The Case of the Open Window Shade

In this sober message regarding 2 Samuel 11, Chuck Swindoll analyzes the darkest chapter in King David’s life—his adultery with Bathsheba and the subsequent murder of her husband, Uriah. Swindoll warns that no one is immune to falling; David was a man of God with a stellar track record, yet he fell because of a “neglected seawall” of character that crumbled in a moment of vulnerability. The sermon sets the scene in the “spring of the year,” a time when kings usually went to war, but David stayed behind in Jerusalem, indulging in boredom and lethargy.

Swindoll traces the progression of David’s sin: it began with a lingering look from the palace roof, turned into lust, and resulted in adultery. When Bathsheba revealed her pregnancy, David panicked, shifting from a man of integrity to a man of deception. He attempted to cover his sin by recalling Uriah from the battlefront, hoping the soldier would sleep with his wife. When Uriah’s fierce integrity prevented this, David arranged for Uriah’s death on the battlefield.

The message explores the devastation of “secret” sins, noting that while David thought he had managed the crisis, he had actually handed his commander Joab the tools for blackmail. Swindoll concludes with a fierce application for modern believers: when lust ignites, “God becomes quite unreal to us.” Therefore, the only successful strategy is not to fight it, but to flee immediately.

Message Key Facts:

• The “Neglected Seawall”: Swindoll uses the metaphor of a seawall that stands against the tide for years but eventually crumbles due to neglect. He argues there is no such thing as “sudden adultery”; it is the result of a long process of eroding character.
• Three Chinks in David’s Armor:
  1. Polygamy: David violated Deuteronomy 17, which forbade kings from multiplying wives. Swindoll notes that satisfying lust with more partners (the harem) does not abate the drive; it only increases it.
  2. Success: David was vulnerable because he was at the peak of his career (“flying into the clouds”). Pride often accompanies prosperity, not adversity.
  3. Indulgence: David was bored, lethargic, and neglecting his duty to be at war during the spring.
• Visual vs. Touch: Swindoll distinguishes that the male’s major source of stimulation is visual, while the female’s is often touch or relational. He notes that while Bathsheba was foolish for bathing in view of the palace, David was responsible for looking and lingering.
• Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Insight: Quoting Bonhoeffer’s Temptation, Swindoll explains that in the moment of lust, “God is quite unreal to us.” The mind loses its power of discrimination, and the only recourse is to run.
• Uriah’s Integrity: The irony of the narrative is that Uriah, a Hittite and a “nobody,” showed more spiritual integrity than the King of Israel. He refused to enjoy the comforts of home while the Ark and the armies were in the open field, effectively rebuking David’s conscience.
• Joab’s Leverage: By sending the death warrant for Uriah through Uriah’s own hands to Joab, David made himself vulnerable to his general. Joab knew the truth—that it was a state-sponsored murder—giving him power over the King for years to come.
• The “One Word” Defense: Swindoll concludes that believers have the power of the Holy Spirit to use one monosyllabic word that works every time: “No”.

Message References:

• 2 Samuel 11: The complete narrative of David’s adultery with Bathsheba and the murder of Uriah.
• 1 Corinthians 10:12: “Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall.” Swindoll identifies this as the central warning of the sermon.
• Deuteronomy 17:14–17: The law for Israel’s kings, specifically forbidding the multiplication of horses, wives, and silver—a law David broke regarding wives.
• 2 Samuel 5:12–13: The backdrop of David’s rising success and his accumulation of more concubines and wives.
• 2 Samuel 11:27: The chapter’s grim conclusion: “But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.”

Message Speaker:

Pastor Chuck Swindoll