David Yields To Sin

David’s army had defeated the Ammonites, forcing them to withdraw into the capital for protection, and driven out the Syrians.   When David withdrew, the Syrians attacked again, and were overwhelmingly defeated.  In the mean time, the Ammonites had been rebuilding, preparing for another attack, but after their their defeat, the Syrians refused to join them in the attempt.  Learning of the Ammonite plans, David sent his army to Rabbah to crush any hopes of invading Israel, as II Samuel 11:1 tells us.  “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.”  The Ammonites withdrew into the city prepared for an extended siege.     

Trusting Joab and the army to do what was needed, David remained in Jerusalem.   No longer getting the physical and mental workout of leading the army, David found himself unable to sleep, and began walking on the roof, enjoying the stillness and fresh air.  In the process, he descried a woman bathing in her own home, as II Samuel 11:2 tells us.  “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.”

Bathsheba was not deliberately exposing herself, but was in her own home, bathing after everyone should have been in bed, and David was not deliberately looking to see her.  He could have simply turned away, but David began to think about how beautiful she was.  James 1:14-15a warns, “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:”  When David began to think about satisfying that lust, he sinned mentally, as Jesus said in Matthew 5:28, “… That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.” 

It is important to understand that to see or even to have that sense of desire is not wrong.   Finding another person attractive is normal, even if they are of the same sex.  It only becomes sinful when we begin to fantacize about acting on the attraction.  The more we indulge in the mental sin, the easier it becomes to do the actual physical sin, whether sexual sin, murder, or theft.  After thinking about it David decided to follow up on his lust, in II Samuel 11:3.  “And David sent and inquired after the woman.

And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” David knew she was married, yet he went on with the physical sin, in II Samuel 11:4.  “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.”  While Bathsheba may have been flattered by David’s attention, she also would have felt pressured to go along since he was the king and sent men to bring her to him. 

Pregnancy is a natural result of the sex act, and when a person indulges in the sex act they are responsible for the the results.  Modern abortion laws are not about having choices, but about avoiding taking responsibility for those choices by killing the baby.  Since Abortion was not an available option, David attempted to avoid taking responsibility for his sin by having Bathsheba’s husband sent home for a little while, in II Samuel 11:5-8a.  “And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

And David sent to Joab, saying, Send me Uriah the Hittite. And Joab sent Uriah to David.  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.”

David hoped Uriah would be so excited to be with his wife he wouldn’t realize she was pregnant and when the child was born would think it was his.  He didn’t count on Uriah’s highly developed sense of responsibility, in II Samuel 11:8b-12.  “…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.  And when they had told David, saying, Uriah went not down unto his house, David said unto Uriah, Camest thou not from thy journey? why then didst thou not go down unto thine house?

And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.

And David said to Uriah, Tarry here to day also, and to morrow I will let thee depart. So Uriah abode in Jerusalem that day, and the morrow.  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.”

Uriah’s integrity prevented him from falling for David’s attempt to cover his sin, and David was forced to try to cover up his sin another way.