Sex / Text Scandal
Peter Morphy

In recent months the news media has reported various political leaders who have been caught in scandalous immoral relationships.  The criminating evidence was discovered through inappropriate cell phone conversations and text messages. Sex and scandal are not new.  More than one leader of God’s people in the Old Testament has also been involved in immoral relationships and cover up.  The intimate details have been preserved in the text of the Bible for millions to read.
How would our lives change if we knew that everything we did, said and thought was documented and recorded for everyone to read?
There’s no doubt that our society is becoming more accepting of immoral sexual relationships.  We see a growing number of couples just living together, flagrant sex on TV and in the movies, endorsing homosexual relationships and the profusion of pornography.  Sexual sin has also entrapped many of our church members who worship with us every week.  It’s the secret sin that we don’t talk about because it’s personal, intimate and frankly quite embarrassing.
God’s original design for an intimate relationship between a husband and wife is wonderful and fulfilling.  God’s plan was clearly stated in the beginning “For this reason a man will leave his father and mother and be united to his wife, and they will become one flesh.” (Genesis 2:24; Matthew 19:4-6)  Any kind of sexual relationship outside of marriage is deadly.  Here is a strong warning, “Marriage should be honored by all, and the marriage bed kept pure, for God will judge the adulterer and all the sexually immoral” (Hebrews 13:4).  It’s  pretty clear, stay out of bed with anyone to whom you’re not married.
The seventh commandment in the Old Law is “You shall not commit adultery” (Exodus 20:14). Do any of these five words need explanation?  It’s pretty straight.  The tenth command also gives us some more information about sexual temptation and avoiding sin, “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his man-servant or maidservant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor” (Exodus 20:17).  Looking leads to longing; longing leads to lusting.   
King David, a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14), was involved in sex and scandal.  Maybe his story is recorded so that we can learn from his mistakes and understand the grace of God more fully. 
Between 2 Samuel 5 and 11, David was not only the king, he was the national hero.  He had great victory and success in battle and was admired by his people.  He had a great political career and multiplied money, power, fame, authority and influence.  His family was growing and he was blessed by God.  In fact, he was very spiritual and gave glory to the Lord for working in his life (2 Samuel 7:18-29).
Sometimes when people rise to abundant power, especially at a young age, they think they are invincible, above the law, not accountable.  They can begin believing that they are really “all that” as others idolize and look up to them.  Being at the top can be a very dangerous place.  Many political leaders, business leaders and church leaders have fallen because of power, position and prestige.
King David’s sexual sin did not begin with Bathsheba.  David was familiar with God’s law and plan for the family and for kings.  The king was forbidden to multiply horses, wives, silver or gold (Deuteronomy 17:14-17).  David had already had more than ten wives and ten concubines (2 Samuel 5:13).  When a man is not satisfied with his wife, he will not be satisfied with many lovers.  Years later David’s son, Solomon, wrote “May your fountain be blessed, and may you rejoice in the wife of your youth.  A loving doe, a graceful deer - may her breasts satisfy you always, may you ever be captivated by her love.  Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress?  Why embrace the bosom of another man’s wife?” (Proverbs 5:18-20).  If you compromise in one area, it’s much easier to fall into other sins.
The text message in 2 Samuel 11 helps us understand how great men fall.  David was not where he should have been.  Kings were supposed to be at war, but David stayed in Jerusalem.  Since his close friends and comrades were not with him, David did not have accountability.  If David was leading his warriors as he did in the past, this chapter in his life would not be written.
David had selective hearing when he asked about the woman on the roof.  He was clearly told that she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite (2 Samuel 11:3).  David should have heard the words, “She is married, she belongs to another man, she is not available, stay away, go back to bed … alone.”
