2 Samuel 11-4
2 Late one afternoon, after his midday rest, David got out of bed and was walking on the roof of the palace. As he looked out over the city, he noticed a woman of unusual beauty taking a bath. 3 He sent someone to find out who she was, and he was told, “She is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.” 4 Then David sent messengers to get her; and when she came to the palace, he slept with her.
The path of a leader is laced with many pitfalls that will present themselves to try and derail the credibility of a leader. One pitfall that many a leader has fallen for even the mighty David who brought down Goliath is sexual purity. As a great leader, a man or woman of influence, you will attract attention. There are those who will be attracted to you because of your qualities and others will be attracted to you to lay a trap in order to orchestrate your downfall.
Over and over again we have seen leaders not just in the house of God but also in politics business and many other spheres of life lose everything simply because they could not control their sexual urges.
Davis the great king of Israel was no exception. First and foremost it was the season when kings went out to war meaning David was in the wrong place at the wrong time. I find it interesting that even after David inquired about the woman and he was told she was someone’s wife, he still went ahead and summoned for her and he went on to sleep with her. Maybe he thought no one would know or maybe his attitude was I am king I can do what I want. As is always the case, his sexual sin led to another sin because he was trying to hide what he had done, he had the woman’s husband killed.
Joseph, another great leader in the bible also had his fair share of sexual temptations on his journey to leadership but his approach and conviction was very different.
Genesis 39:6-9
Joseph was a very handsome and well-built young man, 7 and Potiphar’s wife soon began to look at him lustfully. “Come and sleep with me,” she demanded.
8 But Joseph refused. “Look,” he told her, “my master trusts me with everything in his entire household. 9 No one here has more authority than I do. He has held back nothing from me except you, because you are his wife. How could I do such a wicked thing? It would be a great sin against God.”
We all know what happened when Portiphas wife tried to force herself on Joseph, the young man took off and left his coat.
As a leader you have to be aware that there will be pitfalls along your path to try and derail you. Sexual purity is just one among many, be alert and do not be naïve. Remember the enemy is not asleep, he is walking around like a roaring lion looking for an opportunity to bring you down.
