(1) background
11:1a In the spring of the year, at the time when kings normally conduct wars, David sent out Joab with his officers and the entire Israelite army. They defeated the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah.
From the last chapter Ammonite was the main enemy of Israel, and therefore, the entire army went out to fight with them.
(BEB) Rabbah of the Ammonites. Capital of the ancient Ammonite kingdom. Located near the sources of the Jabbok River, it stood about 25 miles east of the Jordan and lay astride the main caravan route leading from Damascus south along the length of the Transjordanian plateau. This road was also known as the King’s Highway (Nm 20:17; 21:22)
When the army of Israel taking control of the Ammonite and her capital city was besieged where was David?
v.1b But David stayed behind in Jerusalem. (NET) [but] The disjunctive clause contrasts David’s inactivity with the army’s activity.
Why did David change from the leader of Israel to be a lazy sleeper at home and walking on the palace rooftop?
Reflection: Anyone is not free from temptation. Resist temptation at all time.
(2) The repeat word: send
- v.1 David sent out Joab with his officers and the entire Israelite army
- v. 3 So David sent someone to inquire about the woman.
- v.4 David sent some messengers to get her.
- v.5 The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, “I’m pregnant.”
(a) v.1 David sent out Joab with his officers and the entire Israelite army
When David should have gone out to battle, he did not. But, Uriah did. Uriah was more faithful to the country than David.
Twice, the Scriptures described how he stayed away from going home.
11:9 But Uriah stayed at the door of the palace with all the servants of his lord. He did not go down to his house.
v.13 But in the evening he went out to sleep on his bed with the servants of his lord; he did not go down to his own house.
Note, he stayed "with the servants of his lord." David and Joab were his lord v. 11, 21, but God was his LORD, too.
11:11 Uriah replied to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord’s soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and have marital relations with my wife? As surely as you are alive, I will not do this thing!”
In other words, to Uriah, the ark was out there in the battle, and so were the entire army of Israel. They all enduring the most difficult situation. How could he be so selfish and enjoy himself with his family? Disengaging yourself from the path of the LORD was unthinkable to Uriah. David did exactly that thing.
In other words, to Uriah, the ark was out there in the battle, and so were the entire army of Israel. They all enduring the most difficult situation. How could he be so selfish and enjoy himself with his family? Disengaging yourself from the path of the LORD was unthinkable to Uriah. David did exactly that thing.
Reflection: What happened to David? Why was he so different than before? He was supposed to be like Uriah if not more faithful and zealous for the LORD and for Israel. I saw a very cruel and cold truth, even our leaders are sinful. The "perfect" David was vulnerable to sin. On one hand, we are looking forward to the perfect Messiah-Jesus Christ. On the other hand, we should watch out and pray for ourselves and for our leaders.
(b and c) v. 3 So David sent someone to inquire about the woman.
- v.4 David sent some messengers to get her.
David had the authority to send out army, but he abused that power to also send out people to satisfy his adultery desire. Hearing that she was someone else wife should had stopped David, but he insisted to send some messengers to get her.
(d) v.5 The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, “I’m pregnant.”
Finally, God also sent David and Bathsheba a messenger: she was pregnant. Their sin was not without a consequence. They might thought that that as just a one time event (v.4 Then she returned to her home), but God did not let that slipped away .
(EBC) In the course of his downward slide from temptation into sin, David manages to disobey three of the Ten Commandments: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife”; “You shall not commit adultery”; “You shall not murder” (Exod 20:17, 14, 13). His execrable conduct in chapter 11 is a parade example of the truths expressed in James 1:14–15: “Each one is tempted when, by his own evil desire, he is dragged away and enticed. Then, after desire has conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, gives birth to death.”
(EBC) David “saw” a woman (v.2) and wanted her. Concerning Matthew 5:29, Bruce observes that “Matthew places this saying immediately after Jesus’s words about adultery in the heart, and that is probably the original context, for it provides a ready example of how a man’s eye could lead him into sin” (The Hard Sayings of Jesus, p. 54).
R: The adultery happened when David was attracted by the appearance of Bathsheba. He did not stopped even when he heard that Bathsheba was married. He sent messenger to get her v.4. Be careful what we look at and be careful with our greed. Be satisfied with your family and be satisfied with what the LORD gives you.
What made my sense of holiness blunt? Do I realize the danger of inquiry more or spending more time looking at one thing that will lead me into sin? Anything that I think I can control myself later, but it is ok just to look at and I let myself to indulge in it?
(3) The adultery only took 5 verses to describe, but the rest of the chapter described how David try to cover up. It was because David did not repent. When the plan to disguise did not work out he chose to kill Uriah. According to the law he could not take another man's wife, but he could marry a widow. David was a slave to sin. He needed to cover up his sin (of adultery) with other sins (lying, and murder).
