In David’s darkest spiritual hour, he committed adultery with Bathsheba and killed her husband, Uriah (2 Samuel 11:1-27). While it is hard to understand how a man who had been so faithful to God could fall so incredibly far, consider that David’s sin was not one, but many.
David should have been on the battlefield. In the first verse of 2 Samuel 11, we learn that instead of leading the army into battle, “David sent Joab…but David stayed at Jerusalem” (2 Samuel 11:1). From the beginning, David was not where he should have been.
David then sinned with Bathsheba. In verse 2, we read that David “saw a woman bathing” and that she was “very beautiful in appearance” (2 Samuel 11:2). This was more than an accidental glance in Bathsheba’s direction; David looked and “saw” enough to recognize her beauty and to sinfully lust. He then continued down that path by sending for her and committing adultery with her.
David next tried to hide his sins. David worked desperately to keep his sins a secret and to avoid the consequences of his wrongdoing with Bathsheba. He deceptively called Bathsheba’s faithful and innocent husband home from battle and then ultimately had him and other soldiers murdered.
The events of 2 Samuel 11 reveal to us the weaknesses of David, the power of temptation, and soul threatening dangers of sin. Instead of humbly repenting, David chose to sin again and again.
Matt Langfield