2 Samuel 11-12

2 Samuel 11 – David’s Adultery and Murder

     It was nigh time and David was pacing on his roof top, probably because he couldn't sleep.  He looked onto Bathsheba’s roof top and saw her bathing.  Instead of looking away, he continued to stare at her because she was very beautiful.  He gave into temptation.  He asked who she was and was told she was the wife of Uriah the Hittite.  That didn’t stop David.  He sent for her, she came to him and they slept together.  It seemed like David got away with his sin, but later Bathsheba told David she was pregnant.  David was caught and now he had to find a way to get out of this mess.

First of all David should have been on the battle field instead of in Jerusalem and he would have not been tempted.  Bathsheba should have not been bathing on the roof for others to see.  David’s sin was not seeing her, but choosing to keep his eyes on her.  David had many wives and power as king, but must have not been satisfied with all God had given him.  David could have taken himself out of this situation at the moment of temptation like Joseph when he ran from Potiphar’s wife.

The pleasures of sin look enticing and beautiful, but can cause even more sin if we give into it.  David committed adultery in his heart up on the roof even before he practiced it.  David knew it was wrong, but did it anyway.  He just wasn’t thinking but acted on his feelings, desires and impulses.

When have you sinned and then tried to cover it up?

When have you let Satan convince you to do something you knew was wrong?

When David heard of the pregnancy, he should have repented.  Instead he did what a lot of sinners do and tried to hide his sin.  They sin more to get out of the original sin.  He wanted to draw Uriah back home so he would sleep with his wife, which would give a reason for her pregnancy.  He sent for Uriah hoping he would go home to Bathsheba, but Uriah didn’t go home so David’s plan didn’t work.  So he had to try again.  He invited Uriah to eat and drink with him hoping he would get him drunk.  Still Uriah didn’t go home to Bathsheba.  Now he must figure out another plan – a more drastic one. 

Uriah was not a selfish man.  He had a duty to the other soldiers.  He didn’t want to enjoy what his fellow soldiers couldn’t.  He was a man of integrity and loyal to the king’s interests rather than to his own pleasures. 

David’s lust was so powerful that he wanted Uriah dead.  David sent a note to Joab with Uriah and arranged Uriah’s death by hiding it in battle.  Unknowingly Uriah carried the note that led to his own death.  Joab without knowing the facts, obeyed David’s command.  He sent Uriah to the front line where the fighting was the fierce and he was killed.  This was the same as if David had killed Uriah himself.

Satan tempted David little by little – lust on the roof, sending for another man’s wife, sleeping with her, lies to Uriah, then murder of Uriah.  David could have stopped at any time, but he gave in at every point.  One sin led to another and another.  His lust turned into adultery, lies, deception and murder.  Now that Uriah was dead David took Bathsheba as his wife and they had a son.  God of course witnessed all this and was displeased with David.

Principle:  God knows everything even what’s done in secret.

Sin is never hidden from God.  The only answer to sin is confession and repentance.  When we sin we’ve sinned against God.  We have choices to make every day just like David.  We can learn from this incident in his life.  We can pray for discernment in our choices and if we walk down the wrong path, pray that God will empower us to change our course.  But if we do end up in sin, we should be honest and repent instead of trying to cover it up and avoid taking responsibility.

2 Samuel 12 – David Rebuked

God knows our hearts and He knew David was miserable in his guilt and was ready to repent.  God sent Nathan to David and Nathan told him a story about a rich man with many sheep.  The man took a pet lamb from a poor man and slaughtered it his dinner guests.  This made David very angry and he commanded death to the man.  Nathan told David that he was this man.  David had to condemn his own sin before he could find forgiveness.  David confessed immediately and submitted to God’s discipline which would be the death of his newborn son and later painful consequences in David’s family.

 

Through Nathan God explained to David all that He had given him, but instead of gratitude David sought out sin.  David didn’t get angry with Nathan and attack him for confronting him.  He recognized it was his sin and he was responsible.  He didn’t make excuses or blame Joab or God.  He confessed that he had sinned against God. 

Principle:  God exposes sin and leads His children to repentance.

If we don’t confess our sin, we become slaves to our guilt.  We don’t have to be slaves, God is gracious, compassionate and merciful.  When we repent, He forgives.  He may severely deal with our sins, but we can trust He does everything for our good.

David repented immediately and God forgave David immediately.  Nathan told David that God had taken away his sin and he was not going to die, but because of David’s sin his son would die.  David pleaded with God for his child.  He even fasted refusing to eat or drink.  On the 7^th day his son died.  David had a sense of peace, because he would meet him in heaven one day.  To me this is an assurance that children who die at a young age will go to heaven.

Why is it so easy to drift from the Lord?
How often do you manipulate your circumstances to fit your needs?
What tempts you?

What steps do you take to guard against that temptation?

Have you ever told yourself that you’ve done something so unthinkable that God would never forgive you?

David and Bathsheba bore another son and God called him Jedidiah, which means “loved of the Lord”.  He was the son born out of a marriage that began in adultery, but who would be heir to David’s throne.  David had other sons, but God chose this son to be an ancestor of Jesus to demonstrate the truth that God forgives repentant sinners.  This son was the one who would later build the temple. 

Jedidiah was more of a nickname, because later in 1 Chronicles 22:9 God told David to call him Solomon, which means peace.
 

Principle:  God forgives and restores repentant sinners.

Joab fought against Rabbah and Ammon, but wanted to capture the city.  He told David to come and finish the war or Joab would take credit for the defeat himself.  David went and finished the victory which he should have done all along instead of staying in Jerusalem.

Next time we will continue in the book of 2 Samuel.  See you here next time.

__________________________________________

If you have enjoyed my post and have found if helpful, please leave a comment or share this post with the buttons below.

 

You can also follow this site by clicking "G+ Follow" or you can "Subscribe by Email".  If you follow by email, you will receive an email every time there is a new post.