Note: This article is in a series called Two Roads. Previous articles are available at http://www.webbweekly.com.

King David had just finished a long series of military campaigns (II Samuel 10). Being anointed king was heady stuff, but the work of unifying and securing the far reaches of his kingdom was exhausting. He decided it was time for a well-deserved break. When his army marched toward the next season of battle, David stayed home to experience some long-overdue rest and relaxation.

Bathsheba was a beautiful woman. Her husband, Uriah, was one of the warriors marching with David’s army. Late one evening, she went up on her roof to bathe in water warmed by the afternoon sun.

It just happened to be the same evening that King David was on his roof, reveling in a Judean sunset.

As the red and orange hues of twilight stretched across the sky, David caught sight of a shepherd’s distant campfire as it rose and mingled with the evening mist. His mind drifted back to pleasant memories of being a shepherd boy. Those were simple times. The pastoral scenes wandered aimlessly through his mind. His body felt limp as his muscles relaxed and released months of tension. This moment was exactly what he needed.

If David had one vulnerability, it was women, and he had a lot of them. Being king had its privileges, but most people didn’t understand that it had more to do with politics than it did with passion. It is difficult for commoners to understand, but David longed for something real, something not scripted or required by his royal responsibilities. He wanted to remember what it was like to be a man, a man inflamed with passion.

He caught a glimpse of Bathsheba. At first, he resisted the urge to stare. She belonged to a warrior, and that warrior was on his battlefield. She was forbidden fruit. David knew he could not have her, not even with his eyes.

That fact intensified his desire. He gave in and stared. Seeing her was not enough. He must have her. And why not? As much as he had sacrificed for his kingdom, he deserved some reward.

That night was wild and raw. David was floating. For a moment, the law of gravity had been suspended and he felt more alive than he had in months.

And then it was over. He hated himself for what he had done to her and to his faithful warrior Uriah. It was unseemly and dishonorable — beneath the dignity of a king. As quickly as he sent for her, he sent her away. And that was that.

About a month later, David received word that Bathsheba was pregnant. With no husband at home to provide an explanation for her condition, he devised a cover-up. He sent for Uriah and encouraged him to spend a night with his wife. It didn’t work. The next night, David got him drunk. That didn’t work either. Uriah’s loyalty to his men amplified David’s guilt and angered him. He arranged for Uriah to be killed in battle. The plan worked. David took Bathsheba for his wife under the guise of another political responsibility. Cover-up complete. He got away with adultery and murder — an awful story.

And then God sent Nathan the Prophet to expose David’s crimes. As Moses warned in Numbers 32:23, “Be sure your sin will find you out.”

Friend, God loves you and has a purpose for your life. Be assured, He will not let you live a duplicitous life. He will expose your sin. It is His convicting grace, given to free you of bondage so you can reach your holy potential. Instead of hiding sin, confess it. It will bring healing. See James 5:16.

So, why did David cave in to temptation? What was it that intensified his vulnerability? One likely answer: physiology. Today, we know something about the human body David didn’t know.

While taking a break from the stress of war, David’s Autonomic Nervous System was shifting gears to help his body reach homeostasis – a medical term for healthy balance. Had David known about the automatic systems functioning in his body, he may have been better prepared to resist temptation.

During war campaigns, the sympathetic side of David’s ANS, the side controlling the fight or flight response, had been working overtime, pumping adrenaline and cortisol through his body. His muscles were always tense, his mouth dry, and his appetite diminished. His heart rate and blood pressure were elevated to better supply his brain and muscle. His pupils were dilated for greater vision. He was never tired and could go for days without sleep. But what really amazed him was his lack of sexual drive. David had an affinity for the ladies, but during the war, his sex drive was nearly non-existent.

Adrenaline gave David a sense of being super strong — almost superhuman. It was exhilarating. David thrived on it. In today’s terms, he may well have been an adrenaline junkie. The ANS is truly fascinating.

A few days into his rest, David began noticing changes in his body. He was sleeping a lot, and as soon as the sunset was over, he planned to go back to bed. The meal he had just finished was more than he would eat during three days of battle, but he was already snacking on dates and almonds. His muscles, which had been flexed and tense for weeks, were now feeling limp and heavy.

David didn’t understand that the parasympathetic side of his ANS was slowly taking over. His glands released melatonin, oxytocin, and testosterone instead of adrenaline and cortisol. The melatonin was responsible for his sleepiness, while oxytocin and testosterone were re-awakening his appetites — one of them being his sex drive.

All this was happening inside David while he was enjoying that beautiful Judean sunset. He was totally unaware, and for that reason, he wasn’t prepared to deal with the temptation he saw bathing on Uriah’s rooftop.

But now you are aware. What safeguards will you put in place to protect yourself the next time one of your vulnerabilities is intensified?