Charles (Chuck) Kensinger

In the day of King David, the main way to grow your kingdom was to attack another country and take a portion or all their property for yourself.  In 2 Samuel 11, this is what is happening.  It is the time of year that wars take place.  Joab goes and the King stays home.  This was the first bad decision that turned into a tragedy for him.  The Ammonites are destroyed, and they move onto the next battle.

He sees a beautiful woman bathing on a rooftop.  She has just finished her period.  David had many wives.  He decided he wanted Bathsheba as well.  She was brought to him.  Mistake number two.  Later she let the monarch know that she was pregnant.  Her husband was brought home.  He was more dedicated to Israel than his King.  He refused to go into his house and see Bathsheba.

David makes mistake number three by sending a note to Joab with Uriah.  The instructions are to have the messenger die in battle.  Not only does he perish, but others are also casualties as well.  When word reaches the King, he sends back a message of encouragement to the commander.  David not only killed Uriah but these men as well.

After a period of mourning, Bathsheba becomes the King’s wife and the son that is born is considered as David’s, but many knew the truth.  Most importantly Jehovah disapproved of this behavior.

Would you like to be the one to tell the King that Yahweh is going to punish him for this sin?  2 Samuel 12 tells about Nathan doing just that.  To do so, God gave him a story to tell David.  It was about two men.  One was wealthy and the other poor.  The second man had only one lamb.  When the rich man had a visitor arrive, he took the other’s sheep and had it prepared for his guest to eat.

Nathan’s audience became extremely angry when he heard this.  He passes the death penalty sentence and adds that he must pay four times what the lamb was worth.  “You are the man!” is how the prophet answers the King.  All the things that Yahweh gave him are enumerated and then the penalty for David’s sin is given.

The child will die.  One of his family will punish him by seizing his wives.  Violence will never leave the King’s family and he will be disgraced publicly.  The death of the newborn son distresses David and throws the palace into confusion.  The bad decisions, like ours, cause irreparable damage in the land.  Eventually, another child is born to Bathsheba and David.  Even this does not stop the pain of their loss.

The story of David and Bathsheba is not given in 1 Chronicles 20, even though it details Joab’s attack of Rabbah. 2 Samuel 11 lists the attack on Rabbah as the battle where Uriah is killed. The King of Israel celebrates the victory by wearing the crown of Rabbah. Nothing is mentioned here about the affair, pregnancy, or murder.

Again, we have the recounting of the defeat and death of three Philistines that are like Goliath in size. One of them was his brother. The fourth man that was listed in 2 Samuel is deleted for some reason.

©Copyright 2020 by Charles Kensinger