Stay Off the Roof
Our Sunday morning Bible class has been studying the book of Daniel. As we studied chapter 4, I realized an unusual link between the great Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar and Israel’s greatest leader, King David. It was not in their leadership styles or military prowess. It was definitely not – at that point – their shared faith in God. What struck me about both of these great leaders was they both got in trouble wandering around on their roof!
In the well-known account of 2 Samuel 11, King David strays from his normal mode of operation and sends his army out in the spring of the year without him at the head. A closer look at the early chapters of 2 Samuel reveals another change David made: he did not consult the Lord before making this decision. He should have known better. Relaxing at home in the palace, David is walking around the roof one afternoon and spies Bathsheba in a private moment. What results is a series of sins that, while forgiven, produce consequences that change the course of a man, a family, and a nation.
Similarly, in Daniel 4, we find Nebuchadnezzar ignoring previous incidents which should have made him pay heed to the words Daniel spoke to him in verse 27: “Therefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable to you: break off your sins by practicing righteousness, and your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed, that there may perhaps be a lengthening of your prosperity.” He should have known better. Instead, as we continue reading we find Nebuchadnezzar strolling on his own palace rooftop. His sin was not one of lust or greed, but of pride and self-praise instead of praise for the Almighty. His consequences were immediate and amazing, changing him from a powerful world leader to a crazy man living as a beast of the field.
While both men went on to learn from their mistakes (Psalm 51; Daniel 4:34-37), I couldn’t help but think, “What if they hadn’t been on the roof?”
But then … What if I hadn’t downloaded that book? What if I hadn’t watched that movie? What if I hadn’t opened that website? What if I hadn’t … After all, I should have known better!
One of the lessons we can learn from these 2 great kings in the Old Testament is to avoid temptation in the first place. Don’t set ourselves up to fail. Don’t get into compromising situations. Seek to gain the blessing found in Psalm 1:1: “Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked, nor stands in the way of sinners, nor sits in the seat of scoffers…”
In a sense, stay off the roof!
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