2 Samuel 11 - David's Downfall

We now come to the most infamous episode in David's life. This shows that David was far from perfect, he was a sinner just like you and me. It also shows that Israel needed a Messiah who was much greater than David.

Note the amount of time devoted to this episode. Two chapters here are directly concerned with the matter, and the consequences coloured the rest of his reign. Moreover, there is no hiding of David's guilt, and this is about one of the great heroes of Israel. To my mind this is one of the strongest arguments demonstrating the inspiration of scripture. Some say it is a human book, but if this book was written from a purely human perspective it would not be so forthcoming about human failures. This book is inspired by God, and it is about God's dealings with man.

Joab was out with the army fighting and winning battles. In the spring the weather made it possible to fight wars. Meanwhile David was on his rooftop and saw a beautiful woman bathing. We need to be very careful what we look at, for it can have disastrous effects on us. It can pollute our minds and it can arouse sin that is in us. That is why pornography is so dangerous, and things were no different in David's time.

So David had the woman brought to him and he slept with her. As king he had the power (though not the right) to do that. However, she became pregnant. So David has to pile sin upon sin, as so often happens. First he invites Uriah back, wanting him to sleep with his wife so he will think the child is his. But he did not reckon with Uriah's integrity and dedication. So he sent Bathseeba's husband to the frontline so that he 

would be killed in battle. David was murdering him.

This plan did "work" and Uriah died. David had Bathseeba brought to his palace and she became one of his wives. So we see here that Uriah was a much more honourable man than David.

The chapter closes with the words that this displeased the Lord. All of us live our lives under the Lord's eyes. We need to live in fear of the Lord, knowing that He knows all that we do.