The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 46, David Informed Of Amnon's Murder/Absalom Flees Across The Jordan River

In our last session we found Absalom ordering his men to kill his half-brother Amnon during a feast to which he had invited Amnon. Absalom's men obeyed his command, striking Amnon down and sending all of Absalom's other brothers fleeing in terror. This is where we pick up our study today.

David's sons are on their way to the palace in Jerusalem but before they can get there, a rumor reaches him that every one of his sons is dead. This is an example of why the expression exists that, "Bad news travels fast." This particular bad news is not true news but it reaches David before his sons do. "While they were on their way, the report came to David: 'Absalom has struck down all the king's sons; not one of them is left.' The king stood up, tore his clothes and lay down on the ground; and all his attendants stood by him with their clothes torn." (2 Samuel 13:30-31) Another expression you may be familiar with is, "Prostrate with grief." David is literally prostrate with grief. He cannot react to such terrible news in any way other than to lie facedown on the floor, weeping. His attendants don't know anything to do except to share in his grief and provide the comforting support of their close presence.

While David lies prostrate on the floor, he receives another message that corrects the first message. Amnon's advisor Jonadab, who is David's nephew, arrives with an eye-witness account of the event. "But Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother, said, 'My lord should not think that they killed all the princes; only Amnon is dead. This has been Absalom's express intention ever since the day Amnon raped his sister Tamar. My lord the king should not be concerned about the report that all the king's sons are dead. Only Amnon is dead.'" (2 Samuel 13:32-33) 

Jonadab bears a great deal of the blame for this whole situation. He is the very one, earlier in our chapter, who advised Amnon to arrange to be alone with Tamar. Jonadab didn't come right out and advise Amnon to rape Tamar but that's what was implied by his instructions. We can hardly imagine Jonadab thought Tamar---virtuous virgin daughter of the king---could be seduced into going to bed with her half-brother. He had to have known Amnon would need to force himself upon her in order to lie with her. What did Jonadab think the outcome of such a thing would be? That the king would agree to a marriage between Amnon and Tamar? Possibly, for although it was against the law in Leviticus for half-siblings to marry, Jonadab knew David would have made an exception if, upon finding out Amnon had already slept with Tamar, he was asked to make an exception. Allowing the marriage would have given Tamar the dignity of a married woman and the status of the wife of the presumed future king of Israel. In addition, it would have ensured that if a child was conceived during the sexual encounter it would not be born outside of marriage. 

So when Jonadab sinfully suggested that Amnon should arrange to be alone with Tamar, he may have thought marriage with Tamar is what Amnon wanted since he had stated, "I'm in love with her." I do not think Jonadab foresaw Amnon throwing Tamar out of his house and refusing to ever see her again after raping her. I don't think Jonadab foresaw David not making Amnon marry her, or Absalom harboring a murderous hatred toward Amnon, or Absalom ordering Amnon killed two years after the event occurred. But Jonadab is not blameless by any means; David just doesn't know about his part in this terrible tragedy. Because Jonadab is aware of his guilt, he tries to place everyone's attention firmly on Absalom by saying, "He's plotted this all along! Ever since the day Amnon raped Tamar, Absalom has intended to kill him. This is premeditated murder. But at least you have the comfort, my king, of knowing that only Amnon is dead. All your other sons are alive and well." 

If Jonadab had truly known or suspected that Absalom was plotting Amnon's death, it would have been his duty to bring the plot to the attention of his employer and to the attention of his king. But he never had any inkling such a plot was afoot. In the first days, weeks, or even months after Amnon raped Tamar, the household may have been on high alert to any threats from Absalom, but after two full years no one was on high alert anymore. If they had been, Amnon would not have accepted Absalom's invitation to attend his feast. Jonadab is trying to deflect any attention from his own part in this matter by focusing everyone's attention on Absalom's guilt and also (without coming out and saying it) by making David feel guilty for not taking charge of the situation when Amnon raped Tamar. David does bears a great deal of responsibility for the events of today's text, for if he had taken charge of the situation and made Amnon marry Tamar according to the law we previously studied in Deuteronomy, Amnon would still be alive and well. In addition, Absalom would not be living in exile, which is where he will be for the next three years. "Meanwhile, Absalom had fled." (2 Samuel 13:34a)

"Now the man standing watch looked up and saw many people on the road west of him, coming down the side of the hill. The watchman went and told the king, 'I see men in the direction of Horonaim, on the side of the hill.' Jonadab said to the king, 'See, the king's sons have come; it has happened just as your servant said.' As he finished speaking, the king's sons came in, wailing loudly. The king, too, and all his attendants wept very bitterly. Absalom fled and went to Talmai son of Ammihud, the king of Geshur. But King David mourned many days for his son." (2 Samuel 13:34b-37) Talmai, the king of Geshur, is Absalom's grandfather on his mother's side. We were told in 2 Samuel 3:3 that Absalom's mother, Maakah, was the daughter of Talmai, the king of Geshur. 

It is not completely certain who the Geshurites were. Many scholars believe they were an Aramean tribe. Their territory lay east of the Jordan River, within the region Moses agreed to give to the tribe of Reuben, the tribe of Gad, and half the tribe of Manasseh. Joshua 13:13 tells us that the Israelites did not drive the Geshurites out of their portion of the promised land but that they co-existed with them instead. This explains why David was friendly enough with the king of Geshur to have married a princess of Geshur. This marriage was likely more of a political match rather than a romantic match. Nevertheless, when Absalom commits a capital crime and is afraid of being arrested and executed for it, he flees to the capital city of Geshur (generally believed to be the city known as Bethsaida in the Bible) for asylum where he is protected by King Talmai. Excavations of Bethsaida have shown the walls to have been at least six feet thick---too thick to break through, thick enough for large numbers of armed soldiers to have stood on top of them to defend the city from invaders. Talmai was in a good position to prevent anyone from coming to his city to take his grandson away by force, which David has no intention of doing, as we'll see shortly.

"After Absalom fled and went to Geshur, he stayed there three years. And King David longed to go to Absalom, for he was consoled concerning Amnon's death." (2 Samuel 13:38-39) David has, in a sense, lost two sons. Amnon is dead and Absalom is living across the Jordan where David cannot see him or talk with him. If any other man had killed the crown prince of Israel, we can be sure a warrant would have been issued for his arrest. A bounty would have been on his head. But David, likely due to his own guilt in this tragic tale along with the fact that he is the father of the guilty party, does not charge Absalom with premeditated murder and issue a warrant for his arrest. Instead he longs to see him. He mourns for him almost as much as for the dead Amnon---more perhaps, for after three years have passed his grief for this deceased son is not as sharp. He has also, perhaps, had to acknowledge Amnon's many shortcomings to which he willfully blinded himself while Amnon was still alive. Amnon was not a good man. The nation would not have fared well under Amnon's leadership had he become king someday. Sad as David is to have lost this son, I think he can't help realizing that Amnon did not have the best character for leading the nation, leading the army, or leading the family. 

