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David – An Imperfect Man of God

Sermon by  Thomas Thornhill Jr

Passage: 2 Samuel 8-11

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Journey thought the Bible (56)

The United Kingdom (10)

Tonight we continue our journey through the Bible.  We are currently studying the United Kingdom (10^th of 17 time periods of Bible history).  The past few lessons we have been studying the reign of David and in our last lesson we noted a key OT passage as the throne of David is established forever.  It would be a promise ultimately fulfilled in Jesus who is now reigning in heaven on His throne.  Going from one of the brightest events in his reign to one of the darkest, tonight we want to notice his sin with Bathsheba and its consequences.

1. The text
   1. 9:1-13 – Showing kindness to the house of Saul. As David is further established he still thinks of his friend Jonathan and desires to show kindness to the family of Saul. Recall that David had made a vow to Jonathan that he would show kindness to his house as king (1 Samuel 20:12-17).    He is told of Mephibosheth by a servant of Saul’s house named Ziba.  David inquires of him if anyone is left of Saul’s house.  Recall that when Saul and Jonathan were killed in battle the same day, Mephibosheth was 5 years old and his nurse took him and fled.  But in haste, Mephibosheth fell and became lame in his feet (2 Samuel 4:1-4).  He had been hidden now for what was likely about 15-20 years.  As Mephibosheth is brought before him he bows, but David assures him he means no harm.  Instead he gives to him all the land of Saul his grandfather and calls for Ziba to till and manage the land for him.  David further declares that Mephibosheth would eat at his table.  He humbly bows before David.
   2. 12-13 – we are also told that Mephibosheth had a young son named Micha. They were cared for.
   3. 10:1-19 – David subdues the Ammonites and Syrians (Aram). See also 1 Chronicles 19:1-19.
      David hears that the king of Ammon had died and his son Hanun was reigning in his place.  David wants to show kindness because his father had been kind to him.  He sends a delegation to the land.  But Hanun’s advisors think it is deceit.  So  they humiliate the servants who were sent by David, cutting off half their beard and their garments in the middle exposing them.  They send them away.  When they arrive in Israel David is told and they are advised to remain in Jericho until their beards grew back.
   4. Meanwhile the Ammonites realize they had offended David and Israel and hire an army from various places including Syria. But David sends Joab and his army against them.  As they approached they were being attacked from 2 fronts.  Joab has his brother Abishai lead his half against Ammon while he fought against Syria.  They agreed that if one was overpowered they would signal and the other would come and aid them.  NOTE 10:12 – they trusted in the LORD.  It was not needed. AS Joab’s forces drew near Syria they fled, then the Ammonites fled into their city.  So Joab returned to Jerusalem.  But Syria gathered forces east of the Jordan. David sent his army against them and soundly defeated them.  Syria did not help Ammon anymore and both served David.
   5. 11 – David’s sin with Bathsheba. We read that it was springtime when kings went to battle.  David sends Joab against Ammon.  But he remains in Jerusalem.  One evening he is on the roof of his house and sees a very beautiful woman bathing.  He inquires and is told she is married to Uriah the Hittite.  NOTE: Uriah was not an ordinary soldier.  He was one of David’s loyal leaders (2 Samuel 23:39).  But David wants her and sends for her.  They commit adultery.  She becomes pregnant and lets David know.  Attempting to cover up the sin, David has Uriah return from battle to report progress.  He then tells him to go home to his wife.  But he refuses because of loyalty to the king and his men.  After a second attempt by getting him drunk, he still does not go home.  So David prepares a letter to Joab and sends it by the hand of Uriah.  The order was to place Uriah in a heated battle place (where they should not have been) and to withdraw from him so that he dies. Joab obeys orders and Uriah is killed ALONG WITH other soldiers.  He then sends a servant to report the defeat.  However he says that if David becomes angry to include in the report that Uriah was also dead.  The messenger reports David and doesn’t wait for him to get angry.  He tells him about Uriah.  David then assures the messenger basically saying, “These things happen in war” (NOT the exact words) and to order Joab to finish off the city.  Bathsheba hears about her husband and mourns.  But after that David brings her to his house and she becomes his wife bearing him a son.  BUT, this thing displeased the LORD.
   6. 12 – Nathan confronts David. Nathan the prophet is sent to David by YHWH to tell him of a wealthy man who had plenty of sheep and herds and another poor man who had only one ewe lamb.  When a visitor came to the wealthy man, instead of taking from his own flock, he took the one ewe lamb of the poor man and killed it for his guest.  David became angry and pronounced – he should die and restore the lamb four fold because of his lack of pity.  Nathen then declares, “YOU are the man!” (vs. 7).  He notes that what David did with Uriah was wrong.  He reminds him that YHWH had protected him against Saul and abundantly blessed him. He even said, “And if that had been to little I would have given you more.”  But why have you despised the commandment of the LORD to do evil in his sight.  You have killed Uriah the Hittite and taken Bathsheba as wife.
   7. 12:10ff – as a result – Punishment is declared.
      1. You will have war in his house the rest of his life.
      2. Adversity would arise from within his house
      3. His wives would be taken before his eyes and given to a neighbor and humiliated publicly.
      4. And the child would die.
   8. 12:13-15 – Further it was declared that while David did this secretly, the LORD would deal with him openly  David confesses, “I have sinned against the LORD”.  NOTICE there is no excuse, just confession.  David is ready to die for his sins, but Nathan tells him the LORD had forgiven him and he would not die, BUT there were consequences.  The child also would die.  Nathan leaves.
