2 Samuel 11
But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord. (verse 27b)
Time: Second Samuel is set in the land of Israel during the reign of David and follows the course of his forty years as king of Israel (1011–971 BC). It chronicles the establishment of the Davidic dynasty and the expansion of Israel under God’s chosen leader.
What the Lord is Saying: I have been developing this habit for some time now. Every now and then I like to stop and reflect on it. The habit here is reading the Bible. Granted, in my bent towards heavy discipline I know I tend to get obsessed with making these posts each day, but the obsession is really getting into the word each day to be trained. I am seeking to be trained in Godliness and yet this simple reading and writing is the education. What I am trying to do is have these lessons transform me into living life differently and yet I know that is not automatic. I am begging the Holy Spirit to reshape me. I suppose not only this, but in other things in life, like regular involvement in online ministry or talking to others more intentionally, though I notice that at times being squandered often by the distractions of work. I also am reading more and it seems reading is a better pastime than sitting in front of the tube, though I drift back to the tube very often as it is mindless and I suppose I need that mindless activity at times. I suppose I want to make sure I am living within the margins of life, living in balance, and not too focused in any one area.
Well, back to regular scheduled program. For the first time in my reading of I and II Samuel, I am now on a text in which I actually have substantial notes in my Bible. It seems at some point in my past Christian life of reading and study I have looked at these texts now beginning in Chapter 11. I am not sure of the time frame of these notes, but I would guess prior to 2012 and probably after 1997. So somewhere between 30 and 45. I am now 58.
This chapter is 27 verses and in my Open Bible has the headings - "The Sin of Adultery", "Uriah Does not Sleep with Bathsheba", and "David Commands Uriah's Murder."
The Sin of Adultery
In verse 1 it means that it is spring and this is occurring "at the time" as I have the note that only certain times would the state of the country permit the march of armies. Well, that is interesting, so marching of armies was not at any time, but at specific times. Nevertheless, David sent Joab (who is over his army) "and they destroyed the sons of Ammon and besieged Rabbah" while David "stayed at Jerusalem." The note I have is David stayed and exposed himself to the temptation of idleness. It is one thing to stop and think and ponder, but another simply to be idle and have no agenda with one's time. It is in this idleness that one is lured into temptation.
The time is about 3pm and David got up and "walked around on the roof the king's house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was beautiful in appearance." Something tells me this was not the first time David had seen this beautiful woman. One issue with temptation is once it is discovered in life, the tendency to return to it is very strong. Once pandora's box is opened, we know who is out there and so we return to it to repeat the feeling it gives. But at this time the text records she was bathing. Now the comment here I have is David had the right to claim unmarried women. He had wives and lots of them. It was in his power to have women. That is something to think about with the many people, including later his son Samson and that their position afforded them the opportunity to take unmarried women for himself. In essence, he wasn't breaking a law. He was going along with a prescribed advantage given him. And that advantage was now a normal occurrence in his life.
David inquires of her and verse 3 states that from the inquiry someone said, "Is this not...the wife....?" The question was raised, but David chose to ignore the question. I think of I Corinthians 10:13 in this moment, "No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, that you may be able to endure it." David was given the way out. But he ignored it. His desire for her had been determined the moment he inquired about her. He wanted her and no response mentioned was going to change that. But he was given an opportunity and he ignored it.
He go her, had sex, she returned home, and she became pregnant.
Uriah Does not Sleep with Bathsheba
Moving to verse 6, I have an alternate title for this section -- David tries to hide his sin by deceiving Uriah. Once the sin has been conceived and performed, now the escape shows up. Though he has done something in his power, he did not have the power to take a married woman. And because of that sin, that known sin, he wants to find a way out from that circumstance. He wants to respond in the same way Cain responded to the Lord, "I do not know. Am I my brother's keeper." David is now going to seek to escape the clear consequences he knows is needed in this situation.
David sent for Uriah. Uriah has returned from battle and David lets him know that his service is complete and tells him to return home. The pregnancy is now out and David wants to cover his tracks by having Uriah immediately go lie with with wife. He even sends him a valuable present, something a king would send. But Uriah doesn't go. He's a soldier and the soldier's responsibility is to his king. Uriah mentions something of the ark of the covenant and guarding it. His promise as a soldier is important. Now David must switch his plans so seeing Uriah's allegiance he seeks now to get him drunk so that he forgets his senses, but this doesn't work either. Darn it! This guy is ruining my plans for completing the act of deception.
And isn't this what we do. We plan our escape route even I think, in the back of our mind, while we are performing the act of treason (toward God and ourselves) by engaging in the act of sin. Oh, that this lesson is too familiar. Oh that I have a problem with knowing about this and knowing how to document it too easily with these words. I have been guilty of the same, too often. I have followed the desire of looking away from my wife and instead fallen into the embrace of a picture that brings an enjoyment to rescue me from whatever was ailing me at the time. I sought the good feeling and got it but then planned the escape route. At times, I escape, but at other times I do not. O God, I am not a judge here, but a conspirator.
David Commands Uriah's Murder
It is interesting in this story as to what time period this chapter encompasses. Probably something like weeks. Not sure, as verse 14 could be days or weeks later in which David writes a letter to Joab to give to Uriah to place Uriah in the line of fire. The phrase is different in verse 14 as it says, "and sent it by the hand of Uriah" which basically gives the idea that Uriah is commanding his own death sentence. David had tried to send Uriah home to be his wife, but that didn't work, so he got him drunk and send him home, but that did not work. So now he cannot be exposed. He can't let the sin simply be found out and face consequences, so he kills off the consequences.
This is the other problem in all of this and that is the unwillingness to let consequences show up. We fear them. We like our sin and even as we plot an escape, if it doesn't work, we make sure it won't be found out.
The reality is in this situation that the crime of adultery by a king would have been lightly pardoned, but David resorts to extreme measures rather than face the subject. Also, Joab could have refused. He knew what this was all about, so Joab, though not to blame, was not a person of nobility either. That was seen in the last chapter as well.
So Uriah goes to the frontline and is killed. David find out about this through a messenger that Joab sends. The messenger though first talks about the battle and basically says, "Oh by the way, Uriah also died." I suppose Joab did this so that David wouldn't get reinforcement that his actions were premeditated to get Uriah killed. I guess we do this as well. Even after we seek out an escape route for our sin, we try to set it up like it isn't that bad or that we didn't actually have that horrible intention.
The last verse concludes the episode as David brings Bathsheba to be his wife, they have the son, "But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord."
I suppose that conclusion is needed as a reminder that - this is not right. This is evil. One could say David was successful in hiding his sin, but God knew differently. God knows.
Summary: David does not go with kings to battle and instead in idleness sees a woman on a roof, asks her to be brought to him, lays with her, she gets pregnant and he hides his sin by eventually having the husband killed, but God knows.
Promise: God sees everything.
Prayer: Lord, it is good to remember that in life you see everything. I confess I have hidden sin and tried to make it look like I have done nothing wrong, but you see it and you know. I think at times I have received consequences as well from my sin. And at times this still doesn't make me learn or change. Let me take my sin more seriously and that it would mean something that I have sinned against you.
