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David’s tragic sin in this area seems without question a weak point in his life of not
being close to the LORD God in prayer. This should be a lesson learned for all who
sincerely love and seek to obey Him for in each one is a weakness to sin in one area or
another.
Soncino Commentary:
“
Presumptuous sin. As distinct from errors. When the baser
side of his nature prompts him to do what he knows is wrong, he begs of God to restrain
him. The Hebrew elsewhere means ‘presumptuous men,’ the arrogant and godless. . .”
Flee Sexual Temptations
Scripture says:
“Flee fornication” (
(I Corinthians 6:18)
! There aren’t too many today
who would flee from the strong temptation of fornication
as did Joseph who fled from Potiphar’s wife (
Genesis
39:12
).
Coveting is a problem beginning from babyhood. This can
be seen by a child wanting another child’s toy and will
usually cry when it cannot have it; and this potential
problem of coveting continues throughout human life.
The Apostle James wrote of God’s blessing for those who
overcome it:
James 1:10 “Blessed is the man who endures
temptation . . .”
Human Nature
The nature within each human is naturally selfish, covetous, envious, jealous of others,
and as such is always an ever-ready problem that can lead to all of the works of the flesh
unless resisted (
Galatians 5:19-21
). This human nature is well described by Jesus
Christ to His disciples:
Mark 7:20-23 And He (
Chris
t) said, “What comes out of a man, that defiles a
man. Far from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts,
adulteries, fornication, murders, thefts, COVETOUSNESS, wickedness,
deceit, licentiousness, an evil eye, blasphemy, pride, foolishness. All these
evil things COME FROMWITHIN and defile the man."
This can readily be seen by another example of a man in ancient Israel who yielded to
his nature within him upon casting his eyes upon some very desirable riches—riches
that had been denied by God to all Israel.
The very strong covetous desire within Achan led him to steal a few of the accursed
things from a defeated army and brought about the deaths of others and his own life as
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