The Daily Devotions from Monday, 31 August 2015 to Sunday, 6 September 2015 for The First United Methodist Church in San Diego, California, United States Sermon theme: Justice is "Not." by Craig Brown with Text to read: 2 Samuel 11:2-15

The Daily Devotions from Monday, 31 August 2015 to Sunday, 6 September 2015 for The First United Methodist Church in San Diego, California, United States Sermon theme: Justice is "Not." by Craig Brown with Text to read: 2 Samuel 11:2-15
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Scripture Text: 2 Samuel 11:2 Once, after his afternoon nap, David got up from his bed and went strolling on the roof of the king’s palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. 3 David made inquiries about the woman and was told that she was Bat-Sheva the daughter of Eli‘am, the wife of Uriyah the Hitti. 4 David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he went to bed with her (for she had been purified from her uncleanness). Then she returned to her house. 5 The woman conceived; and she sent a message to David, “I am pregnant.”
6 David sent this order to Yo’av: “Send me Uriyah the Hitti.” Yo’av sent Uriyah to David. 7 When Uriyah had come to him, David asked him how Yo’av was doing, how the people were feeling and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriyah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriyah left the king’s palace and was followed by a present of food from the king. 9 But Uriyah slept at the door of the king’s palace with all the servants of his lord and didn’t go down to his house. 10 When they told David, “Uriyah didn’t go down to his house,” David said to Uriyah, “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey? Why didn’t you go down to your house?” 11 Uriyah answered David, “The ark, Isra’el and Y’hudah stay in tents; and my lord Yo’av and the servants of my lord are camping in the countryside. So should I go into my house to eat and drink and go to bed with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” 12 David said to Uriyah, “Stay here today also; tomorrow I will let you leave.” So Uriyah stayed in Yerushalayim that day and the following day. 13 David summoned him, ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out and lay on his bed with his lord’s servants and did not go down to his house.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Yo’av and sent it with Uriyah. 15 In the letter he wrote, “Put Uriyah on the front lines of the fiercest fighting; then pull back from him, so that he will be wounded and killed.”
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John Wesley's Notes Commentary for 2 Samuel 11:2-15
Verse 2
[2] And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
Arose from off his bed — Where he had lain, and slept for some time. And the bed of sloth often proves the bed of lust.
Washing herself — In a bath, which was in her garden. Probably from some ceremonial pollution.
Verse 3
[3] And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
He inquired — Instead of suppressing that desire which the sight of his eyes had kindled, he seeks rather to feed it; and first enquires who she was; that if she were unmarried, he might make her either his wife or his concubine.
Verse 4
[4] And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.
Took her — From her own house into his palace, not by force, but by persuasion.
Lay with her — See how all the way to sin is down hill! When men begin, they cannot soon stop themselves.
Verse 8
[8] And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king's house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king.
Go down — Not doubting but he would there converse with his wife, and so cover their sin and shame.
Verse 9
[9] But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house.
The servants — With the king's guard. This he did, by the secret direction of God's wise providence, who would bring David's sin to light.
Verse 10
[10] And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?
Camest — Wearied with hard service and travel, nor did I expect or desire that thou shouldest now attend upon my person, or keep the watch.
Verse 11
[11] And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
The ark — This it seems, was now carried with them for their encouragement and direction, as was usual.
Fields — In tents which are in the fields. His meaning is, now, when God's people are in a doubtful and dangerous condition, it becomes me to sympathize with them, and to abstain even from lawful delights.
Verse 15
[15] And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
He arose — So far is David from repenting, that he seeks to cover one sin with another. How are the beginnings of sin to be dreaded! For who knows where it will end? David hath sinned, therefore Uriah must die! That innocent, valiant, gallant man, who was ready to die for his prince's honour, must die by his prince's hand! See how fleshly lusts war against the soul, and what devastations they make in that war! How they blind the eyes, fear the conscience, harden the heart, and destroy all sense of honour and justice!____________________________
Daily Devotions:

Monday, August 31, 2015

Sermon theme: Justice is "Not."

Text to read: 2 Samuel 11:2-15

•  What role does coveting play in advertising?

Tuesday, September 1, 2015

Sermon theme: Justice is "Not."

Text to read: 2 Samuel 11:2-15

• How is our tendency to covet activated by the larger culture?

Wednesday, September 2, 2015

Sermon theme: Justice is "Not."

Text to read: 2 Samuel 11:2-15

• How are ambition and coveting related? Different?

Thursday, September 3, 2015

Sermon theme: Justice is "Not."

Text to read: 2 Samuel 11:2-15

• Is it ever appropriate to covet?

Friday, September 4, 2015

Sermon theme: Justice is "Not."

Text to read: 2 Samuel 11:2-15

• Read the text from 2 Samuel carefully.
• How does coveting begin?

Saturday, September 5, 2015

Sermon theme: Justice is "Not."

Text to read: 2 Samuel 11:2-15

• What motivates us to covet things or people?
• Why?

Sunday, September 6, 2015

Sermon theme: Justice is "Not."

Text to read: 2 Samuel 11:2-15

•  Pray for all those who are the victims of theft in any form.

