“The secret of the snake: More people are bitten trying to let go of snakes than when they grab them. Easy to grab, hard to let go. This is true of everything that can destroy human character. . . . Sin is, among other things, addictive. These sins are serpents that will quickly weaken the human spirit.”- John Ortberg
“And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, ‘Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?’ “- 2 Samuel 11:2-3 (ESV)
John Ortberg continues Chapter 9 of Everybody’s Normal . . . with commentary on the story of David and Bathsheba. Most likely, John notes, it was the custom to take baths in the afternoon. When the water in the rain barrels was the warmest and the men were away. Nothing in the text places any blame on Bathsheba.
However, after David sends someone to inquire about Bathsheba, the king receives a mild confrontation. The servant tells David about Bathsheba’s lineage. A practice usually reserved for men. Thus, David’s servant essentially tells him that Bathsheba is someone’s wife and daughter. Hence, he tells David to exercise caution.
But David steams full speed ahead. Since he’s not at a spiritually sensitive place with God. Ironically, Uriah, the foreigner, displays more faithfulness to God than David. Thus, Pastor Ortberg explains the depth of David’s deception:
“David thinks he has navigated the whole affair successfully. He thought the greatest danger was somebody might find out. But that isn’t the great danger. The great danger is that no one will find out. . . .
Every day he gets a little more used to his deception. Every day his heart gets a little harder; God gets a little farther away. Up to this point, no one can see what’s going on underneath the surface. Anytime we try to handle temptation in isolation, we are extremely vulnerable to deception.’
In conclusion, John cautions, like David, we keep the snake a secret. Because at some level we relish the option of grabbing it. We want to keep our options open so we can give in to it undiscovered.
Today’s question: What Bible verses help you avoid keeping the secret of the snake? Please share.
Tomorrow’s blog: “The cost of truth-telling”