Our Indulgence in the Lusts of the Flesh brings in God’s Chastisement and Sows Corruption

On one hand, the story of David is so encouraging and with so many spiritual lessons; on the other hand, the account of God’s punishing judgement on David is written as a warning to us today so that we do not indulge in the lusts of the flesh in times of peace.

David had two great failures, one being his indulgence in lust and the other being the numbering of the people.

At the end of 2 Sam. 24, we see that David numbered the people.

We may wonder if this is a sin, but if we read the ministry in its entirety, we will realize that to number the people was an act of unbelief and pride, for David put his faith in numbers.

1 Chron. 21:1 says that Satan stood against Israel and moved David to number Israel.

In the case of Gideon, he had many thousands of warriors, but God told him that the people are too many, so the number was trimmed to three hundred.

God doesn’t want big numbers of people who would brag that in the strength of numbers they had the victory. He doesn’t want anyone to have the ground to say, My own hand had saved me.

The Midianites were myriads, but Gideon and his army of three hundred men defeated them. When God fights the battle for us, no matter how little the number is, He will win the battle.

When we talk about putting strength in numbers, and trusting in numbers, we are reminded of Nebuchadnezzar who admired and was proud of the beauty and riches of Babylon, and then the Lord smote him.

Because he didn’t repent, God allowed twelve months to pass over him and he was made submissive.

He was on the roof, looking over Babylon, and saying, Is this not Babylon the Great, which I have built up as a royal house by the might of my power and for the glory of my majesty?

As soon as he said this, he became like a beast, on all fours. Daniel warned him of this, saying, This is going to happen to you so that you know that the heavens rule.

It is not Nebuchadnezzar who ruled, nor was it David or Gideon; God rules, He is on the throne.

God sets up men, raises certain kingdoms over others, and does all things according to His will.

He put David on the throne to be the king over Israel, and He put Nebuchadnezzar on the throne to rule over Babylon.

Heeding the Warning: God is not only Loving and Merciful but also Just and Fearsome, and He disciplines and Chastizes

The account of God’s punishing judgement on David is written as a warning to us today (1 Cor. 10:11). We need to realize that our God is not only loving and merciful but also just and fearsome.

God did forgive David, but He also disciplined and chastised David according to His governmental righteousness (2 Sam. 12:10-14).

After all the enemies of Israel were subdued and David was exalted as the king of Israel, he committed great sins while he was in a peaceful situation – adultery and murder.

This indicates that, whenever we are at ease in a peaceful situation, it is easy for us to be seduced to indulge our flesh (2 Sam. 11:1-27; 1 Pet. 4:1).

There was a time when the kings went to battle, but David stayed back; he sent Joab and his servants out to battle, but he himself did not go with them.

David’s business as king was to go forth with Israel as he had done before; however, in this case, he stayed back and remained in ease and comfort at home.

He was self-satisfied with his great achievements. So he was in a place of ease and contentment, and therefore he was in great peril.

In 1 Pet. 4:1 we are told that, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, we also should arm ourselves with the same mind because he who has suffered in the flesh has ceased from sin.

David’s sin was the issue of his indulging in the lust of the eyes and the lust of the flesh (2 Sam. 11:2-3); he abused the power of his kingship (vv. 4-5) and committed willful adultery by robbery with murder. Oh, Lord!

Uriah the Hittite was a faithful soldier; even when David called him back from the battle, he didn’t go to his house but remained camped outside, just as the rest of the soldiers were camped on the battlefield.

He could not sleep in his own bed when his fellow soldiers were in the field fighting.

After committing the act of adultery, David tried to cover his evil deed by means of a pretense (vv. 6-13); then he murdered Uriah, his faithful servant, by conspiring with Joab, so that he could take Uriah’s wife (vv. 14-25; 12:9).

By this one sin, David broke the last five of the Ten Commandments (Exo. 20:13-17).

He was a man after God’s heart (1 Sam. 13:14), afforded God the way to begin the age of the kingship for the establishment of His kingdom on earth for His coming Christ, but he failed in the matter of the indulgence of the lust of the flesh (1 Kings 15:5).

In this matter, David was loose, and he sacrificed his high attainment in his spiritual pursuit of God; this should be a warning to us. Oh, Lord.

The nation of Israel had no peace even up to the present time.

Today you can go to Yad Vashem, which is the Holocaust memorial in Jerusalem, and you can see all these new soldiers, and young people, looking at the exhibits.

They say, Never again, never again something like this will happen. They infuse this history into their young people.

May we learn the life lessons and receive the holy warnings from the history of David. May we not only learn the life lessons but also see the holy warnings related to David’s failure in the matter of indulging in the lusts of the flesh.

