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Transcription
David and Bathsheba is the story discussed in 2 Samuel chapters 11 and 12. David, now the king of Israel, expands his borders and chooses Jerusalem as the capital. The land of Israel is strategically important as it connects Africa to Asia and Europe. The Hebrew nation wanted a king, but the Lord warned them of the consequences. David's actions with Bathsheba lead to manipulation and eventually the death of Uriah. The Lord sends Nathan to confront David, who admits his sin and seeks forgiveness in Psalm 51. The consequences of David's actions affect his life and kingdom forever. I am Julie Callio, your host, and thanks so much for taking time out of your busy schedules to tune in with me today. If by chance you want to contact me, you can do that at vab.bc.pc at gmail.com. Today we are covering the story of David and Bathsheba in chapters 11 and 12 of 2 Samuel with David's song, Psalm 51, which he wrote after Nathan the prophet confronted him about his sin. I did cover this story last year in more detail than I will this year, so if you have time, that lesson is entitled David and Bathsheba and it aired March 15, 2023. David is now king over all Israel. He has expanded the borders on all sides. He was recognized by Hiram, the king of Tyre, and given cedar logs, carpenters, and stonemasons in order to build a palace for the king. And David chose Jerusalem on Mount Zion to be the city of David, the capital and worship center of the nation of Israel. He knows the Lord has established him, and he is literally on top of his world because Jerusalem is on top of a mountain. David has brought Israel into the stage of power, although it never was a world power, and the Lord never intended it to be. One thing that Ray Vanderlaan pointed out in his video series that the world may know, which are lessons recorded in the places where the Bible lessons took place. Israel is small, but it is in a significant location. This little bit of land is a thoroughfare to connect the continent of Africa to Asia and Europe. This little plot of land was a perfect location to let the world know that there is a God in heaven. The Hebrew nation wanted a king to lead them. I think they thought it would solve all their problems. Even though the Lord told them a king would take their sons for war and other sons and daughters for other services, he would take the best of the people's field and they would pay taxes with their fields, their vineyards, cattle, donkeys, and flocks. In 1 Samuel 8, verse 18, the Lord told the people through Samuel, when that day comes you will cry out for relief from the king you have chosen and the Lord will not answer you in that day. The people still wanted a king over them, so, quote, we will be like all the other nations with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles. Chapter 11, verse 1, In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabba, but David remained in Jerusalem. Now in chapter 10 we read the king of Ammon died and up to this point David and the king of Ammon were peaceful. One thing I was reminded of in my study for today is that Ammon and Moab were both descendants of Lot. It was after Sodom and Gomorrah were destroyed and Lot's wife became a pillar of salt so his daughters got him drunk and had children from him. This is found in Genesis chapter 19 verses 30-38. Back in chapter 10 of 2 Samuel the king of Ammon died and David sent men to express sympathy for them, but the king's son, Hanun, took his noble's advice that David did it to scope out the land so Hanun humiliated David's men by shaving half of their beards off and cutting off their garments to the middle of their buttocks. This angered David and war began. David sent Joab the commander of the army first and the Arameans retreated, but then they regrouped and this time David gathered all Israel and he too went out for war. They retreated again and chapter 10 verse 18 says, but they fled before Israel and David killed 200 of their charioteers and 40,000 of their foot soldiers. He also struck down Shobak the commander of their army and he died there. The end of chapter 10 tells us that the Arameans were afraid to help the Ammonites anymore so they were on their own against Israel. We get a clue in the beginning and end of verse 1 that David was not where he was supposed to be. This is the time that kings go off to war, but where was David? At home in his palace. Even after the Ammonites were besieged in the wall city of Raba, David remained in Jerusalem. Now some preachers try to blame Bathsheba for this mess, but I want to show you what scripture says. Verse 1, David was not where he was supposed to be. Verses 2-4a, David got up, David walked around, David saw a woman, David sent someone to inquire about her, David sent messengers to get her. Who is the initiator in all of this? David! One new thing that was pointed out to me this year came from my commentaries and in verse 3 we find that Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite. In chapter 23 verse 34 we find that Bathsheba's dad Eliam was one of David's 30 mighty men. Plus in that verse we learn that Eliam was the son of Ahithophel. And then chapter 16 verse 23 says, Now in those days the advice Ahithophel gave was like that of one who inquires of God. That was how David and Absalom regarded all of Ahithophel's advice. Plus Uriah her husband is listed in chapter 23 verse 39 as also one of David's mighty men. David knew Bathsheba's husband, father, and grandfather very well and these men were highly respected men and David went ahead anyway in bringing her to him. Verse 4b says, She came to him and he slept with her. There is a phrase that says she had purified herself from her uncleanness. Most commentators say this means that she was not having her period at the time. But I never thought of it like that. When I read it, it seems to say that after the event of adultery she purified herself from her uncleanness and went back home. Once, quote, the woman conceived, she