Bathsheba Gate.

2 Samuel  11:1 And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

David's "Bathsheba Gate"  began when he let down his guard.  The Bible says,  "and it came to pass"

David was fifty-two,  like a lot of us in middle age,  maybe he wondered.  "do I still have it?"  whatever he thought,  he wasn't on guard.  And the devil knew it. 

David had lived victoriously for twenty years.  Then it came to pass.  Be careful,  yesterday doesn't guarantee your success today.

David saw Bathsheba that night,  but it's what he didn't see that shipwrecked him.

He didn't see that his sin would cause four of his children to die (the baby,  Amnon,  Absalom,  and Adonijah)  or that it would split his kingdom in half and make him a murderer. 

That's the problem with sin,  if you are looking at things you ought not to look,  you are not seeing the whole picture.  Its what you don't see that will hurt you. 

Samson saw Delilah but didn't see his power gone,  his sight gone,  and premature death. 

Gehazi saw two talents of silver,  two changes of garments,  but didn't see leprosy for all his generation.

Judas saw thirty pieces of silver,  but didn't see Suicide. 

All this happen when they were not on guard.

So David devices plan A,  plan B and plan C to cover up his sin. 

Plan A.....  To bring Bathsheba's husband Uriah  home from battle to spend the weekend with his wife,  so that the baby would appear to be his.  But it didn't work.

Plan B...  Getting him drunk and trying to send him home...  Didn't work either.

Plan C...  It wasn't so tame :,  it was murder,  tragically,  this plan worked,  "I will never do that"  you say,  but you will be amazed what you would in a moment of weakness just to cover up your sin. 

Once you are not on guard as a Christian,  sin will creep in,  failure to repent on time will bring about fall and destruction. 

Let him that think he stand,  take heed....

God bless you.