By: Stephen McAlpine
In a classic case of “But I woulda gotten away with it if it wasn’t for you meddling kids”, a Spanish man has been arrested for murder, after the Google Maps car drove past him stuffing a body into the boot/trunk of his vehicle.
A real Scooby Doo moment.
But also a real 2 Samuel 11 moment. You know the moment. Or moments. The moments in which David sleeps with another man’s wife (I conclude it’s a power disparity issue), gets her pregnant, has her husband killed, then dusts off his hands as if he got away with it.
Well he woulda, if it wasn’t for that meddling God. Here’s how that story ends:
When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord. (vv26-27)
You see, with the LORD, there is never an audience of one, yourself. Just as there wasn’t for that man in Spain. The photo evidence is damning. But the sheer coincidence is brilliant. Except of course, for he and his female accomplice, who are now under arrest.
The relayed report in The Australian newspaper lays it out:
“The accused man lives seven miles from Andaluz in the municipality of Tajueco, which has a population of 50 people. El Pais newspaper reported that “nothing ever happens [there] and if something did, surely nobody would know about it, or so the alleged murderer must have thought when he put a bundle in the boot of his old burgundy Rover last October that has led investigators to believe it could be a corpse”.It added: “The man became overconfident. Just as he was bending down to put the bundle in the boot, with no neighbours or onlookers nearby, something happened that hadn’t happened for 15 years: the Google Maps car passed.””
Hilarious.
And kinda stupid. I can’t imagine (or maybe this is just me), dragging a body to the car in broad daylight and casually hoisting it into the boot while another car goes past. Nothing to see here folks! Keep driving!
The Lord Sees
But back to King David and Bathsheba. Or more to the point, back to us and the LORD. You see, when we sin with a high hand, we become virtual atheists. We tend to believe that there is only an audience of one. Only us. Whatever happens we can dust our hands off
But the Bible says it time and time again, there is never only an audience of one. And it’s that pesky little statement of fact at the end of the story of David’s sin isn’t it? The thing he did displeased the LORD.
The Google Maps car is a small example of what is a global reality: the eyes of the LORD are roaming throughout the earth (1Chronicles 16:9). He sees and hears all. Nothing is beyond his scope or knowledge. And … and this is the compelling and confronting part, – we will all stand before him and give account for the deeds done in the body.
All deeds. Whether the dastardly deed done in Spain caught by Google’s car, or the dastardly deed (and the motives behind it) done by yourself. For that’s the truly challenging part, not merely the deeds, but the motives of the heart. And that’s something the Google Car cannot fathom.
We are doomed.
Well we are doomed except for the true King of Israel. One, we are told, was never shown to be sinful in his actions, even as he stood before his accusers at his trial. But more than that.
In order to be our sinless sacrifice, the Lord Jesus was not merely pure in deed, but pure in motive. Pure of heart! He is the truly blessed Israel who, being pure in heart, not only sees God the Father, but is raised to rule and reign over not merely Jerusalem, but over the world.
Who looks from heaven, not merely the parapet of his palace. Who, in his care and love for us, looks upon our nakedness and clothes us with righteous robes. Who takes the arrows of the Evil One on our behalf, even while all others withdraw from around him.
The things that Jesus did pleased the LORD, and that is why he is our righteous advocate before the LORD. It’s true you know. Google it if you don’t believe me.
Article supplied with thanks to Stephen McAlpine
About the Author: Stephen has been reading, writing and reflecting ever since he can remember. He is the lead pastor of Providence Church Midland, and in his writing dabbles in a number of fields, notably theology and culture. Stephen and his family live in Perth’s eastern suburbs, where his wife Jill runs a clinical psychology practice.
Feature image: Photo by Suzy Brooks on Unsplash