception against the Lord, turning away from following our God, speaking oppression and revolt, conceiving and uttering lying words from the heart. 14 Justice is turned back, and righteousness stands far off. For truth has stumbled in the public square, and honesty cannot enter.

The penalty for transgression is the same as it is for sin: death and separation from God; however, the temporal, human consequences are greater. For example, if an employee makes a mistake out of ignorance that is one thing, but deliberately doing something after being told not to do it is usually sufficient grounds to be fired by an employer.

In this case, David knew better than to do what he did. He knew that he was not married to Bathsheba, and he knew that Bathsheba was another man’s wife. He knew that adultery and fornication was wrong, and that rape was much worse. He also knew that as king he was to uphold righteousness, but sadly, He also knew what he wanted, and he took another man’s wife.

We must realize that no matter who we are, no matter what we can do, no matter who we know, no one is above the law. David was following the same idea that President Nixon was promoting when he claimed, “When the President does it, that means it is not illegal.”  This was not true for him, nor was it true for David

David did not escape the law of consequences. Bathsheba became pregnant and the servants knew what happened. This is exactly what Paul warned us about in Galatians 6:7-8,

Don’t be deceived: God is not mocked. For whatever a man sows he will also reap, 8 because the one who sows to his flesh will reap corruption from the flesh, but the one who sows to the Spirit will reap eternal life from the Spirit.

This kind of deliberate sin has unintended consequences that bring a bad report onto the name of Christ. For example, when we were serving in Africa, we worked alongside a local Christian. This was in one of the most Muslim countries of the world, and this local believer was a great asset to our work until the day came when he was caught breaking into the home of a single female missionary by a Muslim night watchman. He was also caught in possession of a bottle of alcohol, which was in violation of our agreement with him. Soon everyone around had heard this story, and it damaged our work among the Muslims in our area.

The sad fact is that David knew he was doing wrong, but he did it anyway and he suffered the consequences of his sin. And so did Bathsheba.

Let’s continue by reading 2 Samuel 11:6-13, 

David sent orders to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” So Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the troops were doing and how the war was going. 8 Then he said to Uriah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king followed him. 9 But Uriah slept at the door of the palace with all his master’s servants; he did not go down to his house. 10 When it was reported to David, “Uriah didn’t go home,” David questioned Uriah, “Haven’t you just come from a journey? Why didn’t you go home?” 11 Uriah answered David, “The ark, Israel, and Judah are dwelling in tents, and my master Joab and his soldiers[b] are camping in the open field. How can I enter my house to eat and drink and sleep with my wife? As surely as you live and by your life, I will not do this!” 12 “Stay here today also,” David said to Uriah, “and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah stayed in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 Then David invited Uriah to eat and drink with him, and David got him drunk. He went out in the evening to lie down on his cot with his master’s servants, but he did not go home.

David’s Iniquity:

The final term for sin in the Bible is iniquity. This is gross, diabolical sin and rebellion of the worst kind. This is like spitting in the face of God. Isaiah 1:4 tells us about how God feels about iniquity,

Oh sinful nation, people weighed down with iniquity, brood of evildoers, depraved children! They have abandoned the Lord; they have despised the Holy One of Israel; they have turned their backs on Him.

David’s behavior after his sin was found out was just like what Isaiah described iniquitous behavior to be. And David was said to be a man after God’s own heart! This must be a warning to us all!

First, David tried a cover-up. Like Jacob, David tried to scam Uriah by calling him home from battle. Daivid claimed to need a report from his army, but really, he just wanted Uriah to go home and sleep with Bathsheba. In fact, David tried three times to get Uriah to go home, but he was more honorable than David and he refused.

Next, let’s read 2 Samuel 11:14-17,

14 The next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In the letter he wrote: Put Uriah at the front of the fiercest fighting, then withdraw from him so that he is struck down and dies. 16 When Joab was besieging the city, he put Uriah in the place where he knew the best enemy soldiers were. 17 Then the men of the city came out and attacked Joab, and some of the men from David’s soldiers fell in battle; Uriah the Hittite also died.

When David could not cover-up his sin, decided to eliminate the problem. He wrote out a death warrant and sent it to Joab by Uriah’s own hand.  This plan required Joab and the army to become accomplices, and they abandoned Uriah, one of their own, a faithful soldier and servant, to the Hittites. This is the type of plot we often see in novels and motion pictures, but this was a real-life conspiracy, concocted by David himself and carried out by those who were supposed to be fighting for righteousness and truth. Appalling! 

Finally, David took advantage of the situation. The former mayor of Chicago, Rahm Emanuel, notoriously said, “You never want a serious crisis to go to waste. And what I mean by that is an opportunity to do things that you think you could not do before.” 2 Samuel 11:26-27 tells us what David did to take advantage of Uriah and Bathsheba,

26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah had died, she mourned for him. 27 When the time of mourning ended, David had her brought to his house. She became his wife and bore him a son. However, the Lord considered what David had done to be evil.

