2 Samuel 11:1 tells me that David had become complacent. He must have believed he deserved some time off since he had been working so hard at conquering the surrounding nations. This verse tells us it was time for David to go back to work, but he chose to send Joab to take his place instead.
Verses 2-5 just blow me away. Why did David fall to the temptation? Why didn't he heed the warning signals? One of my grade school teachers had a saying, "A chicken may land on your head, but you don't have to let it roost." David's sin is no different from my sin, however. I am just as guilty at times of disregarding the people in my life who try to speak up against what I am choosing to do, and I just keep trudging along into the muck and mire. LORD, help me be sensitive today to your Holy Spirit. Help me to find the way of escape You provide whenever I am tempted. (1 Corintians 10:13)
David is such a manipulator. I mentioned a few days ago that I am reading Cloud & Townsend's book "Boundaries." David was not respectful of anyone's boundaries in this situation. I am very impressed with Uriah's integrity! What man wouldn't take the opportunity to go home to his gorgeous wife, especially since the king had given him permission? But Uriah said, "As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!"
I was so disappointed that Joab became David's co-conspirator. Then the messenger gets in on the deal. And you know the messenger told other messengers who told other messengers. Word definitely got around.
Verse 27 in the NIV says that what David did "displeased" the LORD. Understatement? Other versions say that God was angry and that what David did was evil in the sight of Jehovah. I don't think "displeased" is a strong enough word for David's sin. "Displeased" is not a strong enough word for my sin.
In 2 Samuel 12 the prophet Nathan confronts the king. He uses a great word picture to get David's attention. I think the reason David "burned with anger" was because he subconsciously saw himself in the man Nathan described. The things that anger us about other people are usually the things we hate about ourselves. Verse 7, "Then Nathan said to David, 'You are the man!'"
Verses 8 & 9 must have ripped David's heart out. God gave David everything, and He would have given him even more if he needed it. Why did he despise God's gifts by taking what wasn't his?
Nathan pronounces several punishments for David
- The sword would never depart from his house
- David's wives would be violated in broad daylight (by his own son Absalom!)
- David's sin would become public knowledge
- His new son would die
God forgave David's sin, but David still suffered all the consequences. Forgiveness does not remove heartache and devastation from our poor choices. You may ask why God forgave David at all. In 2 Samuel 12:13, David confesses his sin by simply saying, "I have sinned against the LORD." It's that simple. God does not want our long, drawn-out explanations of why we sinned. He just wants us to agree with Him that we did in fact sin against Him. If you want to read David's complete confession, where he begs God for mercy, read Psalm 51. It has always been one of my favorites.
David does not plead with God to remove any of the consequences except in the case of his son's life. 2 Samuel 12:22-23 paint a beautiful picture of David's complete faith in God. May our lives mirror such trust in our Savior.
Verse 24--I wish I understood the reason behind giving children two names in the Hebrew culture. Is it similar to the way we give our children a first name and a middle name? Solomon means peace or peaceful, and Jedidiah means loved by the LORD. Solomon was loved by God, and his would be a reign of peace for Israel. I don't find reference that Solomon is called Jedidiah anywhere else in Scripture.
After Solomon's birth, David returns to what he should have been doing in the first place, and God grants him victory.
Next we will read about David's heartache over his other children in 2 Samuel 13, 15, & 18. This is where we see the fulfillment of David's other punishments.
I remember the first time that I read the account of David sinning with Bathsheba, and how angry I was. After that disappointment set in. Somehow, I expect famous men or women of God to be above such things. (even if they are only famous in my eyes) However, as I have matured I have realized that God holds the same standards for us all. It took me a while for it to sink in that David's of adultery was no bigger than anyone else's sin of adultery. I am still struggling with the concept that all sins are equal. There is no such thing as a small sin. Wow! That is so hard for me to fathom.
ReplyDelete11:14,15 "In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die." Isn't that interesting? David wasn't worried that Uriah might read the message? Were they not nosey back then? I also think poor Uriah, here he was out doing what he was suppose to do and even when he gets called home, he doesn't do what he probably would've rather done, he sleeps with his master's servants instead because all the other men were out fighting- and he ends up getting killed and he wasn't sinning or plotting to do more sins, etc. That's a fine how do you do for trying to do what's right. Yes, I think that should be pretty "displeasing" to the Lord. It makes me think how many times do I do something "displeasing" to the Lord and it ends up hurting someone totally honest and innocent, but because of my selfishness it affects them negatively. Oh, Lord, please forgive me for all the numerous "displeasing" things I do in your sight that impact someone who is totally innocent. Please give me awareness to keep others in mind and not focus on my self.
ReplyDeleteGreat insight, girls! I suppose, Melissa, that David ironically knew that Uriah was such a man of integrity that he would not snoop enough to read his own death notice.
ReplyDeleteThis passage demonstrates how God's Word is living and active. As we read of David's sin, God was sble to convict each one of us of our own sin. I love how God's Word filters out the junk in my own heart.