When David needed to cover up his sin, he almost had to lie. He instructed Joab how to have Uriah killed v.14-15. When Uriah was killed accordingly, David said,
11:25 David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing upset you. There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down.
David wanted others to think that Uriah was just killed randomly in a war.
Everything seems to work out according to David's plan.
v.27b But what David had done upset the LORD.
(NET) Though David did not regard the matter as evil, the LORD certainly did.
Reflection: Do we do one sin to cover up another and we think we have to do that?
Are we the slave of sin? Before we are saved, yes, we cannot help but to sin. After we are saved, no. Instead we should submit ourselves to the Holy Spirit just as the same way we submit ourselves to sin. We are slaves of righteousness (Rom 6:17-18). Thank God for His salvation!
Do we lie and think no one will know? I read and heard this passage many times. Often the message was focus on the adultery. Of course, that was the initiate problem, but then the problem got bigger because of the deceiving. How much tolerate we have upon ourselves? Do we allow ourselves to "white lies," "careless mistake," or "slip of tongue?"
Audrey
Side notes:
11:4 David sent some messengers to get her. She came to him and he had sexual relations with her. (Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.) Then she returned to her home. 11:5 The woman conceived and then sent word to David saying, “I’m pregnant.”
(NET) Since she just had her period, it will also be obvious to those close to the scene that Uriah, who has been away fighting, cannot be the father of the child.
2024
v.1-5
B:
Interruption in the sequences of events:
1. David's action (stayed behind) was in contrast with the kings' (going out, or normally conduct wars) v.1.
Although that was not the first time only Joab led the Israelite army 10:7, but the Scriptures made it explicitly that David did not go with them this time.
2. The appearance of the woman who was bathing v.2b
Now this woman was very attractive
(NET The disjunctive clause highlights this observation and builds the tension of the story). The next event recorded following this was David sending (the messenger) and inquiring about her. The adultery, and the pregnancy happened quickly in just 2 verses with a sequences of vav+verbs.
Summary
David had made some important decisions in his life, and that was probably the most deadly one here. He chose to stay behind while he should not be. He chose to send messenger and inquire about the women when he found her to be attractive.
David had made some important decisions in his life, and that was probably the most deadly one here. He chose to stay behind while he should not be. He chose to send messenger and inquire about the women when he found her to be attractive.
R
What is my duty or things that God want me to do? If I deviate from that then I will most likely to do the wrong thing in the wrong time. What temptation that I should not investigate more about? What made my sense of holiness blunt? Do I realize the danger of inquiry more or spending more time looking at one thing that will lead me into sin? Anything that I think I can control myself later, but it is ok just to look at and I let myself to indulge in it?
3. only 1 more interruption in v.4b after the act of adultery and pregnancy.
Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.
(EBC:
to inform the reader that Bathsheba was clearly not pregnant when she came to David, since she had just been “purified from her uncleanness”. Shortly thereafter she found that she was, and that leaves no doubt that the child is David’s, since her husband had been out of town during the interlude between the bath and her visit to the palace. Moreover, the phrase may also alert the reader to the fact that Bathsheba was, at this time in her cycle, most likely to become pregnant
Scripture attached this information right after the act of adultery. Was David aware of this fact and still chose to ignore this? Possible. If yes, David had committed a sin that he knew would very likely result in pregnancy and at the end being disclosed. Had he calculated the consequence before he slept with her? Probably not, otherwise, he would not tried to do all those tricks with Uriah. Then, he was aware of the fact but chose to ignore the consequences. Why??
R:
Do I aware of the danger of sin or its control over us? Even I may be aware of the possibility of the consequence but I will chose to ignore it just to satisfy with my flesh. Am I willing to stay turn away from temptation? Am I willing to live under the control of the HS to be free from the control of sin?
v.6-17
B:
3 persons in this passage: David, Uriah and also Joab:
3 persons in this passage: David, Uriah and also Joab:
1. Uriah, he was at the bottom of the ranking of David and Joab, but he had a noble will not even the king or the alcohol could move him.
11 Uriah replied to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah reside in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and my lord’s soldiers are camping in the open field. Should I go to my house to eat and drink and go to bed with my wife? As surely as you are alive, I will not do this thing!”
EBC Uriah’s retort in v.11, then, becomes “doubly trenchant, if we take it not as an open defiance but as an indirect, unconscious rebuke. The sting of the words is accordingly palpable only to David. Uriah is not ready to do legitimately what [David] has done criminally.
Uriah took the death note back to his killer v.14. He was the innocent man who died without knowing how. His king, and his master turned their back towards him.
2. David. He tried all his might to cover up. He tried to act in a way that Uriah would not suspect a thing v.7. He tried to use his power, and his persistent plan, but he did not succeed.
