David had a glowing military and leadership career. He was described as a man whose sole aim was to understand the mind of God and pursue it. However, he had a stain in the matter of Uriah and his wife. After his liaison with Bathsheba, he embarked on several cover-ups. First of all, pretense kicked in. He sent for Uriah and asked him to go home to his wife with a mess of food. On the surface, that was a blessing from the king, but in actual fact it was a lie dressed in a garment of favour. Secondly, the king got Uriah drunk, hoping that he would stagger his way home. It was when that failed that he prepared a “letter bomb” which eventually took the life of that innocent man.

“Above all, think of it in terms of the honour of the name of the Lord. An action that will bring you a momentary gain and leave a sour taste in the mouth for the rest of your life is not worth the while.”

In confronting daunting projects, it is often said that beginning is the most difficult part. Once you conquer the inertia, you can gain traction in no time. This truth applies in some other ways too. The first wrong move, perhaps, is the most difficult one. Once you take that first wrong step, it may become a free fall. David moved from adultery to deception to murder, all in a single swoop. He did not know where to apply the break until Nathan had to confront him. The consequences of that indiscretion were going to reverberate in his family for a long time, and are still being talked about even today. It is a wise thing to first pause and weigh the likely consequences of an intended action. Think of it in terms of your reputation. Think of it in terms of your reputation and your legacy. Above all, think of it in terms of the honour of the name of the Lord. An action that will bring you a momentary gain and leave a sour taste in the mouth for the rest of your life is not worth the while.