Currently, David is fighting a war on three fronts.
He’s battling against the Ammonites, the Syrians, and the Edomites.
As I said earlier, these wars represented the most horrific conflicts Israel ever experienced.
Again, Psalms 44 and 60 express the anguish and uncertainty Israel’s leaders were feeling at this time.
They doubted if the Lord was even with them anymore because things weren’t going as they usually did.
The issue wasn’t so much that Israel was suffering defeat.
It’s that it was a brutal fight to achieve even the smallest of victories.
The battles seemed to drag on forever…
The loss of life was staggering…
And real peace seemed out of reach.
Why?
David’s enemy neighbors weren’t just defending themselves…
They wanted to erase Israel’s very existence.
Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?
Sure, a portion of this situation was due to David’s dream to expand Israel’s borders per Abraham’s original vision.
But mostly, it was about old grudges and other nations trying to grab more power.
Now, at this stage, there’s a key question we need to ask.
The Bible packs thousands of years of history into a pretty short book.
So if a certain story or historical event is included…
There must be a pretty darn good reason why it’s there.
Ya, feel me?
So why are these wars with the Syrians and Ammonites included?
Well, here’s your answer:
They set the stage for one of the biggest royal scandals in Israel’s history:
David’s affair with Bathsheba.
That was a turning point in Israel’s history…
Which also happens to lead to today’s takeaway.
Hard battles don’t just test our strength…
They reveal what’s in our hearts.
Israel’s leaders were exhausted, questioning if God was still with them.
David was no exception.
These wars dragged on for years…
They drained him physically and spiritually.
So when the pressure peaked…
And he finally had a moment to breathe…
That’s when temptation struck.
The lesson?
Sometimes, our greatest failures don’t come in the heat of battle…
But in the moments right after.
When we’re weary.
When we think we’ve earned a break.
That’s when the enemy sneaks in.
Let those who have ears to hear, SHEMA!
See ya all next time.
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