I can recall as a child making a small ball of snow, and from the top of a large hill, watching it pick up momentum and grow as it toppled to the bottom. The hand-sized snowball rapidly developed into a sizeable sphere. Such play is great for children in the snow, but the snowball effect reaches well beyond it's namesake.

The sin snowball parallels this boyhood pleasure, but with devastating results. It all starts with a small sin, which if devoid of speedy repentance, will plummet the steep slope of immorality and lawlessness. The further it goes, the more out of control it becomes, yielding all manner of ill consequence. If the sin snowball is not halted, it will result in eternal condemnation.

We have looked in recent weeks at David's life, and taken note of the exemplary path this man of God walked. A man after the heart of God. His giant faith brought down the Philistine giant. His pure conscience would not permit him to destroy Saul, who sought his life. His tender heart caused him to make a perpetual seat at his table for Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson. Were it to end there, David would have been the supreme pattern for a faithful child of God. Instead, David's life became a nightmare, with no one to blame but himself. One sin led to another, to another, to another, producing a dreadful sequence of events.

It is recorded, "It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold." (2 Samuel 11:1-2).

In the past, while looking at David's sin snowball, I've begun with verse 2, and proceeded from there. Friend, I suggest that David's troubles did not begin with his walk on the palace roof. Notice in verse 1, it was the time of year when the kings went out to battle, "...but David remained at Jerusalem." He wasn't where he should have been, and it got him in trouble.

The apostle Paul cautioned the Romans, "...put on the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the flesh, to fulfill its lusts." (13:14). Joab, and all Israel with him (the men of war) were on the battlefield, but David remained behind. David remained in a city where many women were home alone, their husbands having gone to war. In doing so, he gave the tempter a foothold from which to work.

Having seen the woman, David should have covered his eyes, turned away, bolted the door to the roof of the palace – whatever it took to stop this temptation in it's track. Instead, Bathsheba's beauty captured his roving eyes, and David's fixed stare turned to craving. "...Each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires and enticed. Then, when desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death." (James 1:14-15).

Rather than repent of his lustful adventure, David pursued it further. He called the woman to himself, and his adultery of the heart gave birth to adultery in the flesh. The consequences of his transgression soon begin to appear. The woman, Uriah's wife, was with child – David's child. Rather than confess his error and bear the consequences of his action, our once valiant hero perpetuates his sorry state.

Having called Uriah from the field of battle, David sought to cover up his offense by having Uriah go into his wife. Surely, no one would discover his evildoing, nor the falsehood to cloak it. With a man of no honour or sense of comradery, David's sin would have fallen through the cracks (or so he supposed). However, Uriah, aware of the hardships his fellow soldiers endured would not enter the comforts of home.

Deception failing him, David reached further – seeking to protect his image, but in the process reaping ruin upon his soul. Uriah returned to the battlefield, faithful to his king, bearing the very letter which called for his death. What a slippery descent sin presents. A mere attempt to rest when he ought to have been at war with his men had turned a faithful, tenderhearted, conscience-driven king into an adulterous, deceitful murderer.

Let it not escape our attention that sin brings with it severe and life-changing consequences. The child born to David and Bathsheba would die (2 Samuel 12:13-14). David's house would see perpetual trouble (12:7-12), as evidenced through the rape of Tamar by Amnon (13:1-19), the murder of Amnon by Absalom (13:20-39), and the treasonous actions of Absalom (15:1-10).

Friend, let us be very careful. Let us not supply the tempter with opportunities to lead us from the path of righteousness. May we not make provisions which will be to our own destruction. David was never the same man. His solid conviction of justice and quick action to uphold it weakened, leaving him a shell of the giant of faith he had formerly been. May we be forewarned. Seemingly insignificant actions (or the lack of) can set in motion a sin snowball of awesome magnitude.

Hear the words of Paul, and take comfort, "Now all these things happened to them as examples, and they were written for our admonition, upon whom the ends of the ages have come. Therefore let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall. No temptation has overtaken you except such as is common to man; but God is faithful who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will also make the way of escape, that you may be able to bear it." (1 Corinthians 10:11-13).

Click here for this week's Answering The Atheist
Is it wrong to commit adultery? Texts such as Exodus 20:14, Deuteronomy 5:18, and Hebrews 13:4 indicate it is wrong, while texts such as Numbers 31:18, Hosea 1:2 and Hosea 3:1 show it to be permitted. Is there a contradiction?