Join us tomorrow as we take a more detailed look at the complicated dynamics at work in David's family and discuss his reasons for doing---or not doing---certain things to remedy the family dysfunction.

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 45, David's Son Absalom Murders His Half-Brother Amnon

We learned in Thursday's study that David did nothing when he found out his son Amnon had made his half-sister Tamar go to bed with him. The Bible told us David was "furious" but we aren't told that he said or did a thing to his eldest son and heir-apparent to the throne. Several times over the past few days we've looked at what the law said about a man like Amnon: he owed the woman's father fifty shekels of silver as a bride price, and if the father was willing to have him as a son-in-law he had to marry the woman and could never divorce her. If the father didn't want the man in his family, the payment of the silver was still required as both a hefty financial penalty for his wrongdoing and in recognition that the father may now be unable to find a husband for his daughter; in that case the father would be supporting his daughter in his own household as long as he lives. The silver would help offset the cost of that. 

David had a duty to take action, not only as the king of Israel but as Amnon's and Tamar's father. His son dishonored his daughter, which is a deplorable thing, but David could have restored her honor by making Amnon marry her immediately. In the list of forbidden unions contained in the book of Leviticus, siblings and half-siblings were forbidden to marry each other, but under the circumstances it would be better to break that law in order to correct a wrong done to Tamar when an even bigger law was broken by her brother. A marriage between the two of them doesn't mean they'd have to maintain a physical or emotional relationship with each other if they didn't want to but the law required Amnon to support her for the rest of his life. As the crown prince of Israel, he can well afford to support her along with any other wives and concubines he would have taken in the future. According to our text yesterday, the Bible appears to indicate that Tamar remained unmarried for the rest of her life and was supported financially by her brother Absalom. People in Tamar's day felt sorry for women who remained unmarried and at least, if David had made Amnon marry her, she would not have had to endure anyone's pitying stares whenever she went out in public. Plus, if David had enforced the law against Amnon, it would have shown Amnon that he is not above the law and that there are consequences for doing wrong.

Because David did nothing, Tamar's full brother Absalom decides to do something. He intends to avenge his sister's honor no matter how long he has to wait for an opportunity to do so. The opportunity comes along two years later, after Amnon thinks his crime has been swept under the rug. You may have heard the expression, "Revenge is a dish best served cold," and that's how Absalom is going to serve it to Amnon. No one in the family, least of all Amnon, suspects a plot against his life. "Two years later, when Absalom's sheepshearers were at Baal Hazor near the border of Ephraim, he invited all the king's sons to come there. Absalom went to the king and said, 'Your servant has had shearers come. Will the king and his attendants please join me?'" (2 Samuel 13:23-24) Sheepshearing was a festive time, much like harvest time. A man would call together all his servants and all his family members and there would be a huge feast to celebrate the wool harvest. Absalom is inviting David and the members of his household to a party. 

David declines the invitation for himself and his household, stating that they are too many in number for Absalom to comfortably put them up for several days and that it would be too great of an expense for Absalom to feed so many. "'No, my son,' the king replied. 'All of us should not go; we would only be a burden to you.' Although Absalom urged him, he still refused to go but gave his blessing." (2 Samuel 13:25) Did Amnon know David would decline his invitation? I think it's very likely he did. It could be that David had declined the invitation in previous years or it could be that Absalom knew David would not do anything to cause any of his sons extra expense or extra trouble. If Absalom believed David would not come to the sheepshearing, then the invitation he extends is just part of his plan to get Amnon within his clutches, for when David declines the invitation for himself and his household, Absalom then suggests that Amnon attend the feast in David's place. "Then Absalom said, 'If not, please let my brother Amnon come with us.'" (2 Samuel 13:26a) As David's heir-apparent, it was probably quite common for Amnon to act as a stand-in for him. Amnon would have been learning the business of being king and would sometimes have handled business affairs and social affairs on David's behalf.

To anyone other than David, Absalom's request for Amnon to attend in his place would have seemed normal. But even though two years have passed without Absalom avenging his sister's honor, David fears there is still bad blood between the two men. He wants to know why Absalom wants Amnon to be present at the feast. "The king asked him, 'Why should he go with you?' But Absalom urged him, so he sent with him Amnon and the rest of the king's sons." (2 Samuel 13:26b-27) David sends all of his sons with Absalom, not just Amnon. It may be that he feared an altercation would break out between the two men, so he sends all his sons along to help keep the atmosphere civil. Or it could be he didn't want his other sons to feel slighted by not being invited, so he sends them all. Some scholars think Absalom requested the presence of all of his brothers, not just Amnon, so it wouldn't seem suspicious that he wants Amnon to attend. However, the Bible only mentions him specifically inviting Amnon. 

Absalom sets the stage for his brother's murder. "Absalom ordered his men, 'Listen! When Amnon is in high spirits from drinking wine and I say to you, 'Strike Amnon down,' then kill him. Don't be afraid. Haven't I given you this order? Be strong and brave.'" (2 Samuel 13:28) We don't know how Amnon felt about being invited to this feast. I do not think he had any inkling whatsoever that his life was in danger but he may have expected a very strained atmosphere due to how he treated Absalom's sister. But David tells him and the other brothers to go and he goes, perhaps only out of a sense of duty. After he's had a big meal and has drunk several glasses of wine, he's feeling merry and relaxed. He's let his guard down regarding any fears he may have harbored about getting into a verbal or physical fight with Absalom. That's when Absalom orders his men to strike. "So Absalom's men did to Amnon what Absalom had ordered. Then all the king's sons got up, mounted their mules and fled." (2 Samuel 13:29) 

The other brothers flee this scene of violence. They may think Absalom, who is third in line for the throne according to birth order, intends to kill them all so he alone will have any claim to the kingship when David dies. Or it could be that they simply panic when Absalom's men fall upon Amnon and cut him down and, horrified by this unexpected bloodshed, they automatically react by fleeing in shock. 

Tomorrow we'll find David being advised of the death of his firstborn son and presumed heir to his throne. Just as he took no action against Amnon for raping Tamar, he takes no action against Absalom for plotting for two years to murder his brother and then carrying out his plans. What exactly David should have done to Absalom I cannot say since there are several extenuating circumstances at work here, but I think he realizes his failure to discipline Amnon led to Absalom's festering, ever-growing hatred for his half-brother. Faced with the fact that he could have done something to prevent things from going this far, David mourns his broken relationship with Absalom (for Absalom will flee the area) more than he mourns the death of his eldest son.

