Lie, Cheat and Steal

Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die. 2 Samuel 11:15

For the addict, intoxication is only part of the problem. The drug use is certainly caustic behavior, but for it to continue, the addict usually must lie, cheat and steal. As acknowledging the addiction may bring the addict closer to dealing with it, he must avoid honesty at all costs. To the addict, the thought of change is so painful that he would simply rather lie.

In today’s passage, King David found himself in a somewhat similar situation. Having impregnated a married woman, he attempted to cover up his crime. He sent for Uriah, the woman’s husband, who was off at war, and gave him a weekend pass. He hoped that Uriah would go home, sleep with his wife, and be bad enough at math that he would accept the pregnancy as his own.

Uriah didn’t cooperate though and refused to go home while his men were in the field. Having failed at one coverup, David grew desperate. He sent word to Joab, Uriah’s commander, to make sure that Uriah was killed in battle. His plan succeeded this time, and David’s Uriah problem was solved.

Though it may not involve murder, most of us have done something similar. We cover our petty behavior with lies. We hide the fast food wrapper under the seat of the car. We delete the history on our computer. We do what we want, and then, in our shame and fear of consequence we compound our toxic behavior by covering it up.

David should not have slept with Bathsheba, but if he had confessed when it happened, he would not have been guilty of adultery and murder. If we desire to follow God and avoid the misery of our own appetites, we must learn from David. We must continually be on guard against our destructive desires and when we do fail, we must confess and address the problem. It is in our lying, cheating and stealing that we multiply our own misery.