Teach us to pray-7

David was a man after God’s own heart, yet he had blinded himself from some troubling sins and shortcomings. We can learn a lot from his very troubling difficulties.

2 Samuel 11:1  Then it happened in the spring, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him and all Israel, and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David stayed at Jerusalem. 

David’s demise began much earlier. Kings always went out to battle with his army. However, David no longer joined them. So here he is almost all alone from his male companions with too much free time on his hands.

11:2  Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. 11:3  So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 

David could not sleep so he got up and walked around viewing the city beneath his roof. It would seem unlikely that he had not known about Bathsheba before or that she did not know David could see her from his vantage point. Two lonely people in the middle of the night does not always produce a godly outcome.

Second, the servant reminded him that she was Uriah’s wife. Did David know Uriah?

1 Chronicles 11:26  Now the mighty men of the armies were Asahel the brother of Joab, Elhanan the son of Dodo of Bethlehem, 11:41  Uriah the Hittite, Zabad the son of Ahlai, 

Uriah was one of David’s mighty men who followed him throughout the desert as they fled the anger of Saul. He defended David with his life and now was again serving in the army of David.

11:4  David sent messengers and took her, and when she came to him, he lay with her; and when she had purified herself from her uncleanness, she returned to her house. 

So his servant and his messengers all were aware of this adultery. What kind of example was David to all of these?

11:5  The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, and said, "I am pregnant." 

Not all adultery results in pregnancy, but God will use this to punish David. David had Plan B all ready so he summoned Uriah home.

11:6  Then David sent to Joab, saying, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." So Joab sent Uriah to David. 11:7  When Uriah came to him, David asked concerning the welfare of Joab and the people and the state of the war. 11:8  Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and a present from the king was sent out after him. 

What did David think would happen if Uriah was returned to his house and wife? Perhaps even Bathsheba knew the plan and was ready to conceal their adultery.

11:9  But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. 

11:10  Now when they told David, saying, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?" 11:11  Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing." 

Uriah was more honorable and godly than David. David could not believe that Uriah would not go into his house and hopefully be with his wife. David thought Uriah was like him, but Uriah was not. David had departed from his youthful devotion to God.

11:12  Then David said to Uriah, "Stay here today also, and tomorrow I will let you go." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 11:13  Now David called him, and he ate and drank before him, and he made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his bed with his lord's servants, but he did not go down to his house. 

David tried one more time, but Uriah stayed away from his house.

11:14  Now in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. 11:15  He had written in the letter, saying, "Place Uriah in the front line of the fiercest battle and withdraw from him, so that he may be struck down and die." 1:16  So it was as Joab kept watch on the city, that he put Uriah at the place where he knew there were valiant men. 11:17  The men of the city went out and fought against Joab, and some of the people among David's servants fell; and Uriah the Hittite also died. 

David enlisted Joab into his Plan C, which was to kill Uriah! Uriah would have to die to hide David’s sin from his family, his servants, and all of the people of Jerusalem. But no one can hide their sin from God. Murder and adultery are sins that carry the penalty of death.

Were David and Bathsheba now safe from being found out? We should never think our sin is of little consequence to God.

More next Saturday.