2 Samuel 11

14–17 Having been unsuccessful in making it appear that Uriah was the father of Bathsheba’s child, David resorted to a “final solution”: with Joab’s cooperation, David arranged to have Uriah killed “by chance” on the battlefield (verse 15). And Uriah himself was asked to carry his own “death warrant” to Joab! (verse 14).

This time David’s plan worked, but it cost the lives of some other Israelite soldiers as well (verse 17).

18–21 In order to be sure Uriah was killed, Joab had to send him and a few other men⁴⁷ close to the city wall of Rabbah (verse 1), where they would be vulnerable to the arrows of the defenders. Joab was afraid that David might be angered by the loss of additional men, so he told the messenger taking the news to David to be sure to tell him that Uriah had died; that would appease David’s anger, thought Joab.⁴⁸

22–25 The messenger did as he was instructed; and just as Joab thought, David’s anger was averted when he heard that Uriah was dead. David sent word to Joab not to be upset by Uriah’s death: “. . . the sword devours one as well as another” (verse 25); “anyone can fall in battle—it’s to be expected.”

26–27 After Bathsheba’s time of mourning was over, she became David’s wife. The cover-up had succeeded; now no one would know that David and Bathsheba had committed adultery—except One: the Lord. And the Lord was displeased by what David had done (verse 27).

How is it possible that David could have committed such great sins and still be considered a man after [God’s] own heart? (1 Samuel 13:14). The reason is that the overall course of David’s life was one of obedience to God; this affair with Bathsheba and Uriah was an exceptional episode in an otherwise godly life.⁴⁹ And we know it was exceptional because of the depth of David’s sorrow and repentance afterward. David’s true heart is revealed in his Psalms, especially Psalms 32 and 51.

There are several other things to be learned from this chapter. First, the Bible is totally honest and trustworthy; it reveals the weaknesses of even its greatest heroes. Second, David’s sin came at a time of prosperity and ease, perhaps even idleness; we are most susceptible to temptation during such times. Third, David’s sin didn’t just happen “all at once”; his many wives, his idleness, his self-confidence all contributed to his fall (1 Corinthians 10:12). Fourth, David’s sin started with a lingering gaze at a woman bathing; instead of turning away, David succumbed to the temptation and the gaze led to lust, and the lust led to adultery, and the adultery led to murder. Satan doesn’t start out tempting us with “big sins”; he simply invites us to “gaze” and assures us that no harm will come of it.⁵⁰

A final thing to be learned comes in the next chapter: sin has consequences. And in David’s case, the consequences included the death of Bathsheba’s child, and then, later on, terrible trouble and turmoil within David’s family and within his kingdom (see 2 Samuel 12:11–14). Yes, David repented and was forgiven; but the consequences of his sins lived on. A man reaps what he sows (Galatians 6:7).

Finally, for ourselves, the story of David and Bathsheba gives a double message of both warning and hope. First, it gives a message of warning to those of us who have not fallen, that we might be on our guard and pray all the more earnestly: “. . . lead us not into temptation” (Matthew 6:13). And second, it gives a message of hope to those of us who have fallen: as far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us (Psalm 103:8–12; 1 John 1:9).