David # 4: Disobedience, Deception & Discipline

Introduction:

We have been studying the life of David:

Week 1: The Preparation of David

Week 2: The Cycle of pride and anger in Saul

Week 3: The 3 Natures of envy

The Destructive nature of envy

The Unfair nature of envy

The Missed opportunity of envy

David has gone from the field as a shepherd boy… to the palace as armour bearer… to the battlefield as a conqueror and to the city as a hero…

He was chased by Saul… had the opportunity to kill him several times but didn’t… grew a great friendship with Saul’s son, Jonathan...

Saul and Jonathan are killed in battle and David is anointed King of Israel

He served in Hebron for 7 1/2 years...

He is now in Jerusalem reigning over all Israel and still fighting with those in the land…

Before we look into the sin of David, let’s remember that this is the man who God said, “I have found David the son of Jesse, a man after mine own heart, which shall fulfill all my will.”

Today we explore the progression of David’s sin and downfall…

We look at the Disobedience, Deception and Discipline of David...

1. The Disobedience of David

2 Samuel 11:1–5 “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. (2) And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king’s house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon. (3) And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite? (4) And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house. (5) And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.”

David’s army was in battle against the Ammonites

This was the time Kings were supposed to go forth to battle

Instead, he stayed back at home in Jerusalem

“David tarried still at Jerusalem”

The danger of idleness

Idleness is the nest in which mischief lays its eggs.

Anonymous

“…But David tarried still at Jerusalem.”

It is said of the Virtuous Woman in Proverbs 31:27 “She looketh well to the ways of her household, And eateth not the bread of idleness.”

In the exhortation to caring for widows in I Timothy 5, idleness, tattlers, busybodies and “speaking things which they ought not” are put together...

When David left his armour in the closet, he left himself vulnerable for attack...

The progression of sin

a. David began by seeing Bathsheba “...he saw a woman washing herself...”

This in itself is not the sin… But sin often starts with the eye.

Genesis 3:6 “And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.”

Joshua 7:21 “When I saw among the spoils a goodly Babylonish garment, and two hundred shekels of silver, and a wedge of gold of fifty shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the silver under it.”

Matthew 5:28 “But I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.”

b. David inquired

2 Samuel 11:3 “And David sent and inquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bath-sheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”

c. David sent

2 Samuel 11:4 “And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.”

d. David Sinned

James 1:14–15 “But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death.”

David was drawn away of his own lust… “...saw a woman washing herself...”

David was enticed… “...and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.”

Lust conceived when David made a choice “And David sent and inquired after the woman.”

Eventually it lead to the death of his child...

Sin always results in death...

Jesus’ death on the cross was required for the propitiation of our sins...

Sin’s in the old testament were atoned for by the death of a sacrifice...

2. The Deception of David

2 Samuel 11:6–27

2 Samuel 11:5 “And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.”

David’s immediate response was:

Deception # 1 - sent Uriah home to lie with Bathsheba

2 Samuel 11:8–11 “And David said to Uriah, Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet. And Uriah departed out of the king’s house, and there followed him a mess of meat from the king. But Uriah slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and went not down to his house. And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house? And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.”

Deception # 2 - David made Uriah drunk

2 Samuel 11:13 “And when David had called him, he did eat and drink before him; and he made him drunk: and at even he went out to lie on his bed with the servants of his lord, but went not down to his house.”

Deception # 3 - David killed Uriah on the battlefield

The effects of our deception

Think how sin effects more than you:

He lost a mighty man of valour (II Samuel 23 tells us this)

He lost more than just Uriah in this murder (2 Samuel 11:24 “And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.” )

The price from David’s deceptions was more than he set out for… That’s how sin works...

Sin takes you further than you want to go… keeps you longer than you want to stay… and cost you more than you want to pay...

It was Achan who stole the Babyloniash garment and money, but the Bible says, “the anger of the LORD was kindled against all Israel.”

Romans 5:12 “Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:”

1 Corinthians 5:6 “Your glorying is not good. Know ye not that a little leaven leaveneth the whole lump?”

The inability to hide sin from God

Proverbs 28:13 “He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.”

Numbers 32:23 “But if ye will not do so, behold, ye have sinned against the Lord: and be sure your sin will find you out.”

Psalm 69:5 “O God, thou knowest my foolishness; And my sins are not hid from thee.”

Jeremiah 16:17 “For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.”

2 Samuel 12:12 “For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.”

3. The Discipline of David

When God needs to deal with a King’s sin he often sends a prophet...

Someone to stand bold and proclaim the truth

God sent Nathan to David...

2 Samuel 12:1–7 “And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds: But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. And there came a traveller unto the rich man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor man’s lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him. And David’s anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die: And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity. And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man...”

You should be thankful when God sends someone to you who cares and loves you enough to point out your sin and exhort you to obedience with Christ...

We usually just become more prideful...

2 Samuel 12:7–8 “...Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel, and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul; And I gave thee thy master’s house, and thy master’s wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and of Judah; and if that had been too little, I would moreover have given unto thee such and such things.”

God gave David everything he needed...

Once we get what we want, we typically want more...

By the time David slept with Bathsheba, he already had 7 wives!!!

We see the discipline:

2 Samuel 12:10–14 “Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife. Thus saith the Lord, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun. For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun. And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. And Nathan said unto David, The Lord also hath put away thy sin; thou shalt not die. Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given great occasion to the enemies of the Lord to blaspheme, the child also that is born unto thee shall surely die.”

Hebrews 12:6 “For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth.”

Chastening is evidence of God’s hatred for sin and His love for His people.

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Conclusion:

We see the disobedience, deception and discipline of David…