How regrettable it was that David, at a crucial time of the evil one’s temptation, did not exercise strong control over his lust but indulged in it and committed a gross sin that offended God to the uttermost.

We may be so advanced in our spiritual life, having high spiritual attainments, and having a heart fully for God and His habitation, but when the times of peace come, we should still exercise self-restraint, that is, we should not indulge in the lusts of the flesh.

It is so regrettable to see that David failed in this matter, and it is so regrettable to some of the brothers and sisters who indulge in the lusts of the flesh.

May we realize that our God is not only loving and merciful but also just and fearsome, and He disciplines and chastises us, His people.

May we humble ourselves before the Lord and ask Him for His mercy in this matter,

Lord Jesus, have mercy on us. May we heed the warning seen in the failure of David – his indulgence in the lusts of the flesh. Save us from being at ease when others fight. Save us from allowing the flesh to indulge itself in passions and lusts. Oh Lord Jesus, we want not only to afford You a way to bring in the King with the kingdom but also be restrained in the lusts of the flesh and give no ground to the flesh in anything. Save us from having a sad and regrettable ending as a result of God’s chastising and disciplining for our indulgence in lusts.

Our Indulgence in the Lusts of the Flesh causes us to Lose our Standing and Sows the Seed of Corruption

God loved David, and David loved God; however, because of his sin, David lost his standing and position as well as eleven of the twelve tribes (2 Sam. 20:1-2).

David’s sin sowed the seed of Solomon’s corruption; Solomon had many wives, and because of these many wives, his heart was seduced to worshipping idols.

The one who built the temple of God and had the glory of God descend on it, he led the people into the worship of idols.

Deut. 17:17 says that a king should write out a copy of the law for himself, and he should read it all the days of his life so that his heart would not be lifted up among his brothers but that he would stay in the lane of God’s economy.

Also, the Lord commanded that a king would not amass wives to himself. David did that, and most of the kings in 1 and 2 Kings also did that.

Regrettably, though David did so much good in the Lord’s sight, he was also a negative pattern to the kings that followed, and he sowed the seed of corruption.

David’s sin sowed the seed of Solomon’s corruption, which issued in the dividing of the God-given kingdom.

Furthermore, the seed of corruption was sown in David’s descendants in the kingship.

Ultimately, this issued in the loss of the nation and the holy land of their fathers, the captivity of the holy people, and in their being scattered around the globe and having no peace up to the present time. Oh, Lord Jesus!

The effects of David’s great sin can be seen up to the present time.

This is a very sobering matter, for we can today see that the issue of David’s sin was Solomon’s corruption, the dividing of the God-given kingdom, the seed of corruption of Solomon’s descendants in the kingship, and ultimately the loss of the nation of Israel and of the holy land.

The captivity of the Holy Land came after that, for eventually the Jewish people were scattered everywhere around the globe.

As the Bible says, he who curses them will be cursed, and who blesses Israel will be blessed. If we bless the church, we will be blessed, but if we speak evil concerning the church, we will be cursed.

May we speak good concerning the church and may we heed the holy warning regarding indulgence in lusts and its issue.

May we rather choose the blessing and sow unto the Spirit and not unto the flesh.

Lord Jesus, we love You. We give ourselves to You to enjoy You and not indulge in the lusts of the flesh. Amen, Lord, may we heed the holy warning related to David’s sin, and may we remain on the line of life. Make us those who sow unto the Spirit and not unto the flesh. Save us from being scattered, corrupted, and divided as a result of our indulgence in the flesh. May we take Your word, read it, write it, believe it, speak it, and live it; may Your word sanctify us and keep us on the line of life, away from the corruption which is in the world by lusts.

References and Hymns on this Topic

• Sources of inspiration: the Word of God, my enjoyment in the ministry, a sharing by brother Ed Marks, and portions from, Life-study of 1&2 Samuel, msgs. 33-34, 38 (by Witness Lee), as quoted in the Holy Word for Morning Revival on, Crystallization Study of 1 and 2 Samuel (2021 winter training), week 6, entitled, Spiritual Principles, Life Lessons, and Holy Warning seen in the History of David.
• Hymns on this topic:
  – What foes and snares surround me, / What lusts and fears within; / The grace that sought and found me / Alone can keep me clean. (Hymns #567)
  – Lord, grant Thy holy brokenness, / Deliver me from being whole; / And make me willing to receive / The wounds that Thou wouldst give my soul. / Oh, cause me to appreciate / Thy breaking, never to complain; / And grant that I may value more / All kinds of loss instead of gain. (Hymns #749)
  – We, once dead in our offences, / Walking in the worldly course, / Lusts of flesh and mind fulfilling, / Satan and his hosts their source, / God with Christ has resurrected, / Seated in the heavenlies; / We, His masterpiece, created / In Christ Jesus, Him to please. (Hymns #823)