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 44, David's Family Becomes Even More Dysfunctional

In Wednesday's study we found Amnon raping his half-sister Tamar. He pretended to be sick and, in the manner of one who is used to having his every whim indulged, insisted on having his sister Tamar come over to cook food for him and serve it to him in his room. He threw his servants out of the house in a feigned attitude of irritation at them so she would not be able to call to anyone for help, then he grabbed her and forced himself upon her. Now that he has had his way with her, he is through with her. "Then Amnon hated her with intense hatred. In fact, he hated her more than he had loved her. Amnon said to her, 'Get up and get out!'" (2 Samuel 13:15) 

Earlier in Chapter 13 Amnon described his feelings for Tamar as "love" to his advisor Jonadab. But love is not cruel and violent. Love is patient and kind, has no wish to dishonor anyone, is not self-seeking, and takes no delight in doing evil. (1 Corinthians 13:4-7) Amnon was only "in lust" with Tamar and now that his lust is satisfied he wants her gone. 

Why does he hate her, though? I've puzzled over this a lot and I asked my husband about it to get a man's perspective. He doesn't know, not being a man who would do such as thing as Amnon did, but the only conclusion that comes close to feeling right to us is that Tamar's presence reminds Amnon of his sin. He can't stand the sight of her now because he can't stand to think about what he's done. He knows he committed a terrible crime against this innocent woman. He has a gnawing sense of guilt over it. Deep down, it's probably himself he hates, but that's a difficult feeling to live with so he projects this hatred onto Tamar instead.

Tamar protests his orders to leave his house. "'No!' she said to him. 'Sending me away would be a greater wrong than what you have already done to me.'" (2 Samuel 13:16a) We studied yesterday the Old Testament law that says a man who does what Amnon has done must pay the young woman's father the steep bride price of fifty shekels of silver and then he must marry her and can never divorce her for any reason. If the woman's father does not want the man to marry his daughter, the man still owes the fifty shekels of silver because her father may be unable to arrange a marriage for her with someone else. When Tamar protests being sent away, she is insisting upon being granted her rights under the law. But Amnon doesn't want to marry her. He wants to sweep this whole incident under the rug as if it never happened and he doesn't care how that will affect her. "But he refused to listen to her. He called his personal servant and said, 'Get this woman out of my sight and bolt the door after her.' So his servant put her out and bolted the door after her. She was wearing an ornate robe, for this was the kind of garment the virgin daughters of the king wore. Tamar put ashes on her head and tore the ornate robe she was wearing. She put her hands on her head and went away, weeping aloud as she went." (2 Samuel 13:16b-19) 

We learned in yesterday's text that Amnon lived in his own separate house and Tamar lived at the palace, or at least that's where she was when David sent for her. Upon being thrown out of Amnon's house, she goes to her full brother Absalom, perhaps thinking he will take the situation in hand and make Amnon do as the law requires. Many scholars speculate that she goes to her brother Absalom instead of to her father David because she can't count on David being strict with Amnon. Amnon is David's eldest son and presumed heir to the throne; David has likely been in the habit of fawning over Amnon and giving him everything his heart desires. When Tamar appears at Absalom's house with holes torn in her robe and ashes on her head as a sign of grief and mourning, he immediately suspects what has happened. "Her brother Absalom said to her, 'Has that Amnon, your brother, been with you?'" (2 Samuel 13:20a)

Why does he immediately know what has happened? Perhaps he was aware that Tamar had been called to Amnon's house to minister to him in his supposed illness. But no doubt Absalom expected the presence of Amnon's many servants to be a deterrent to any lewd behavior on Amnon's part. It probably didn't occur to him that Amnon would throw all of the servants out of the house so there would be no one to come to Tamar's aid. He wouldn't have expected Amnon to send everyone out of the house because that would look suspicious and he didn't think his brother would be so bold or so careless as to have it widely known that he arranged to be alone with Tamar to have his way with her. Some of the commentaries I consulted suggest that Amnon had a reputation for sexually harassing women and that, as soon as Absalom saw the terrible state his sister was in, he instantly knew Amnon had lost control of himself and had violated her. 

What will Absalom do about this shocking situation? Will he march over to his elder half-brother's house and demand that he obey the law? Or will he go to the palace and place this case before David and ask for satisfaction from the law? He very well may have gone to David, since as we conclude today's passage we find David being aware of the incident, but Absalom doesn't confront Amnon himself. The first thing he does is comfort Tamar as best he knows how. He says, "Be quiet for now, my sister; he is your brother. Don't take this thing to heart." (2 Samuel 13:20b) He reminds her that she is the innocent party and has nothing to feel ashamed about. She can go out in public with her head held high, as she always did before, knowing she has always been and still is a virtuous woman. Absalom places Tamar under his care and invites her to live full time in his household where he will provide for her. "And Tamar lived in her brother Absalom's house, a desolate woman." (2 Samuel 13:20c) I assume that the use of the word "desolate" means "unmarried". I don't know whether her family never sought a husband for her or if a good match could not be made for her after she was attacked by Amnon. You would think, though, that even in an era when men preferred to marry virgins (whether or not the men themselves were virgins---a double-standard, in other words) becoming son-in-law to the king would have been an attractive prospect. I have doubts that it would have been impossible to arrange a suitable marriage for Tamar when you consider that a number of men might have jumped at the chance to become a member of the royal family, at least after enough time had passed to be certain Tamar wasn't carrying Amnon's child. It may be that Tamar never wanted to marry after this traumatizing experience.

Absalom does nothing right away to avenge his sister's honor, with the possible exception of going to his father with this awful news. He likely expected David to take action, as it was more his place than anyone's as their father and as their king. David is enraged by the news but does nothing to remedy the situation. "When King David heard all this, he was furious. And Absalom never said a word to Amnon, either good or bad; he hated Amnon because he had disgraced his sister Tamar." (2 Samuel 13:21-22) I think David feels immobilized by the guilt of his own sexual sins, which are really no secret to his family, to his servants, and to many citizens of the nation. I think when he pictures himself judging Amnon for his crime and ordering him to do for Tamar what the law commands, he feels like a hypocrite. He feels guilty for not having set a good example for his sons to follow when it comes to sexual matters. But in not taking action, David is compounding his errors of the past by allowing them to keep him from doing what's right today. His sons know about his sin of adultery but they also know he repented of that sin. They know he hasn't committed it again (nor will he, apparently, because the Bible never mentions another incident of that nature). 

What he could have done is arranged a father-and-son meeting to first apologize to Amnon for not setting a godly example for him to follow. He could have acknowledged his mistakes as a father while also reminding his son that he endured a great deal of grief and unpleasant consequences as a result of those mistakes. He could have reminded Amnon that he repented of adultery and is still sorry, to this very day, for ever doing such a thing. David has a duty as the father of Amnon and Tamar to take control of this situation and turn it around. He has a duty as the king of Israel to see to it that the laws of the land are enforced. If a father in Israel had come into his court and accused a man of raping his daughter, and if that accusation appeared to be true based on the testimony of everyone involved and based on any circumstantial evidence that existed, we can be sure that David would have enforced the law of the land against the perpetrator of the crime. The guilty man would have been ordered to pay the fifty shekels of silver to the woman's father and, if the father was willing to have the man as a son-in-law, a wedding would have taken place right away. If the father was not willing to have the man as a son-in-law, the guilty party would still have to pay the woman's father the fifty shekels of silver to restore honor to the family and to offset the potential cost of the father having to support her for the rest of his life. 