At the end, he used his power and his scheme to kill Uriah, and he almost succeeded.
3. Joab. He took the army out to battle the 2nd time without the king. He sent the Uriah to David. He and his soldiers fought in the open field (and resided in temporary shelters). However, he followed the instruction from David and did it perfectly v.16-17. Why did he follow David's order to kill their own man?
R:
A noble innocent man died just to cover up the crime of the king. The king has the power and the helper who follows his plan without asking any question. After 2nd failed attempt, the king finally succeeds.
But God knows. Human can not just manipulate the world and stepped on the innocent men without consequences. Even though one has the power they cannot do whatever they want.
Do I abuse my power in any area? Have I ever think I can fool the LORD?
v.19-27
B:
1. It only takes 5 verses to describe the sin of David, but 20 verses to describe his cover-up. Many more chapters would be used to describe his consequences. Sin did not worth it. We will for sure regret. David seemed to be a different person in 2 Sam 11 than the previous David. David was described as someone with the pleasing of God, with God's presence, and the blessings of eternity. What had changed?
We can have all the imagination, but Scriptures only used 5 verses including the act of adultery to describe the incident. Perhaps nothing had changed, it was just the sin nature common to every one that was also in David's heart.
Let this be a remind to me to my potential to serious sin in every step of my life.
2. Repeated phrases:
v.17 Uriah the Hittite also died.
v.17 Uriah the Hittite also died.
21 Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.’ ”
24 some of the king’s soldiers died. Your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead
26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband Uriah was dead, she mourned for him.
David used a scheme to murder Uriah and his servant, Joab, v. 19-21, also learned how to report his death "skillfully." However, the messenger did not follow exactly Joab's instruction. He did not wait until David to become angry v.20 to explain the causes of the causality. He included that into the death of U into the report v.23-24.
What the influence of sins had done to our lives and to others' lives, especially when we are the leaders.
The report of his death signaled the completion of David's scheme. Only his wife saw his death with some emotion. But this is not the end of the episode yet. What everything works out as planned does not mean it was the will of God. Watch out.
25 David said to the messenger, “Tell Joab, ‘Don’t let this thing upset you. There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down.
27 But what David had done upset the LORD.
(NET) Heb “and the thing which David had done was evil in the eyes of the LORD.” Note the verbal connection with v. 25. Though David did not regard the matter as evil, the LORD certainly did.
David was such a hypocrite to say that "There is no way to anticipate whom the sword will cut down." He and Joab were the ones who anticipate whom the sword to cut down. And the evil was not done by those who kill with the sword, but he and Joab. What David had done (not the solider who used the sword to kill U) was evil in the eyes of the LORD.
R:
Do I consider myself to be immune from sin? No one should have that false sense of security
Do I realize the influence of sin to others? What I have done do not just bring consequence to myself and others.
Have I ever think I got the perfect plan to hide my sin from everyone? (David might not thinking of hiding his sin from God. He might just ignore the present of God in this matter. Do I be like that?)
Q:
1. David's action (stayed behind) was in contrast with the kings' (going out, or normally conduct wars) v.1.
Although that was not the first time only Joab led the Israelite army 10:7, but the Scriptures made it explicitly that David did not go with them this time.
2. He saw a woman bathing and did not turn away from temptation;
He sent some to inquire about the woman, i.e. he wanted to was hoked on by sin. He did not let go of the sinful thought and put it into action.
He sent messengers to get her. She came to him and he went to bed with her. That was the sin of adultery.
David sent message to Joab to bring back Uriah. He pretended to ask him about the war.
Then he wanted Uriah to go home to go to bed with his wife so that the pregnancy would be mistakenly identified as Uriah's. He repeated the scheme twice to try to cover up his sin with his power.
David finally wrote a letter to Joab to have U murdered. Still he did not want anyone to know except Joab. Again, he misused his authority as a king.
When the messenger report the death of U David was a hypocrite again and thinking no more would find out his scheme v.25.
3. He wanted Uriah to go home to go to bed with his wife so that the pregnancy would be mistakenly identified as Uriah's. He repeated the scheme twice to try to cover up his sin with his power.
4. 15 In the letter he wrote: “Station Uriah at the thick of the battle and then withdraw from him so he will be cut down and killed.”
2 S 4:11 David said, "...Surely when wicked men have killed an innocent man as he slept in his own house, should I not now require his blood from your hands and remove you from the earth?”
David had a selfish agenda and did not care if U was innocent or not. He was the obstacle in David's eye. God, His justice, or His judgment was not in the picture of David's scheme.
5. Joab did not know the intention of David, but he followed his king and got U killed.
6. God's word and His will should be the criteria of what I do. When I sin in my thoughts, I think no one knows about it. Nothing can escape God, including what I think. I should be holy even in my thought.
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