The sad fact is that David was so proud and arrogant that he thought he could get away with fornication, adultery, murder, conspiracy, and lying.

Finally, let’s read 2 Samuel 12:1-14,

So the Lord sent Nathan to David. When he arrived, he said to him: There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had a large number of sheep and cattle, 3 but the poor man had nothing except one small ewe lamb that he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up, living with him and his children. It shared his meager food and drank from his cup; it slept in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man could not bring himself to take one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for his guest. 5 David was infuriated with the man and said to Nathan: “As the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! 6 Because he has done this thing and shown no pity, he must pay four lambs for that lamb.” 7 Nathan replied to David, “You are the man! This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. 8 I gave your master’s house to you and your master’s wives into your arms, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah, and if that was not enough, I would have given you even more. 9 Why then have you despised the command of the Lord by doing what I consider evil? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife as your own wife—you murdered him with the Ammonite’s sword. 10 Now therefore, the sword will never leave your house because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own wife.’ 11 “This is what the Lord says, ‘I am going to bring disaster on you from your own family: I will take your wives and give them to another  before your very eyes, and he will sleep with them publicly.12 You acted in secret, but I will do this before all Israel and in broad daylight.’”  13 David responded to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” Then Nathan replied to David, “The Lord has taken away your sin; you will not die. 14 However, because you treated the Lord with such contempt in this matter, the son born to you will die.” 15 Then Nathan went home.

David’s Punishment:

God will not sit idly by while sin goes unchecked among God’s people. God is righteous, and He is also protective of His Name. From the beginning of time, He has worked to eradicate sin. God hates sin, He hates its punishment, He hates its consequences. God hates everything about sin, and so he sent the prophet Nathan to confront David.

Nathan told David the story of a rich man who stole a poor man’s only lamb. David was enraged with a hypocritical anger and then Nathan nailed him with the words, “You are the man!” Then David repented. Psalm 51 says:

Be gracious to me, God, according to Your faithful love; according to Your abundant compassion, blot out my rebellion. 2 Wash away my guilt and cleanse me from my sin. 3 For I am conscious of my rebellion, and my sin is always before me. 4 Against You—You alone—I have sinned and done this evil in Your sight. So You are right when You pass sentence; You are blameless when You judge 5 Indeed, I was guilty when I was born; I was sinful when my mother conceived me. 6 Surely You desire integrity in the inner self, and You teach me wisdom deep within. 7 Purify me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. 8 Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. 9 Turn Your face away from my sins and blot out all my guilt. 10 God, create a clean heart for me and renew a steadfast spirit within me. 11 Do not banish me from Your presence or take Your Holy Spirit from me. 12 Restore the joy of Your salvation to me, and give me a willing spirit. 13 Then I will teach the rebellious Your ways, and sinners will return to You.  14 Save me from the guilt of bloodshed, God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. 15 Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare Your praise. 16 You do not want a sacrifice, or I would give it; You are not pleased with a burnt offering. 17 The sacrifice pleasing to God is[ a broken spirit. God, You will not despise a broken and humbled heart. 18 In Your good pleasure, cause Zion to prosper; build the walls of Jerusalem. 19 Then You will delight in righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on Your altar.

David was forgiven, and he is with our Lord in Heaven today. The terrible consequences of David's actions remained, however, and they had serious second and third order effects. Here is just a partial list:

• The reputation of the king of God’s people was sullied.
• The baby born to David and Bathsheba died.
• Later, David’s son Amnon raped David’s daughter, Tamar, then Absalom killed Amnon.
• Absalom rebelled against David and in the sight of all the people he took David’s wives to be his own.
• Finally, Absalom was killed by Joab.

While all this was going on, God’s redemptive plan stood still. As my junior high Sunday School teacher, Mr. Joe Weekly, told us om numerous occasions,” Boys, a few minutes pleasure isn’t worth it!” David learned this fact too late.

Sadly, When God’s people lose sight of what they are here to do, all creation suffers.

Conclusion:

All through this sermon series we have seen people model behavior for us as they lived out their family relationships. Some models are positive, like Joseph in Egypt. He was diligent and honorable, and he literally ran away from temptation. In this episode we saw that Uriah, also, was honorable and that he refused to take advantage of the situation he was in but instead kept the faith with his comrades-in-arms.

We have also observed other models that show us behaviors to avoid, like David. David was lazy and indolent, and he was crass, deceptive, and murderous. The only good thing he did in this sad tale is to repent and seek God’s mercy.

Whom do you think we should emulate?

Every blessing,

Dr. Otis Corbitt