II Samuel 11:1- 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.
There was a time when the kings when out to battle. The king should have been there with his army and his general, but instead David stayed home. That doesn't seem like it would be a bad thing, does it?
II Samuel 11:2- 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.
David wasn't suppose to be home. But as he went out and walked around on the top of his house, he saw a beautiful woman. Did you know that most sin starts with a look. Eve looked at the fruit. Achan looked at the spoils of war. Nadab and Abihu looked at Aaron's position. Sin starts with a look, and then is followed by coveteousness, or the desire to have.
II Samuel 11:3- And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
God always gives us a way out of sin. When David started to want this woman God sent someone to tell him that she was already married. God promises us that He will always give us a way to not sin, to escape sin.
I Corinthians 10:13- There hath no temptation taken you but such as is common to man: but God is faithful, who will not suffer you to be tempted above that ye are able; but will with the temptation also make a way to escape, that ye may be able to bear it.
God had provided an escape for David, but David decided that he would rather have the sin. I wonder if David could have seen the cost of his sin if he would still have sinned?
II Samuel 11:4-5- 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. And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.
Now, David has a problem. He knows that people are going to find out about his sin. Did you know that there is always someone who knows about your sin? God is always watching, yes. But, sometimes there are other people who you don't even realize are watching.
Instead of confessing his sin and asking for forgiveness, David thinks he can hide his sin. That's another lie from the devil. You can't hide your sin and expect the consequences to vanish!
Proverbs 28:13- He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
Mercy is not getting the full punishment for something that you have done wrong. David could have asked God for forgiveness and not have paid such a heavy price. But, he wasn't looking at the cost of his sin, yet. He was still hoping to make it vanish.
II Samuel 11:6-9- And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David. 7 And when Uriah was come unto him, David demanded of him how Joab did, and how the people did, and how the war prospered. 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.
David thought if he could get Uriah to sleep at his house that no one would figure out what he had done. But, Uriah was a Mighty Man and he knew that he was suppose to be in the battle. He wasn't looking for a vacation; he wanted to stay prepared for the fight.
So, David tried another way.
II 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.
David figured if he could just get Uriah drunk enough that he would go home. But, even that didn't work. Uriah was a person that anyone would love to have on their side in a battle! He was faithful and loyal! But, David's sin had blinded him to what was right.
And now, he was going to sin more!
II Samuel 11:14-15- And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.
David sent a letter back to General Joab with Uriah. Uriah was faithful and loyal, so he didn't read the letter. The letter said for Joab to place Uriah in the worst part of the battle and then to let him die.
II Samuel 11:16-17- And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also.
David was now guilty of murder.
II Samuel 11:18, 23-24- Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. 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.
David acted like everything was normal. Like Uriah dying was just a casualty from the war.
I Chronicles 20:1-2- And it came to pass, that after the year was expired, at the time that kings go out to battle, Joab led forth the power of the army, and wasted the country of the children of Ammon, and came and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried at Jerusalem. And Joab smote Rabbah, and destroyed it. And David took the crown of their king from off his head, and found it to weigh a talent of gold, and [there were] precious stones in it; and it was set upon David's head: and he brought also exceeding much spoil out of the city.
II Samuel 11:26-27- And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
David displeased the Lord. There were consequences coming.
God told the Prophet Nathan to go and tell David a story.
II Samuel 12:1-4- 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.
Remember that David grew up as a shepherd. He knew what it was like to take care of the little lambs. He could remember how much he loved his flock. And this story made him mad!
II Samuel 12:5-6- 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.
David pronounced judgement on the man in the story. He would give four times as many lambs back to the man, and then he would die.
II Samuel 12:7a- And Nathan said to David, Thou art the man.
David realized that this story was about him and his sin. He now knew what the cost of his sin would be. He would have to pay back four times the life he took.
II Samuel 12:13-15a- 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. And Nathan departed unto his house.
God told David that the first life would be the little baby that Bathsheba would have.
II Samuel 12:15b-16- And the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was very sick. David therefore besought God for the child; and David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth.
When the baby got sick, David went and begged God not to take the child. But David was too late. He should have confessed his sin earlier. Now, he wasn't going to receive mercy.
II Samuel 12:18-19- And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive, we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead? But when David saw that his servants whispered, David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead.
We can cry and beg and plead and pray, but that won't make the consequences of sin go away. We know that God says there are consequences to our sins. If we would only accept the escape he has made for us we wouldn't have to pay such heavy price tags!
It would be terribly sad if David's story ended there. But, this part of David's life is something we can learn from.
II Samuel 12:24-25- And David comforted Bathsheba his wife, and went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him. And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet; and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD.
God did forgive David. And he allowed him to have another child. Solomon- the wisest man who ever lived!
Just because we sin, it doesn't mean that God is through with us. We may have to pay the consequences, but we can still go on to accomplish great things for God if we repent.
The shepherd boy who killed Goliath still had giants to defeat.
I Chronicles 20:4-8- And it came to pass after this, that there arose war at Gezer with the Philistines; at which time Sibbechai the Hushathite slew Sippai, that was of the children of the giant: and they were subdued. And there was war again with the Philistines; and Elhanan the son of Jair slew Lahmi the brother of Goliath the Gittite, whose spear staff was like a weaver's beam. And yet again there was war at Gath, where was a man of great stature, whose fingers and toes were four and twenty, six on each hand, and six on each foot: and he also was the son of the giant. But when he defied Israel, Jonathan the son of Shimea David's brother slew him. These were born unto the giant in Gath; and they fell by the hand of David, and by the hand of his servants.
David went on to kill four more giants- Goliath's brothers.
Just because we sin, it doesn't mean that we give up! We still have battles to win for the Lord!