But David says and does nothing to Amnon. Absalom says and does nothing to Amnon---for now. But he will take action when an opportunity presents itself. He will have his half-brother Amnon, crown prince of Israel, killed for his crime against Tamar. And because Absalom is so disappointed in his father's failure to step up as a father and a king, he will later campaign against David in an effort to usurp the throne.

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 43, David's Son Amnon Violates His Half-Sister Tamar

We learned yesterday that David's firstborn son Amnon is obsessed with his half-sister Tamar. He's been trying to figure out a way he can be alone with her so he can make sexual advances toward her. Today his adviser tells him to pretend to be sick so Tamar will come over and cook for him. Tamar will not suspect that Amnon has any dishonorable intentions toward her and will, out of the kindness of her heart, be happy to help her sick brother.

"Now Amnon had an adviser named Jonadab son of Shimeah, David's brother. Jonadab was a very shrewd man. He asked Amnon, 'Why do you, the king's son, look so haggard morning after morning? Won't you tell me?'" (2 Samuel 13:3-4a) Shimeah is David's third oldest brother according to 1 Samuel 16:9 and 1 Chronicles 2:13. Jonadab is likely quite a few years older than his cousin Amnon since David is the youngest of seven sons. Shimeah may have already been a married man with children when we first met the teenaged David in 1 Samuel 16. We know for certain that Shimeah was serving in King Saul's army in 1 Samuel 17 which means he had to be at least twenty. So there is enough difference in Jonadab's and Amnon's ages for Jonadab to be considered qualified to give advice to the younger man. This doesn't mean Jonadab's advice is good but I think one reason Amnon accepts his bad advice in today's text is because it's coming from a man with more life experience than he has. The main reason he accepts the advice, however, is because it suits him. It will get him what he wants. 

The author of 2 Samuel tells us Jonadab is shrewd. He knows something is troubling his master and he wants to be of valuable service to him. He may hope to be richly rewarded for coming up with a solution to the mysterious problem which Amnon has refused to reveal to him for a number of days. Jonadab resorts to flattery to entice the young man into blurting out his secret. He says something like, "Why should you, of all people, be unhappy? You are the firstborn son of the king of Israel, the heir-apparent to the throne! Your future could not be brighter. What do you lack that's causing you to look so downhearted? Tell me what it is and I'll get it for you. The crown prince of Israel should not have to go without anything that would make his happiness full!"

I can't help picturing Amnon mumbling his answer to Jonadab. He may expect the other man to disapprove of him or chastise him when he admits his secret. "Amnon said to him, 'I'm in love with Tamar, my brother Absalom's sister.'" (2 Samuel 13:4a) 

Yesterday we looked at the portion of Leviticus that forbids sexual relations between siblings and between half-siblings. If Tamar had not been Amnon's half-sister, a marriage between him and the object of his affections would have already been arranged for him. But Amnon knows it isn't lawful for him to marry his half-sister (not that marriage is really what's on his mind) and he has kept his obsession with her a secret until now, ashamed of it. But Jonadab doesn't react the way he expected. Amnon probably thought he'd say, "Oh, forget her, man! You know this relationship cannot be. What's so special about Tamar, anyway? You're the heir-apparent to the throne and any single girl in the nation would give her eyeteeth to be your wife. In fact, you can have as many wives and concubines as you please; doesn't your father have a number of wives and concubines? Why keep thinking about Tamar? I can help you find ten women more beautiful than her!" But instead of Jonadab encouraging him to put his ideas about Tamar out of his head, he encourages him into sin. "'Go to bed and pretend to be ill,' Jonadab said. 'When your father comes to see you, say to him, 'I would like my sister Tamar to come and give me something to eat. Let her prepare the food in my sight so I may watch her and then eat it from her hand.'" (2 Samuel 13:5)

"So Amnon lay down and pretended to be ill. When the king came to see him, Amnon said to him, 'I would like my sister Tamar to come and make some special bread in my sight, so I may eat from her hand.' David sent word to Tamar at the palace: 'Go to the house of your brother Amnon and prepare some food for him.' So Tamar went to the house of her brother Amnon, who was lying down. She took some dough, kneaded it, made the bread in his sight and baked it. Then she took the pan and served him the bread, but he refused to eat." (2 Samuel 13:6-9a) Amnon lives in his own residence, separate from the palace. He has servants of his own who could have baked him some bread but, like a whiny child, he demands that a particular person come and bake him a particular bread. David indulges him. I think the family is in the habit of indulging him and that's why nothing seems suspicious about him specifically asking for Tamar to come over and bake the bread. Some translations use the word "cake" instead of "bread" and it may be that Tamar is known for having an especially delicious cake recipe. If that's the case then perhaps Amnon behaves as if, in his "illness", the only thing that appeals to him is a few bites of her famous cake.

Amnon won't taste the cake while his servants are in the house. He puts on a show of acting irritable with their presence in the house, as if in his illness they are getting on his nerves. Then he pretends to feel too unwell to sit at the table and retires to his room where he instructs Tamar to bring the food. "'Send everyone out of here,' Amnon said. So everyone left him. Then Amnon said to Tamar, 'Bring the food here into my bedroom so I may eat from your hand.' And Tamar took the bread she had prepared and brought it to her brother Amnon in his bedroom. But when she took it to him to eat, he grabbed her and said, 'Come to bed with me, my sister.'" (2 Samuel 13:9b-11) Tamar would not have allowed herself to be alone in a house with any man who is not her relative. She would not have gone into the private bedchamber of any man who is not her relative. There is nothing immoral about her being in the house alone with her half-brother. There is nothing immoral about her carrying food into the bedroom of her half-brother. She has no idea he harbors anything but brotherly feelings toward her. She certainly harbors nothing but sisterly feelings toward him.

