David & Bathsheba

The Crime 11:1-5

David stayed at home and sent his military out to war. This was not what kings were suppose to do. Kings were suppose to lead their armies into battle. The season for war was because it was after the rainy season and roads were passable. Conditions were good for moving troops and weaponry. The Bible says he sent Joab and all able bodied men to fight Ammon. This left David alone with women and kids.

He was not where he was suppose to be and it caused him to sin. He saw a woman bathing on a rooftop and inquired as to who she was. When he was told that it was Bathsheba the wife of Uriah, he disregarded the sanctity of marriage and the law of God to satisfy his sinful desire. "`If a man commits adultery with another man's wife--with the wife of his neighbor--both the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death. Lev. 20:10 Based on the law if he was caught he was to be put to death.

There are times in our lives when we will fall to temptation. Even when we know the right thing to do. In the heat of passion we will say something that we shouldn’t or do something that we shouldn’t. There are always consequences for our actions, but there is also always forgiveness for our sin.

Bathsheba became pregnant by David. Now he was in trouble. He devised a plan to cover up his sin.

The Cover Up 11:6-21

David was going to get Uriah to come home from the battle and sleep with his wife so it would appear that the child was Uriah’s. The problem was that Uriah was so devoted to king God and David that he would not return to his home while the battle was being fought. This posed a problem for David. So he tried to get Uriah drunk and send him home to sleep with Bathsheba. This didn’t work either.

He had to go to plan C. He sent letter to Joab to put Uriah on the front lines to be killed in battle. He sent letter to kill the one who delivered the letter. Joab followed the order of David and Uriah was killed. David probably thought that he had committed the perfect crime. He thought that he was out of the woods. For all practical purposes he was with the exception of the God factor.

There will be times when in our sin we will try to cover it up. Our best tool for doing this is lying. We will claim that we had no part in the offense and don’t know who did. We will pretend to help figure out who did the crime while all the time knowing that we are the guilty party.

Caught 12:1-7

David thought that his discretion was over. He thought he was in the clear because the one who could hold him accountable was dead. But God sent His prophet Nathan to David to let him know that he was not in the clear. Nathan told a story about a rich man that stole from a poor man. This story enraged David because of the iniquity and injustice. David even pronounced his own judgement. He said that a man that does this deserves to die.

Nathan says those infamous words “You are the man!” David knew he was caught. Now he had to face the consequence of his sin. They were numerous. The child conceived died. The sword shall never depart from your house. ( he will never have peace in the family. Evil will rise up in his own household. Raping of Tamar by her brother, killing of Amnon by Absalon, Betrayal and killing of his son Absalom, Confusion in his successor to the throne (Adonijah or Solomon)

There is always a cost to sin and you will always get caught. For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. Rom. 6:23 This means that anytime we entertain sin we will get paid death.

Confession 12:13

David finally realizes the significance of what he has done and confesses it as sin. He says that he has sinned against the Lord. Nathan tells David that the Lord has taken away his sin and that he will not die because of it, but will have to face the consequences of it. The death is put on the child that was conceived in sin.

We must understand that our sins are forgiven in Christ, but the death that it brings to our lives will remain until we reach eternal life.