David's Adultery with Bathsheba

David's men were out fighting and he stayed behind. One late afternoon or early evening David walked on the palace roof and noticed a woman bathing. When the temptation arose, David did not resist it, but descended from the roof with the determination to bring the evil thoughts of his heart into action. It was the tempter who had suggested the sin, and David should have turned him aside with a "Get thee behind me, Satan" (Mark 8:33). Instead, he listened to the seducer, and obeyed the voice of Satan instead of the voice of God. He discover the woman is Bathsheba.

Her father was one of David's "mighty men" at arms, and Bath—sheba was the granddaughter of Ahithophel, the well—known counselor of David and Absalom (2 Sam. 15:12, 31). She is also married to Uriah the Hittite. The name of Uriah, like that of Eliam, appears in the list of David's greatest heroes (ch. 23:39). Everything indicates that Uriah was a brave soldier and a man of upright character. The Hittites as a people were warlike and brave. David's offense was particularly grievous since Bath—sheba was a married woman and her husband was one of David's most noble and trusted officers, a man of an alien race who had been brought in contact with the religion of the true God.

David sent for her. Bath—sheba was beautiful, and she was not beyond temptation. Possibly she was flattered by the overtures made to her by the king, and yielded herself to David without resistance, though Nathan's parable of a lamb "taken away" from the owner might indicate otherwise. Later she sent a note to David. The information was necessary both for her own and David's safety and for the king's honor. Both parties in the case of adultery were to be punished by death (Lev. 20:10) hence to escape the penalty, the guilty would naturally seek to conceal the sin. Bath—sheba turned to David for help. If Uriah discovered that his wife was with child by David, he might avenge himself by taking the lives of both David and Bath—sheba, or by inciting the nation to revolt because of such a disgraceful deed on the part of the king.

David's sin brought him into desperate straits. Concealment by deceit seemed to offer a hope of escape. Instead of humbly confessing his sin and relying upon divine mercy and guidance, David took matters into his own hand, only to find that he was adding sin to sin, and was constantly bringing himself into greater difficulties. As an important and trusted officer, Uriah would be well acquainted with the course of the war. David now sent for him as if to inquire for details concerning the course of the siege, and particularly concerning the conduct of Joab, as if he were desirous of some confidential report regarding the commander in chief. The degrading falsehood and dissimulation to which David stooped in the hope of concealing his sin reveals the results of a course of evil.

David tried to convince Uriah to go home and sleep with his wife. The plan did not work and David later sends a message through Uriah to Joab to urge Uriah to enter the heat of the battle and then pull back so that he would die, which is what happened. David then marries Bathsheba. Nathan the prophet later confronts David who repents. But the child dies anyway.