Tamar thinks she's about to hand feed a sick man. She's feeling sorry for him. She's concerned for his wellbeing. Imagine her shock when she realizes his true intentions! When he grabs her and begs her to get in bed with him, she is stunned. Such a thing never entered her mind and she tries to convince him to put it out of his mind. "'No, my brother!' she said to him. 'Don't force me! Such a thing should not be done in Israel! Don't do this wicked thing. What about me? Where could I get rid of my disgrace? And what about you? You would be like one of the wicked fools in Israel.'" (2 Samuel 13:12-13a) 

She begs him not to force her because forcing her is the only way this thing is going to happen. She is not willing to sleep with a man outside of marriage and she does not want to violate the Lord's laws regarding forbidden close-family unions. She can tell he does not want to listen to reason so she offers him an alternative to the two of them committing fornication together. "Please speak to the king; he will not keep me from being married to you." (2 Samuel 13:13b) Although the Lord has said that it is forbidden for siblings (including half siblings) to be married to each other, if Amnon will not give up on the idea of the two of them being together, David would bend the rules for his son and heir-apparent. After all, David has bent rules for himself. He is unlikely to refuse to allow Amnon to marry Tamar, for his guilt over his own unlawful sexual dalliance would make him feel like a hypocrite if he refused to let Amnon marry the woman he wants. In fact, I think David's guilt over the ungodly example he set for his children has caused him to be far too lenient with them. This lenience helped to foster an attitude of rebellion not only in Amnon but in some of David's other sons, as we'll see later in the book.

But Amnon isn't thinking about marriage. He's thinking only about sex. He's thinking only about getting his desires satisfied and getting them satisfied immediately. "But he refused to listen to her, and since he was stronger than she, he raped her." (2 Samuel 13:14) What a terrible crime this young man commits! He holds his sister down and forcibly has his way with her. He is, indeed, a "fool" as Tamar warned him he would be. In the Bible the word "fool" is used for a person who is morally and spiritually reprobate. In modern times the word has come to be used for someone lacking in common sense but in the Bible it meant far more than that: it means someone who lacks respect for God and for his fellow man.

What will happen next? Well, the law commands that he must pay her father fifty shekels of silver as a bride price and then he must marry her and never divorce her. (Deuteronomy 22:28-29) This indicates that even if she is unfaithful to him during their marriage, he is obligated to remain married to her and to support her financially for as long as he lives, for he took unfair advantage of her and removed from her the option of being married to someone who would have been a better choice. Because he besmirched her virtue, he made her less marriageable to other suitors who would have feared she might be pregnant with another man's child; they would no longer consider her an eligible bride. So we see that, according to the law, Amnon is obligated to go to David and tell him what he's done. He's supposed to pay a bride price of fifty shekels of silver, not because David needs the money as some other father of the bride might, but because it's what the law commands and because it's what an honorable suitor would do when asking for the hand of a virtuous woman in marriage. David would then be obligated to agree to the marriage to protect his daughter from the shame of perhaps bearing an illegitimate child and the shame of perhaps having to remain unmarried for the rest of her life. Even if Amnon did not go to David and do all the things the law commands, it would have been David's responsibility as a father and as the king to order Amnon to do what the law commands. 

But that's not what happens. Join us tomorrow as we learn, to our surprise, that David does nothing at all! 

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 42, Success On The Battlefield/Trouble In The Home

Something I've always said about David is that he was better at being a warrior and a king than at being a husband and a father. We'll find him being successful in leading his army but far less successful in leading the members of his own household.

The Israelites are at war with the Ammonites. David has not been out with the army for some time. Instead, in the spring when the rainy winter season was over, he sent Joab out with the troops and stayed home in Jerusalem where his idleness got him in trouble. We just finished studying the period of his life in which he slept with and impregnated a married woman (Bathsheba), tried to pass off her unborn baby as her husband's, and when that didn't work had her husband killed. Then he quickly took the woman as his own wife and pretended the child was conceived in matrimony. The child passed away soon after birth and, in the course of time, David conceived a second child with Bathsheba. While all this has been going on in Jerusalem, Joab has still been out with the army. "Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel." (2 Samuel 12:26)

It's time for David to rejoin his troops. He has repented of his sins, as we learned over the past few days, and he needs to get on with the business of commanding the army as kings did in those days. It's not good for him to remain in Jerusalem without enough to do, so Joab sends for him in a way that's guaranteed to get him to respond. This nephew of David's isn't always a trustworthy fellow. Sometimes we're going to find him acting more in his own interests than in David's. But sometimes he's a good influence on David. Sometimes he gives very wise advice. In order to break David out of the rut he's been in, and to focus his mind on something other than regrets and grief, Joab says something intended to make him take positive action. "Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, 'I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me.'" (2 Samuel 12:27-28) 

Joab doesn't need David's help. It's clear he can capture the city with the troops he has but he knows David needs to feel needed. David needs a public victory in his life after suffering several personal defeats. I think also the nation needs to see David leading the army again. Some people's confidence in him might have been shaken during his season of sin and during his sad months of mourning. They might have wondered whether he'd permanently lost his groove, so to speak. Joab's words spur David into action; he suits up in his boots and armor and marches out of Jerusalem. "So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. David took the crown from their king's head, and it was placed on his own head. It weighed a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones. David took a great quantity of plunder from the city and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brickmaking. David did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then he and his entire army returned to Jerusalem." (2 Samuel 12:29-31)

Things are going really well for David on the battlefront. But they aren't going so well on the homefront. Trouble is brewing as we arrive at Chapter 13. "In the course of time, Amnon son of David fell in love with Tamar, the beautiful sister of Absalom son of David." (2 Samuel 13:1) Amnon has fallen in love (or more accurately, in lust) with his half-sister Tamar. Amnon, David's firstborn son, was born to David's wife Ahinoam of Jezreel. (2 Samuel 3:2) Since Tamar is a full sister to David's son Absalom, we know that her mother is named Maakah and that she was the daughter of the king of Geshur. (2 Samuel 3:3) 

In ancient times it was common, particularly in royal families, for half-siblings to marry. It's believed that the royal families of ancient Egypt were heavily inbred, for example. Kings thought it solidified their claim to the throne if both they and their wives had the same father. Even Abraham, as we learned back in Genesis, was married to his half-sister. But by David's day the Israelites were forbidden to enter into this type of relationship, for the portion of the book of Leviticus dealing with unlawful relationships expressly states that siblings are not to marry and that it doesn't matter whether they are only half-siblings. (Leviticus 18:9) If the two had either the same mother or the same father, a sexual union between them was considered incestuous and unlawful. 

So we see that Amnon's feelings toward his half-sister are unlawful in nature. A sexual union between the two of them is forbidden, whether that union is inside of marriage or outside of marriage. Since sexual unions outside of marriage are forbidden by the Bible anyway, any lustful feelings Amnon has toward Tamar should have been resisted. It would have behooved him to learn from his father's mistake, for David looked at and thought about and longed for a woman with whom he could not lawfully have relations---and the looking, thinking, and longing led to him acting on his impulses. That's what's going to happen to Amnon as well. He wants what he wants and, perhaps because he is the eldest son and the heir-apparent to the throne, he may feel that the law does not apply to him. He may have the attitude that he has the right to whatever he wants. What he wants is to sleep with Tamar. He doesn't even want to do it honorably by marrying her (although this was not lawful, Tamar will say in tomorrow's text that her father would not have forbidden it). He wants to have his way with her without benefit of marriage: "Amnon became so obsessed with his sister Tamar that he made himself ill. She was a virgin, and it seemed impossible for him to do anything to her." (2 Samuel 13:2) Because she is an unmarried daughter of the king, her virtue is highly protected. She is likely surrounded by a retinue of servants and guards wherever she goes. Amnon is seeking an opportunity not to marry her but to take her to his bed. That's all he has on his mind. He is not interested in "making an honest woman of her" as the saying goes. He only wants to slake his lust and move on; this will become quite clear as we move into the next portion of Chapter 13 tomorrow.

