The Lovely Psalmist

David was wandering on the roof while the kings were at war, and then he saw.. (2 Kings 11:1-2).

Rather than fighting alongside his army against the Ammonites, David stays in Jerusalem; not sure why he stays, but see how his isolation and unwillingness to battle opened up the opportunity to lust. He gets out of his bed one night and wanders around his rooftop, where he finds Bathsheba bathing.

Before this time, there isn’t an indication in the Bible that David was loosely given to a woman; one we’d call a flirt. So, how did just one glimpse of a bare lady trigger such an erotic outburst that resulted in several regrettable moments that would forever stigmatize Israel’s most beloved King?

Maybe there was something lurking in the shadows within him all along that was so easily unleashed by that sight which made him lose his spiritual sense of caution. Perhaps it was more than just witnessing a naked woman bathing… Maybe it was Bathsheba’s curves and sensuous allure that caused the charming Psalmist of Israel lose total control; something about her that no other woman possessed… or seemed to have.

It wasn’t just about David.

Ask Samson about Delilah…

Ask Amnon about Tamar…

Ask Kathryn Khulman, and she’d tell you about a man she called Mister…

Who knows, you too might have something to say to yourself…

Interestingly, these adventures are frequently more pleasurable when offered in secret, outside of the realm of reality. You know, like how good stolen water tastes and how delicious food eaten in secret is! (Proverbs 9:17)

Could it be that in God’s patent design of humans, he included a pattern that causes an individual to become so passionately attracted to someone other than his or her own for strange lusts? Not at all! Not at all!

It’s an age-old trick by the enemy that was well-executed in the Garden of Eden; he senses a proclivity and then sprays his seductive scent into the atmosphere, making someone or something that precisely fulfills that desire appear seemingly irresistible to carnal eyes…. For Eve had always seen trees and fruits, but the one God had condemned had suddenly become appealing. It’s no mystery that after the deed, the heart wonders why it gave in in the first place, because on the other extreme, there’s nothing but shadows.

Never go along with the ecstasy of the moment only to gratify lust. If we are unable to conquer desire or are imprisoned by this or any other life-dominating sin, we should not expect bliss and tranquility. In actuality, for believers, a lack of joy is an indication that we have lost our way. Keep the fragrance and the truth’s guidelines in mind… In that territory, the enemy’s seductive scent fades, and clarity sharpens as we embrace divine counsel.