sent the word, I am pregnant. Now what is David to do? Again let's look at the verbs. David sent word. David asked. David said. David said. David sent word. David's invitation. David wrote. David sent it with Uriah. He wrote. David kept trying to manipulate Uriah to sleep with his wife even to the point of getting him drunk. But Uriah was a man of honor and he would not while his fellow Israelites were at war. One of my Sunday school teachers, Ethan, said, What does Uriah want to do when one drinks their inhibitions or down? But Uriah still did not sleep with his wife because Uriah did what his heart really wanted to do. Uriah ended up bringing his own death sentence to Joab, the commander of the army. Joab obeyed the message and placed some of his men on the front line with Uriah leading the way and they died. Joab then sent note to David and informed him of the losses and then added that Uriah also was dead. Verses 26 and 27 read, When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord. Another thing to note is that we know her name is Bathsheba, but the writer is making it a point that she was Uriah's wife and that points to what David did. Chapter 12 verse 1, The Lord sent Nathan to David. Now the Lord acts. His tactics were so smart, he did not come on as judge and jury, instead he set it up to where David hung himself. Nathan told a story of a rich man who took a poor man's one and only little ewe lamb. Again, this story makes it clear that Bathsheba is not held guilty. David burned with anger and said, This man deserves to die. Verse 5, Nathan responded, You are the man. Verse 7, The Lord told David he gave him everything and he would have given him more. Yet, David despised the Lord by doing what was evil. Ladies, the thing about Israel having a king that they thought would solve all their problems. When the king obeyed the Lord, he and the land were blessed. But when he did not obey the Lord, he and the land would reap the curses from the Lord. Then the Lord told David that what he did was in secret, but what the Lord will do will be in broad daylight for all to see. Verse 13 says, Then David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the Lord. Nathan replied, The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. Yet David's son died. The son became sick, and while sick, David fasted and prayed, but once the son died, he stopped. He had hoped the Lord would be merciful and spare the child while he was still alive, but once dead, he knew it was done. Verse 24 tells us David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and they had a son named Solomon, also known as Jedediah, which means loved by the Lord. Chapter 12 ends with Joab still fighting the Ammonites, and he captured the royal citadel. He sent word to David, Come now with the rest of the troops and take the city, otherwise I will get the glory. David went, captured it, and received their king's crown. But David's life and kingdom will never be the same. Psalm 51 is entitled, For the Director of Music, a Psalm of David. And the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba. Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love. According to your great compassion, blot out my transgressions, wash away all my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justify when you judge. Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Surely you desire truth in the inner parts, you teach me wisdom in the innermost place. Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean. Wash me, and I will be whiter than snow. Let me hear joy and gladness, let the bones you have crushed rejoice. Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquity. Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence, or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and grant me a willing spirit to sustain me. Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you. Save me from blood guilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness. O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise. You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it. You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit, a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. In your good pleasure make Zion prosper, build up the walls of Jerusalem, then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you, then bulls will be offered on your altar. Just a couple more things to point out. David confessed his sin, and he did not offer a sacrifice at that time. Nathan said he was forgiven, but there were still consequences David would have to bear. Next when we interpret scripture we need to keep in mind what kind of writing it is. Second Samuel is history, and it tells a story, but the Psalms are art. They are people's response to the things of life, and the plus about the Psalms is that they are directed to God. Psalms tell the feelings of the people, and they say what sometimes we are afraid to say, but it is not always true, because it is from the human perspective. One example is in verse 4, David says, Against you, you only, have I sinned, and then what is evil in your sight? David did not just sin against God only, he sinned against Bathsheba, Uriah, Bathsheba's family, plus his sin cost the lives of other men who died in battle with Uriah. Sin has a way of doing that. One little sin leads to another, and then to another, until it spirals out of control, and even the secret sins affect others. The plus is, there is forgiveness, if we come to the Lord. Yes, we may still have to deal with the consequences of our sin, but the Lord can take even the darkest events in our lives, and bring something beautiful out of it, such as baby Solomon. If you have heard his voice today, please don't harden your heart like David did. Instead, let's be women who hear from the Lord and obey with a contrite and broken heart, and if we mess up like David, let us quickly come to the Lord and confess our sin to find forgiveness, also like David did. Until next time, and thank you so very much for listening.