The prophet Nathan warned David that because he tore apart Uriah's home, he would have trouble in his own home from now on. Nathan's words are about to start coming true. David will never again have a peaceful home. Though he has made peace with God and repented of his sins, he is going to reap a harvest that was sown when he set an immoral example for his sons. God has forgiven him but there are natural consequences to not being all he could have been as a father.

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 41, David's Prayer Of Repentance, Part Three

Today we'll be concluding Psalm 51. This is the psalm David wrote after Nathan confronted him with his sins.

David recognizes his utter helplessness to make himself righteous in the eyes of God and he turns to the Lord who is the only source of forgiveness and righteousness. "Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow." (Psalm 51:7) There is nothing David can do to atone for his sins. He can be sorry for his sins. He can confess his sins. He can make sacrifices for his sins. But it is the Lord who accepts his repentance and pardons him for his sins, so he appeals to Him. Only the Lawgiver can forgive the transgression of His laws. 

The weight of David's sins is too heavy to bear. He's tried to ignore this crushing weight for months and can no longer take another step underneath such a burden. He knows that until things are made right between him and the Lord, there will be no true joy in his heart. The child of God can never feel satisfied with sin standing between him and God. "Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones You have crushed rejoice. Hide Your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity." (Psalm 51:8-9) David isn't asking the Lord to turn a blind eye to sin. He's asking Him to accept his repentance and to forgive and forget his sins. A later king, Hezekiah, refers to this forgiving and forgetting as the Lord casting his sins behind His back. (Isaiah 38:17b) That's what David wants when he says, "Hide Your face from my sins. Blot out all my iniquity." If you've confessed and repented of something, it's behind the Lord's back! It's not where He's looking at it and thinking about it every day. It's not something He's reminding you of or flinging into your face. It's behind Him---in the past! It's been dealt with. It's been forgiven. You will not have to stand before His judgment seat and face charges for it.

David knows he is powerless to live a perfect life. He knows that, if man is left to his own devices, he will sink further and further into sin. If man is left to his own devices, his heart will grow more wicked as time goes on. Therefore, he asks the Lord to create in him a heart that longs to do what's right. He asks the Lord to remake him, to turn his heart away from the things he finds tempting, and to turn his heart toward those things which please the Lord. "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." (Psalm 51:10)

David witnessed the heart of King Saul moving further and further away from the Lord. He saw how the Lord finally said to Saul, in a sense, "Have it your way, then." Saul hardened his heart against the pleading of the Holy Spirit for so long that the Holy Spirit apparently stopped speaking to him, for we were told in 1 Samuel 16:174 that the Spirit of the Lord had departed from Saul. David doesn't ever want to get in the same condition as Saul. He can't imagine anything worse than not being able to hear the Lord's voice anymore. "Do not cast me from Your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of Your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me." (Psalm 51:11-12)

In order to obey the Lord we have to be willing to obey the Lord. Because we are human we will still mess up from time to time no matter how willing we are to do what's right, but without a willingness to do what's right we are going to find it impossible to maintain an obedient attitude. This willingness is extremely difficult to generate on our own in our weak mortal flesh with our fallen natures. So David asks the Lord to make him willing. He goes to the Lord, who is the source of all power, and asks Him to generate this attitude of willingness toward righteous living. David recognizes in himself a willingness to do wrong but he knows the Lord is able to overpower that with a willingness to do right.

David wants to be able to set a godly example for his family, his friends, and the people of his nation. He knows he can't do that without the Lord's help. If the Lord creates in him a willing spirit to do what's right, he can encourage others to seek the Lord and obey Him. "Then I will teach transgressors Your ways, so that sinners will turn back to You. Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, You who are God my Savior, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness. Open my lips, Lord, and my mouth will declare Your praise." (Psalm 51:13-15) 

This next portion of our passage is not to be taken as an indication that David disrespects the required sacrifices of the law. He is in no way saying there's no value in bringing offerings. What he's saying is that offerings brought in the wrong spirit are meaningless. In fact, later in the Old Testament we'll find the Lord so upset by offerings brought in the wrong spirit that He'll say He wishes the people would just shut the temple doors and stop making meaningless offerings on His altar. (Malachi 1:10) What David is saying in these next verses is that no amount of offerings he could bring would mean anything if he wasn't truly sorry in his heart. "You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; You do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. My sacrifice, O God, is a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart You, God, will not despise." (Psalm 51:16-17) We'll find the Lord despising offerings later in the Old Testament---offerings that are brought by those whose hearts are far from Him. But He accepts the sacrifices of repentance and confession. Even if the penitent confessor has nothing in his hand to bring, the Lord accepts the sorrow in his heart over his sins. A person can say and do all the right things outwardly while not being right with the Lord inwardly. It's what's in the heart that matters to Him.

In closing, David asks the Lord's blessing on Israel and on the capital city of Jerusalem. He doesn't want his sins to affect more people than they already have. He loves his family, his friends, and all the citizens of his nation. He knows he set a bad example for them. He knows he let people down. Now that he has repented and confessed and has been restored to a close feeling of fellowship with the Lord, he wants to move forward and be able to do good things for his nation. He wants the nation to prosper under his leadership, not to go backwards spiritually or materially. He knows sin is capable of causing "collateral damage" to everyone around the sinner; his sins have already caused grief for other people. The final verses of Psalm 51 are about other people and not about himself. It's hard to pray for ourselves or for anyone else when we're living in disobedience, isn't it? But now that David has been restored to the joy of his salvation, he is able to pray for the people he let down while he lived in disobedience. "May it please You to prosper Zion, to build up the walls of Jerusalem. Then You will delight in the sacrifices of the righteous, in burnt offerings offered whole; then bulls will be offered on Your altar." (Psalm 51:18-19) He closes by saying, "Bless Your people and we will never fail to praise You for it!"

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 40, David's Prayer Of Repentance, Part Two

Today we'll look at more of Psalm 51 which David wrote after the prophet Nathan came to the palace and confronted him about his sins of adultery and murder.

In our last session we studied verses 1 and 2 but we'll pick back up with them today and then move forward. "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." (Psalm 51:1-2) We talked about how David comes to the Lord for mercy on the basis of who God is: loving and compassionate. David doesn't appeal to the Lord on the basis of any good things he might have done in his life. He can't, for no one is righteous enough to blot out their sins.

