2 Samuel 11:1-2 At the time when kings go forth to battle…David tarried still at Jerusalem….And from the roof he saw a woman washing herself, and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
This famous story is a classic example of how one sin leads to another and to others and to tragic consequences. A sin in thought can cause sins in word and deed, and those sins can have terrible consequences. Laziness led to lust led to adultery led to murder, and the unforeseen consequence was Absalom’s Rebellion, which produced more death and grief.
Laziness: David did not go out to battle when kings normally do but stayed behind in Jerusalem. Lust: he saw Bathsheba bathing nearby and lusted after her. Adultery: he sent for her and brought her to bed while her husband was in battle. Deceit: he called for Uriah to come home to his wife, but he would not enter his house. Murder: he sent him back with a note to Joab that he should be left alone to die in the battle. Then afterwards, David’s house was left in disarray with the rebellion.
The Biblical principle is clear: sins in actual deed begin in the heart. Hatred is murder, and lust is adultery. No one is exempt. All have sinned, even if only in the heart. We live in the world where temptation to lust is always present, and causes for anger are always about. Our response is to treat a thought sin as equal to a deed sin. Daily repentance and forgiveness is the key to stopping the chain reaction of sinful thoughts. Martin Luther said, “You can’t stop the birds from flying around you, but you can prevent them from making a nest in your hair.”