Lusting after another person is so strong that Jesus equates it with the action of immorality.  “But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart” (Matthew 5:28).  Christians and secular psychologists agree that lust is very destructive and addictive.  Some research has concluded that pornography is more addicting than alcohol or cocaine.  Solomon said it straight up “My son, give me your heart and let your eyes keep to my ways, for a prostitute is a deep pit and a wayward wife is a narrow well” (Proverbs 23:26-27).  Once you’re entrapped in a deep pit or a narrow well, there’s no getting out.  Just stay away from the edge or you might fall in.
David received a text message from his neighbor.  “I’m pregnant - Bathsheba.”  Often one sin leads to lies, deceit, cover up and scandal.  David brings Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, home from war and had a shallow conversation.  Uriah is told to go home to his wife, hoping he would sleep with her and think he was the father.  Uriah was a valiant soldier and wouldn’t spend the night in comfort while his troops were fighting.  The next night David got Uriah drunk and tried the same tactic.  It still didn’t work.  In fact, Uriah was a better man when drunk than David was sober.  So another text message was written by David, sent in a sealed envelope to the commander.  The memo: murder Uriah ASAP.
Lust is a never satisfied hunger.  Many who begin by being aroused by soft-core pornography end up in some very hard-core, even illegal, sexual sins.  Paul said it this way, “Having lost all sensitivity, they have given themselves over to sensuality so as to indulge in every kind of impurity, with a continual lust for more.” (Ephesians 4:19)  It’s a craving that can’t be filled, a thirst that can’t be quenched, a hunger that’s never satisfied.
There are many reading this that are addicted and trapped in sexual sin.  To be free from any sin, we must believe that God wants us to be free.
While our sin is against other people, it is ultimately against God.  After David sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah, his family, the army and the nations, he confessed his sin against God, “Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight, so that You are proved right when You speak and justified when You judge.” (Psalm 51:4)  When Joseph was being seduced by Potiphar’s wife, he resisted and said, “How then could I do such a wicked thing and sin against God?” (Genesis 39:8-9)
We must be in control of what we look at.  We, like Job, must commit to this statement, “I made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a girl” (Job 31:1).  A few verses later he speaks about the destructive results an immoral relationship, “For that would have been shameful, a sin to be judged.  It is a fire that burns to Destruction; it would have uprooted my harvest” (Job 31:11).  Jesus said we should be so serious about sin, we will do whatever we need to do to overcome, even, as a last resort, gouging out our eye (Matthew 5:29).  Hopefully, poking out eyes is the last resort as we consider drastic measures for drastic times.
Sometimes it is easier to flirt with temptation instead of fleeing.  As Joseph did, we must run from temptation.  To a young, single minister, Paul wrote, “Flee the evil desires of youth, and pursue righteousness, faith, love and peace, along with those who call on the Lord out of a pure heart” (2 Timothy 2:22).
There is something about sexual sin that is different than all other sins.  It is not only a sin done with the body, but done to the body.  Since our body belongs to the Lord, we must use self-control. Paul wrote, “Flee from sexual immorality.  All other sins a man commits are outside his body, but he who sins sexually sins against his own body.  Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God?  You are not your own; you were bought at a price.  Therefore honor God with your body” (1 Corinthians 6:18-20).
Sin is very serious.  Paul is straight up when he writes about overcoming temptation.  We don’t just suppress sin or control temptation, we kill it!  The text tells us, “Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry” (Colossians 3:5).  There should be no evidence of sexual sin in the Christian’s life.  To the Ephesians, Paul wrote, “But among you there must not be even a hint of sexual immorality, or of any kind of impurity, or of greed, because these are improper for God’s holy people.” (Ephesians 5:13)  No evidence, no clue, no trace.
God’s love is so immense that He wants us to be a part of His family.  God’s grace is so abundant it can forgive all of our sin.  God’s Spirit will give us power and wisdom so that we can overcome our sin.  After all His love, grace, forgiveness and power worked for King David.  It’s still there for you and me.  To the woman caught in adultery, Jesus said, “Then neither do I condemn you. Go now and leave your life of sin” (John 8:11). Free from guilt, free from punishment, free from addiction, free to live free.