He continues, "For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me." (Psalm 51:3) David acknowledges his sins. He doesn't deny them or try to make excuses for them. He doesn't say, "I know I did these terrible things, but let me tell You what led me to making such poor decisions." Something I've learned about myself is that I'm in trouble when I apologize to the Lord for wrongdoing and try to add the word "but" after I tell Him what I've done. There is no "but" when confessing to God. The Holy Spirit has pointed this out to me many times so that now, as soon as the word "but" enters my mind, it's as if I hear Him saying, "No, no! There is no 'but'. There is only confession, period." 

"Against You, You only, have I sinned and done what is evil in Your sight; so You are right in Your verdict and justified when You judge." (Psalm 51:4) It's not that David didn't sin against anyone other than the Lord when he committed adultery, tried to pass off his illegitimate child as another man's, had that man killed, took that man's wife, and attempted to deceive all the people of Israel into believing he conceived the child with Bathsheba after they were married. David certainly did sin against a lot of people. But when he says he sinned against the Lord only, I think he's talking about the fact that he violated the laws of a holy God. In sinning against the people the Lord created, and in breaking the laws the Lord put in place for mankind, he acted against the Creator and the Supreme Ruler of all things. David won't face a court of law on earth for his sins. He is the king of Israel and no one is going to dare to bring any charges against him; he could pardon himself from the charges if they did. But this doesn't mean he can exonerate himself from any charges in the Lord's court. So when David prays his prayer he is, figuratively speaking, standing before the righteous Judge and agreeing with Him that he is a sinner. He agrees that the Lord's laws are good and holy. He agrees that he has broken these laws. He agrees that the Lord is within His rights if He chooses to punish him to the fullest extent of the law.

David acknowledges that he was born into a fallen world with a fallen nature and that no amount of good works on his part will make him righteous. No amount of good deeds can cancel out his sins. Only the Lord can pardon sins. But David also reminds the Lord that in spite of knowing David wouldn't be able to live a sinless life, the Lord called to him long ago. The Lord wanted a relationship with Him and the Lord created in David a desire to know Him. This is something we all can say because the Lord wants a relationship with every human being. "Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me. Yet You desired faithfulness in the womb: You taught me wisdom in that secret place." (Psalm 51:5-6) 

When we conclude our study of Psalm 51 tomorrow we'll find David admitting his utter helplessness to live a perfect life. He'll admit his inability to atone for his sins and will appeal to the only One capable of blotting out his sins. He is following the correct pattern for repentance and setting an example we can follow. 

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 39, A New Son For David/David's Prayer Of Repentance, Part One

Today we'll conclude the segment regarding the death of David's and Bathsheba's firstborn son. They will have another son together soon after the loss of the first; he will become the next king of Israel. 

In addition we will begin our look at Psalm 51 which was written after the prophet Nathan came to David to confront him with his sins of adultery and murder. This psalm is a prayer of repentance to the Lord.

As we closed yesterday's study we found David's attendants reluctantly informing him that the infant had died. They didn't want to tell him for fear he might kill himself, for he had been so distraught during the child's seven-day illness that he wouldn't get up off the ground and wouldn't eat a bite. His reaction to the news of the child's death is not what they expected. "Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. His attendants asked him, 'Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!'" (2 Samuel 12:20-21) 

They are puzzled when he gets up and begins going about the business of life again. But there is nothing else to be done. David did all he could do while he thought there was still hope for the child to recover. Now that the child has gone on to be with the Lord, David must carry out all his other responsibilities. He is still the king of Israel, he is still a husband, he is still a father, he is still an employer, and he is still the commander of the army. People are depending on him. His deceased son is in the presence of the Lord and he can do no more for him. It won't help his late son or anyone else if he gives up and quits. "He answered, 'While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.' But now that he is dead, why should I go on fasting? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me.'" (2 Samuel 12:22-23)

David displays his belief in the eternal life of the soul when he states that he will someday go to be with his son. He believes his son is with the Lord. He believes that when he himself dies, he will go to be with the Lord and will be reunited with his son. This is the hope all of us have who have placed our faith in the Lord! We will go to be with Him when we die and there we will be reunited with our loved ones who have gone on before. This doesn't mean we don't grieve the loss of of our loved ones but it does mean we can have the peace of knowing they have not ceased to exist and that we will see them again. David grieves the loss of his son but he has the peace of knowing he is alive and well with the Lord and that he will see him again. Because he has this peace in his heart, he is able to comfort Bathsheba in her grief. "Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and made love to her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon; the Lord loved him, and because the Lord loved him, He sent word through the prophet Nathan to name him Jedediah." (2 Samuel 12:24-25)

David and Bathsheba begin building a relationship as husband and wife. We don't know how much time they might have spent together before the death of their son. It could be that, after Uriah died and David took Bathsheba into his household, they spent little or no time together. Bathsheba would have lived in the women's quarters of the palace and it was the custom in those days that a wife or concubine of a king only saw him if he called for her or if she requested an audience with him and her request was granted. It may be that David didn't even have any contact with Bathsheba until their son was born. But now he comforts her with words of faith in the Lord. He comforts her with his presence and affection and, sometime after she recovers from childbirth (which had to be at least forty days after the birth of a son according to Leviticus 12:1-4), David and Bathsheba begin having marital relations and conceive a son together. This son is Solomon, who will succeed his father as king. The name "Solomon" means "peace", likely given to their son because David and Bathsheba have repented of their sin and their souls are at peace with the Lord once more. But the Lord also gives Solomon another name: "Jedidiah", which means "loved by the Lord". Of course all human beings are loved by the Lord, but the Lord has placed a special calling on the life of Solomon. No one knows it yet, but he is the Lord's next chosen king of Israel, though he is not next in line for the throne according to birth order. 

Before we move on with our study of 2 Samuel we will take a look at David's prayer of repentance from Psalm 51. It is long enough that it will take us a couple of days to study but underneath the title of "Psalm 51" the Bible says it was written "when the prophet Nathan came to him after David had committed adultery with Bathsheba". We don't know exactly when David prayed this prayer and composed this psalm but it was after Nathan confronted him with his sins and he confessed them. It could have been immediately after Nathan left his house, or sometime during the days David lay fasting and praying, or it could have been when he went up to the house of the Lord after the child died. 

It begins like this: "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your unfailing love; according to Your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin." (Psalm 51:1-2) David appeals to the Lord on the basis of the Lord's love and compassion, not on the basis of his own worthiness. This is the way we must all appeal to the Lord, for we are all sinners. None of us can appeal to Him on the basis of our own righteousness. We are not righteous. We are not worthy. But He loves us anyway! He created us and He cares for us and He wants to help us. So we ask for mercy, not because of who we are, but because of who He is. He is good and kind and loving and merciful. We come to Him in the knowledge of our utter helplessness to be righteous. We come to Him acknowledging that only He can blot out our transgressions and wash away our iniquities and cleanse us from our sins. He will hear a prayer like that! 