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First United Methodist Church
2111 Camino del Rio South
San Diego, California, United States

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Sermon Story "Doing the Wrong Thing" by Gary Lee Parker for Sunday, 6 September 2015 with Scripture Text from 2 Samuel 11:2 Once, after his afternoon nap, David got up from his bed and went strolling on the roof of the king’s palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. 3 David made inquiries about the woman and was told that she was Bat-Sheva the daughter of Eli‘am, the wife of Uriyah the Hitti. 4 David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he went to bed with her (for she had been purified from her uncleanness). Then she returned to her house. 5 The woman conceived; and she sent a message to David, “I am pregnant.”
6 David sent this order to Yo’av: “Send me Uriyah the Hitti.” Yo’av sent Uriyah to David. 7 When Uriyah had come to him, David asked him how Yo’av was doing, how the people were feeling and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriyah, “Go down to your house and wash your feet.” Uriyah left the king’s palace and was followed by a present of food from the king. 9 But Uriyah slept at the door of the king’s palace with all the servants of his lord and didn’t go down to his house. 10 When they told David, “Uriyah didn’t go down to his house,” David said to Uriyah, “Haven’t you just arrived from a journey? Why didn’t you go down to your house?” 11 Uriyah answered David, “The ark, Isra’el and Y’hudah stay in tents; and my lord Yo’av and the servants of my lord are camping in the countryside. So should I go into my house to eat and drink and go to bed with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!” 12 David said to Uriyah, “Stay here today also; tomorrow I will let you leave.” So Uriyah stayed in Yerushalayim that day and the following day. 13 David summoned him, ate and drank with him, and got him drunk. But in the evening he went out and lay on his bed with his lord’s servants and did not go down to his house.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Yo’av and sent it with Uriyah. 15 In the letter he wrote, “Put Uriyah on the front lines of the fiercest fighting; then pull back from him, so that he will be wounded and killed.”
We have in this telling of an incident about King David an alluring into sin starting with the failure to go to battle in the Spring of the year as all kings of the time did then we have him waking up from his nap on the roof of his palace looking our over the Kingdom of Israel and seeing a beautiful woman, Bathsheba, bathing in her backyard from an uncleannness then he asked his attendants and they said that she was the wife of Uriah. Ignoring the fact she was already married, David sen his men o persuade her to come to him, the King of Israel. When they brought her to him he lied with her as a man would his wife then sent her back to her own house. In a few days, she sent a message to King David that she was pregnant and whe sent a note to Joab, his commander of the his troops, to send Uriah back home to be with his wife. Uriah came home and first met with King David where David asked Uriah how the battle was going then sending him to his house to be with his wife thinking he would go home take a bath and spend time with his wife, Bathsheba, as husbands do with their wives. Uriah disappointed David by sleeping at the King's palace with he king's servants then David asked Uriah why he did not go home to his wife after a long journey. Uriah responded that the king's troops are living in tents and warriors during war abatain from encounterments with women and he empathize with his fellow troops. David attempted to feed Uriah and get him drunk so he would go back to his house and wife, but again Uriah slept with the servants of David at the Palace. David said all right and wrote a note to Joab to place Uriah in the front of the troops where the fighting was worst to allow Uriah to be killed. Uriah went with the note and we cannot assume that Uriah did what he did at the King's palace that he may have heard through channels that his wife, Bathsheba, was pregnant by King David even though he may have heard o even heard from the stories from the king's servants. Anyway, we have King David sinning for failure to lead his troops to battle, committing adultery with a married women, having the husband killed to hide his sin, and David's failure to repent of his sins. Which character do you relate to or not relate to? How would you have reacted if you were King David or even Uriah? How do you react when you fail to yield not to temptation and sin? If we go into this twenty-first century and look at some issues the church is dealing with such as immigration and the need to find safe homes for immigrants and the LGBT community allowing same sex partners marry instead of committing promisculous sin with many people and the racism that exist against non-white people because some white believe that whites are superior to non-whites even though Scriptures say that all are equal and then where I am going the people who are differently abled exclusion in the church and society. Looking at stories I have heard from people who are differently abled that they with or without their families have gone to worship God in a church and they have either been asked to remain with their parents at all times or we are unable to have you come to our church. This is a sin against God and what He did through His Son, Jesus, that all people will come into relationship with Him and live holy lives of Holy Love to all people because He place His Holy Spirit with them. Then there are cases where the churhces may have asked them to sit back in the back where nobody will see them or hear them as James was talking about in His Epistle towards the poor man and rich man. How do we respond to these issues? First, we recognize that God has called and made all people in His Imae and desires all His people whether immigrans or LGBT or different culture or differently abled to be inlcuded in His Kingdom on earth as it is in Heaven. The true healing comes as we being to love all people whether they look or act or think differently than we may be. Lord, have mercy on us as we come to eat the Body of Jesus and drink His Blood as we participate in the Holy Sacrament of the Holy Eucharist to receive His blessings, empowerment, love, and naure to be as Jesus was and is and will be. We come to this feast singing the Hymn "Lord Jesus, think on me, And purge away my sin" Translator: Allen William Chatfield; Author: Synesius of Cyrene, Bishop of Ptolemais

1. Lord Jesus, think on me,

and purge away my sin.

From earth-born passions set me free,

and make me pure within.

2. Lord Jesus, think on me,

amid the battle's strife.

In all my pain and misery

be thou my health and life.

3. Lord Jesus, think on me,

nor let me go astray.

Through darkness and perplexity

point thou the heavenly way.

4. Lord Jesus, think on me,

that, when this life is past,

I may the_eternal brightness see,

and share thy joy at last.

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Gary Lee Parker
4147 Idaho Street, Apt. 1
San Diego, California 92104-1844, United States
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