12:1-31

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2Sa 11:1-20:26

CONFLICTS IN DAVID’S FAMILY

David takes Bathsheba as wife

(2Sa 11:1-12:31)

While the Israelite army was out fighting another battle against Ammon, David, back in Jerusalem, committed a series of sins that brought him sorrow and trouble for the rest of his life.

To begin with, he was guilty of sexual immorality with Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, one of David’s top soldiers (2Sa 11:1-5; cf. 2Sa 23:39).

On discovering that Bathsheba was pregnant, David thought of a plan to cover up his sin. He recalled Uriah from the battle and sent him home to sleep with Bathsheba, hoping that this would make people think that Uriah was the cause of Bathsheba’s pregnancy.

But Uriah refused to go near his wife (2Sa 11:6-13). David therefore sent Uriah back to the battle and arranged for him to be killed during the fighting (2Sa 11:14-17).

After waiting for confirmation from the battlefield that Uriah was dead (2Sa 11:18-25), David took Bathsheba into his palace as a royal wife (2Sa 11:26-27).

David was unaware that anyone in the palace knew of his sin. But Nathan knew, and he trapped David by seeking his judgment in a case where a rich sheep-owner stole and killed a poor man’s pet lamb to provide food for his own meal.

As expected, David condemned the guilty person (2Sa 12:1-6).

Nathan pointed out that David had condemned himself. In punishment for his murder of Uriah, his own family would be torn apart by murder.

In punishment for his adultery with Bathsheba, his own family would be morally disgraced in the eyes of all Israel (2Sa 11:7-12).

In genuine sorrow David confessed his sins to God (see Ps. 51:1-19) and God graciously pardoned him. But that did not remove the distress that David would suffer as a result of his sins (2Sa 11:13-14).

(For the fulfilment of the judgments announced by Nathan see 2Sa 13:10-19,28-33; 16:21-22; 18:9-15,31-33; 1 Kings 2:13-15; 2 Kings 11:1-2.)

When the child born to David and Bathsheba became sick, David prayed earnestly for it. But the child died, as Nathan had foretold (2Sa 11:15-18).

David accepted what had happened and realized it was part of God’s judgment upon him (2Sa 11:19-23).

Some time later another son, Solomon, was born to David and Bathsheba (2Sa 11:24-25).

The story now returns to the battle with the Ammonites in Rabbah that had provided David with the opportunity for his misdeeds (see 2Sa 11:1,7,15). The Israelites had captured Rabbah’s most strongly defended area and cut off the city’s water supply.

They could now easily take the whole city, and Joab called David down from Jerusalem to have the honour of leading the triumphal entry. David became king of Ammon and forced the Ammonites to work for Israel (2Sa 11:26-31).