2 Samuel 11
Bible Passage: 2 Samuel 11
David and Bathesheba.
Whatever good things that David did before and after… this chapter remains a big blot in his life. He will always be remembered for this rash, careless and murderous act. It is also through this incident that gives us an idea what true repentance is all about in the subsequent chapter.
Whenever we are at this chapter, we tend to focus on the lust and adultery of David, followed by his devious murderous plot. However, today I would like to focus on just one word…
“Send”
The tragic events here can be characterized by the word “send”.
David sent someone to inquire about Bathsheba, exercising his ight as king.
He sent again, to bring her to the palace in a clear misuse of his power.
Bathesheba sent David a message about her pregnancy, and he was forced to deal with the effects of his own sin.
David sent a decree to Joab, who sent Uriah into a dangerous battlefield position.
David repeatedly sent and took.
Ultimately, God would send and David had no choice but to yield to God (2 Sam 12).
Abuse of God given power is a root cause of many social, political and personal problems today. This is not just seen in our homes, neighbourhood or country, it is also seem globally.
Whether the scenario involves trans-national corporations raping a country of its natural resources, or a crooked landlord oppressing tenants, or a corrupt government allowing bribery and embezzling of a nation’s wearlth, the results are tragic.
We are very lucky we do not see, whether first hand or second hand, children and families living around us existing well below a healthy standard of living. But when you have travelled quite a fair bit like myself, you can appreciate the God given peace and stability we have here.
But reading this passage of sending causes me to pause and think for a while….the way we ourselves use power reflects either our faithfulness to God or our treason against Him.
No matter how close we live to God, no matter how much responsibliy we have been given in His church, we to are vulnerable to falling.
It is so easy to fall into the trap of being like David who could get things done simply by giving directions and having them carried out. David was now in the position where he had men like Joab to carry out his work. He was no longer actively working, planning and fighting.
Have you ever seen stagnant water? Of course we do… and in Singapore, there are loads of campaigns to remind us to empty pails and not leave water stagnant. Why? Cause mosquitoes will breed… just like stagnation breeds corruption.
And when we are in the position of power and state of self-contentment, we can get careless in our life of faith.
Looking around the church today, I find that many of the active members in the past no longer have the same zeal, fervour that they once had in serving and loving the Lord. They no longer involve themselves in many of the activities in the church, prefering to leave it for others to do. And I find that I am also one of them.
But today’s passage reminds me of the dangers of doing that… cause the less we are involve in God’s things, the more vulnerable we are to committing sins against God. Are we complacent and stagnant in our faith? Cause David’s complacency led him to have a careless relationship with God…. and we know where that led him.
We must never take the grace of God for granted.
How do you know you are becoming careless in your relationship with God? When you find yourself praying less, reading the Bible less, spending less time with God and for God…. then we are becoming more careless in our faith in God.
I am not sure about David’s relationship with God at this moment of the story, but this was the David that wrote “I will hide Thy Word in my heart that I might not sin against Thee” (Psalm 119:11).
We are often reminded we do not fall accidentally into SIN. We gradually inch our way to sin.
David’s sin started off with a compromise and willful action. Then one compromise led to another… and before he knew it. he was deep in the dredges of sin.
May God help us today as we learn to walk the path of being a faithful servant of His.
One Comment
PS
The righteousness of Uriah, a Hittite, surpassed the righteousness of David, an Israelite (2 Sam 11:9, 11 and 13).
There were not many details about Uriah. i hope that Uriah was circumcised, so that he could see God, his light. (Uriah means God is light).
2 Sam 11:2 …David saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold.
Was Bathsheba more beautiful than David’s wives? It didn’t really matter. At that moment, David gave way to the lust of his eyes and the lust of his flesh.
What was on Bathsheba’s mind through the whole event?
2 Sam 11:4 :
Then David sent messengers, and took her,
and she came to him,
and he lay with her,
for she was cleansed from her impurity;
and she returned to her house.
Not sure what to make out of the few lines on Bathsheba:
– she came to him: did she doll up herself before coming to David? Or worse she came to David with a willing heart.
– for she was cleansed from her impurity: but she was tainted in her spirituality and modesty.
– she returned to her house: why was it not that she returned to her husband’s house? May be bec the matrimonial home was breached and lost.
Marriage is instituted by God. Adultery is not.
2 Tim 2:21 Therefore if anyone cleanses himself from the latter, he will be a vessel for honour, sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work.
In church, i see exemplary brethren who faithfully cleanse themselves from dishonour, indeed they are sanctified and useful for the Master, prepared for every good work. When Lord Jesus sees them from heaven, He’ll be pleased.
Bathsheba was cleansed from physical impurity, but she dishonoured God.
Lord Jesus cleanses us with His blood. Are we alive daily to God by the death of Lord Jesus on us (Rom 6:9-11)?