2 Samuel 11:1-3 – Indulging Our Eyes
The second step is indulging our eyes. David’s sin wasn’t to see Bathsheba. His sin was to keep on looking. As the old saying goes, you can’t stop the birds flying overhead, but you can stop them nesting in your hair. David indulges his eyes. He keeps looking, and he doesn’t turn away. Then he follows it up by finding out who she is. He’s already more susceptible to sin because he’s neglecting his duty. But even at this point, even as she catches his eye, it’s not too late. But in that moment, when his conscience would have been telling him to look away, he doesn’t. And when you do that once, it becomes easier and easier to do it again.
What might indulging our eyes look like for us? Maybe it looks very similar to what David did. Not turning over the channel when something dodgy comes on TV, looking at inappropriate websites, maybe reading books which you know will make you discontent, or indulging in fantasies about someone who isn’t your spouse. Or maybe for you it’s not sexual temptation. Maybe it’s looking at the apparently perfect lives of others on social media, and becoming dissatisfied with your own. Maybe it’s gazing at adverts for cars or clothes or houses or holidays, and those adverts shape what you long for in life. If only you could have what the advertisers are offering, you’d be happy. But that too is the way to death. Those things feed on your dissatisfaction with what God has given you, and they lead to more dissatisfaction. The deeper you go down that rabbit hole, the more you’ll find that it never ends.
At this point David already had at least seven wives, or concubines. But that’s not enough for him. Someone has said: A man who is not satisfied with one woman will never be satisfied with many, because that sin has no limits. David indulges his eyes. And at this point, the sin of adultery, which looked so unlikely when he woke up that morning, isn’t actually all that far away at all. The way to death is marked by neglect of duty. It’s marked by indulging our eyes.
Questions
- How does David indulge his eyes?
- How can we not indulge our eyes?
Prayer Points
- Pray that we would put sin to death in our life.
- Use prayer points from your congregation.
- Pray for family matters.