## The Life of David - Part 12

## II Samuel 11:1-27

God gave a very stern warning to us all when He, through the apostle Paul, wrote to the Corinthian church in the tenth chapter. Note verse 12, "Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall." Sin is not very discriminating, it will destroy a person regardless of where they may fit in the social structure. Sin is equally destructive whether in the life of an unsaved person, or in the life of a person who was "after God's own heart". Tonight we come to a very dark chapter in the life of David. From this point forward David will struggle with not only his sin, but the devastating consequences of it until the end of his life.

I. Background. v1

A. Time

1. David was about fifty years of age.

2. He had been king for about twenty years.

3. It was the beginning of a new year, and time for kings to lead their armies into battle.

B. Society

1. Polygamy was commonly practiced by all kings.

2. Many times a man's influence and power was measured by the size of his harem and the number of his wives.

3. However, God had been very specific about this matter when it came to Israel. 2

4. NOTE: De. 17:14-17 5. As we read in 1 Samuel 25:42-44 and 2 Samuel 5:12-13, it is clear that David's passions and sexual appetite was out of control.

C. Personal

1. In the previous chapters are recorded many of the victories and accomplishments of David.

2. His career had reached an all- time high.

3. No one is more vulnerable than at a time like this and David was no exception.

4. Perhaps he had come to admire his own record of accomplishments and even think that he was the one responsible for the great victories.

5. He chose to "take it easy" when he should have been leading his army in battle.

II. The Unfolding of a Tragedy. v2-5

A. The development of sin, in general.

1. In Jas. 1:14-15, "But every man is tempted, when he is drawn away of his own lust, and enticed. Then when lust hath conceived, it bringeth forth sin: and sin, when it is finished, bringeth forth death."

2. In Ge. 3:6, "And when the woman saw that the tree was good for food, and that it was pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make one wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat."

3. Satan's L. S. D. = Lust, Sin, and Death.

B. The development of David's sin.

1. He saw a woman washing herself.

a. This is not necessarily an act of immodesty on Bathsheba's part.

b. She was not out in public, she was in her own house.

c. The palace was situated above all other houses which gave David a view of the interior of her courtyard.

d. The last phrase of verse two makes it very clear that David did not just glance at her, but spent some time staring at her beauty.

2. He requested information on her identity.

a. One of his servants pointed out that she was a married woman.

b. At this point that didn't matter to David, he was now being controlled by his carnal desires.

3. He sent for her to come.

a. The description of their encounter was very brief, but complete.

b. The messengers "took her" and "she came in unto him", and "he lay with her" and "she returned unto her house".

C. There is no such thing as a "one night stand".

1. Sin doesn't take very long, but the results can last forever!

2. The inevitable happened, Bathsheba sent word to David that she was going to have his child.

3. There is no indication that this was any sort of long term affair, but rather just a one-time encounter.

4. The consequences are the same.

5. David had to make a choice:

a. Confess his sin before God and man alike.

b. Refuse to confess and try to cover his sin by deception.

III. The Deception. v6-21

A. Plan "A". (v6-13)

1. David sends for Uriah.

a. When he arrives, David calls for a report on how things were going on the battle front.

b. He leads Uriah to believe that the only reason that he was called home was to give this report on Joab and the battle.

2. David sends Uriah home.

a. He wanted Uriah to spend some time at home with his wife.

b. He even sent along a gift for him.

c. His desire was that he would spend time with Bathsheba and then Uriah would think the child was his.

d. However, Uriah chose not to go home, but to sleep at the palace with the other servants of the king.

3. David gets Uriah drunk.

a. Uriah's integrity was such that he could not enjoy the pleasures of home while the rest of the army was in the field.

b. David has him stay for another day and made him drunk hoping that he would go home and lie with Bathsheba.

c. Again Uriah refuses to go home, and stays at the palace.

B. Plan "B" (v14-21)

1. Since plan "a" had failed, David is now becoming desperate.

2. He signs Uriah's death warrant and sends it to Joab.

3. Note the specifics of v15

4. Joab obeyed and Uriah was killed in battle.

5. Unfortunately, several others were killed also.

C. Final Cover-up. (v22-27)

1. Before the troops. v22-25

a. Joab had told the messenger that if the king became angry because they came too close to the city to let David know that Uriah was killed.

b. Joab had violated his own military expertise in order to assure Uriah's death.

c. David was pleased with this news, and sent an hypocritical message to Joab.

d. Basically David had told him, "win some, lose some".

2. Before the nation. v26-27

a. On the surface everything seemed normal.

b. Bathsheba mourned the death of her husband.

c. After a period of mourning, David sent for her once again.

d. He took her to be his wife, no doubt all who observed thought it was an act of compassion on the widow of a valiant soldier.

e. BUT, there was one Observer who wasn't fooled and wasn't pleased by what He saw!

Conclusion: What's wrong with this picture? Not one instance of prayer. Not one moment of seeking forgiveness or counsel. David was totally controlled by the flesh. The flesh will always lead us away from what pleases God. Note: Proverbs 6:32 & 28:13