   9. 12:16ff – the child is struck with an illness. David pleads with God for mercy and fasted, laying all night on the ground.  He does this for a week.  The child dies and David sees his servants whispering.  They are afraid to tell him.  But when he asks if the child is dead they confirm it.  David gets us, cleans himself, worships the LORD and then he eats food.   His servants are baffled at his conduct and ask him why he responded like that.  David declares that as long as the child was alive he was pleading that perhaps God would change His mind.  But now he is dead, I cannot bring him back to life.  “I shall go to him, but he shall not return to me.” (vs. 23)
   10. 12:24-25 – Bathsheba, now his wife conceives and gives him a son. His name is Solomon (which means peaceful).  But Nathan is sent to him and told to call him Jedediah (Beloved of YHWH).
   11. 12:26-31 records Joab fighting against Rabbah of Ammon. Also 1 Chronicles 20:1-3.  They defeat the city and David comes out to finish the battle.  The king’s crown is placed on David’s head (it weighed a talent of gold).  The people of the city were made subject to David and Israel.
2. Lessons to Consider.
   1. We will begin by noting there are several psalms associated with David and his sin with Bathsheba.
      1. Most prominent is Psalm 51 which is a powerful lesson within itself. David pleads for mercy and that his sins be blotted out by God.  He notes that it was God that he sinned against.  He pleads for restoration and notes that what God demands is a broken spirit and contrite heart – these are the sacrifices (and the motives behind PROPERLY offered sacrifices).
      2. Psalm 6 – Do not rebuke me in Your anger… have mercy on me for I am weak. His soul was greatly troubled and he was groaning all night long with tears.  But by faith he accepts the Lord’s forgiveness.
      3. Psalm 38 – Again, Do not rebuke me in Your wrath. My iniquities are too heavy for me.  You see how consumed he is because of his sin.
      4. Psalm 32 – Blessed is the man whose sin is forgiven, whose sin is covered. As he remained silent he was overwhelmed with groaning.  His vitality was drained.  But then he acknowledged his sin and confessed to the LORD.  He was forgiven.  Trusting in the LORD leads to His mercy. NOTE: This psalm is quoted in Romans 4:7-8 describing the gracious mercy and forgiveness of God.
   2. NOTE: Everything associated with David and Bathsheba is NOT recorded in the Chronicles – this illustrates how histories were sometimes “sanitized” their histories. The significance of this is when Biblical skeptics/critics question the existence of certain kings, events or places because they are not recorded in secular history, it could be that a certain historian “conveniently” leaves out that which is negative.
   3. Remembering your promises – when we make promises to people, we need to keep them. As Jesus taught, Matthew 5:37 – let your ‘yes’ be ‘yes’, and your ‘no’ be ‘no’.   Psalm 15:5 – the one who desires to abide in the presence of the LORD (His tabernacle) will “swear to his own hurt and does not change”.
   4. Showing kindness – Because David remembered Jonathan, he shows kindness to his son. This was a powerful thing for this powerful man.  When we have opportunity, we too ought to show kindness to others (1 Corinthians 13:4).
   5. Another example of humility – we find it in David, but also in Mephibosheth as he bows before David. We bow before one even greater – James 4:10
   6. Be careful where you get your advice – when David attempts to show kindness to Aamon, his representatives are insulted and humiliated. It was the result of foolish advice that would eventually lead to their destruction.  When we have problems, especially with brethren, seek advice from a wise source and not the world (cf. 1 Corinthians 6:5 – is there not a wise man among you?)
   7. Where is your trust in battle? 2 observations.
      1. The Ammonites hired foreign nations to defend them as if that would deliver them from God.
      2. Joab, as he engages in battle puts his trust in the Lord (2 Sam. 10:12) – the LORD will do what is good in His sight.
      3. In our spiritual battles, who are we turning to?
   8. The danger of idleness – why was David on the rooftop? Note how the text begins, when kings go out to battle, but David was somewhere different.  Idleness can lead to trouble in many ways.
   9. The power of temptations – David’s temptation with Bathsheba demonstrates how powerful temptation can be AND how quickly it can lead you down the wrong path.
   10. Sin often leads to more sins – one of the problems with sins is that when we do not take care of them immediately and strongly, they often lead to more sins. David’s lusts lead him down a sad series of events.
   11. You cannot hide from God – clearly seen in David’s sin. He thinks no one knows, but plenty do know.  And even if not, God knows!  And that is what counts the most.  WHEN you sin, it is against God first and foremost.  BUT, it often involves others as well.
   12. The weight of sin and its results – for this we look to the psalms and we note that David was tormented by his sins? Was this before Nathan confronted him or after?  Most likely, it was both.  He knew what he had done was wrong and likely it bothered him.  AND the way that his sins affected others equally bothered him.  Even after forgiven, the remorse is clear.  Repentance must be real!
   13. When you sin, don’t blame others – what is the difference between Saul’s confession, “I have sinned” (1 Sam. 15:24) and David’s confession? David made no excuses and was ready to accept the consequence.  Saul only confessed when his excuses did not work.  And his follow-up behavior indicates it was NOT sincere.
   14. Sin has serious consequences – even though David was forgiven there were serious consequences to his sins. In our next lesson we are going to see these consequences develop.
   15. Understanding the power of prayer – David knows what prayer can do. Even though it was not answered as he desired, it was answered.
   16. No matter the sin, God can forgive you if you repent. And that is where I want to conclude this lesson.

And thus we see a serious sin in David’s life.  It was very serious, but God’s grace IS greater and can forgive us (cf. Romans 5:20-21) when our heart is right.  David’s failings do not change the fact that he was a man after God’s own heart.  That is seen not only in what he does, but how he responded when he failed.

What about you?  Is your heart right with God?  If not, know that this sad account did not have a totally hopeless ending.  There were consequences but there was also forgiveness with genuine repentance.  If you have sin in your life, go to God and take care of it.  Then TAKE CARE OF IT!  If there is any way we can help you, let us!  Think about it!