He hears David's prayer even though David is guilty of the ultimate crime of murder. Let's keep that in mind whenever we are tempted to think our sins are too grievous to be forgiven. David committed the worst crime a person can commit against his fellow man and yet the Lord blotted out this transgression. In the New Testament we are told that the Apostle Paul was guilty of persecuting Christians, which included having them put to death for their faith, and yet when he repented and accepted Christ as his Savior, the Lord blotted out his transgressions. If the Lord isn't going to hold these men's crimes against them on judgment day, why would we think He will hold our sins against us if we've repented for them? This doesn't mean there aren't natural consequences to our sins (David and Paul lived very difficult lives) but when things are made right between us and the Lord, there is a peace in our hearts, which is why David calls his new son "Solomon" to symbolize the restoration of his peace with the Lord. The Lord reminds David that His love never fails, instructing him to also give his new son the name "Jedediah", which means "loved by the Lord" and gives David not only the reassurance that the Lord still loves him and loves his son but also that this son has a special future ahead of him.

In our next session we will study the remainder of Psalm 51.

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 38, The Death Of David's Son

Today's text is going to be difficult. We are not going to be able to come up with an explanation that satisfactorily answers all our questions about it. One thing I think we can keep in mind as we go through this passage is something my pastor reminded the congregation of in church the other day: "It is appointed to all of us to die." (Hebrews 9:27) When Adam fell from grace, sin entered the world. It could be said that sin "polluted" the world and that the entire human race and the whole creation has been affected by this pollution. As the Apostle Paul put it, "Sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, and in this way death came to all people, because all sinned." (Romans 5:12) Ever since sin entered the world, people have been dying, and not always at a good old age. People die as newborns, as very elderly people, and at all ages in between. People die as the result of their own actions. People die as the result of other people's actions. And people die simply because this is a fallen world where bad things happen. Today we're going to study the death of a child born into a fallen world where bad things happen.

But as we study this death we must remember that although death entered the world when the first man sinned, through the Lord Jesus Christ redemption is offered to us. "Through the obedience of one Man the man will be made righteous" and will "bring eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord". (Romans 5:19,21) Because of our sins we deserve physical death and spiritual death (eternal separation from the presence of the holy God) but because of our faith in Christ we receive the salvation of our souls and will spend eternity with Him---not because of anything good we've done but because of what He did on our behalf. And although David will lose the child he conceived in sin with Bathsheba, we see a picture of the Lord's redemptive mercy in the way the Lord deals with David and Bathsheba in the future, for the Lord Jesus Christ will be born from a branch of their family tree. The Redeemer will come from among the descendants of a child that David and Bathsheba will later have together. 

All is not lost! These two people made a terrible mistake but their mistake is not able to separate them from the mercy of the Lord. They don't remain in their mistakes, wallowing in an ever-deeper pit of sin. They turn back to the Lord. In yesterday's passage we found David confessing that he had sinned against the Lord, and there is no doubt David truly loved the Lord and was sincere in his repentance. We can love the Lord and still make a shocking mistake; what matters then is whether we remain in sin or whether we repent of it. David repents of it (tomorrow we will study the psalm he wrote about his sorrow over his sin) and because he repents of it the Lord forgives him and helps him not to make the same mistakes again. 

In yesterday's text we found the prophet Nathan warning David that the child he had with Bathsheba would not survive. This is where we pick up today. "After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill." (2 Samuel 15) It's disturbing to think of the Lord "striking" anyone with illness. This could simply be a turn of phrase used by the author since ancient people viewed calamities such as illness, death, and natural disasters as coming directly from the hand of God or from "the gods". It may be that the child was born with a condition that would lead to death if the Lord did not intervene and heal him, and the Lord did not heal him. Or it may be that the child contracted a virus or a bacterial infection after birth, and the Lord allowed this to happen and did not heal him. Infant mortality rates were very high in David's time. They were still quite high in the United States less than a hundred years ago, especially before the discovery of antibiotics. My maternal grandmother's firstborn child and only son died at the age of two from double pneumonia, just a few years before the discovery of penicillin which might have saved him. If my grandmother had lived in David's time, and if someone were writing about her life, they might have said the Lord "struck" her son so that he died, but this doesn't mean the Lord literally pointed His finger at her son and made him sick. It's the way people of ancient times would have perceived and phrased such a thing. All we can say for certain is that David and Bathsheba's son was born into a fallen world---into a world polluted by sin---and that he died of one of the many illnesses that exist in this world.

"David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them. On the seventh day the child died. David's attendants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, 'While the child was still living, he wouldn't listen to us when we spoke to him. How can we now tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate.'" (2 Samuel 12:16-18) David knows the Lord told the prophet Nathan that the child would die. But still he pleads with the Lord for seven days because he knows God is merciful and might turn things around. Many a parent has pleaded for the life of a sick child; some have had their situations turned around and some have not. We cannot, in our frail and mortal minds, hope to fully understand why such things happen. Why is it the Lord's will to heal one person and to allow another person to pass on? We don't know the answer and we won't know the answer until we are in His presence, I don't believe. At that time I think we will understand His plan and will see why things had to be the way they were. Until then we are asked to trust Him and live in faith, difficult as this can be when it involves the death of a loved one.

In tomorrow's text David will be informed of the death of his loved one. He will not react in the manner his servants expect him to react. Instead he will make a statement of faith---a statement regarding the eternal life of the soul. 

As we close today we will speak briefly about why it was necessary for David to be disciplined in a way that would be known by the whole nation. We've spoken before about some of his palace staff being aware of his night of sin with Bathsheba. If Bathsheba had any servants or family members living with her, no doubt they were aware of the nature of her visit to the palace. People talk. Gossip spreads quickly, especially when it's the "juicy" kind, and gossip about the king of Israel and a married woman is the kind of gossip that would be considered juicy. Besides that, even those who never knew about Bathsheba's visit to the palace might have thought her child was born a bit too soon after her wedding to David. We don't know how widespread was the knowledge that something illicit had gone on between David and another man's wife but some scholars suggest it was very well known in Jerusalem and in the surrounding area. Some even think it was known all over the country. David's private sin became publicly known. His discipline had to be publicly known too. If the Lord had not disciplined David, how many others might have fallen into sin due to his poor example of godliness and due to him getting away with it? Or how many might have lost respect for him and refused to follow his orders? Or how many might have wanted to see him dethroned and another put in his place? After all, the Lord took the kingship away from Saul for lesser sins than those David committed. On top of all these potential problems, how many people would have lost faith in the Lord if He didn't judge adultery and murder? Might some not have turned away from serving Him? Might some not have concluded He doesn't exist at all?

The Lord didn't take David's life or Bathsheba's life for their sins. Except for this one extremely shocking period in David's life, he has been faithful to the Lord and has helped the citizens of the nation be faithful to the Lord. Unlike King Saul who did not have a heart for the Lord, David has a heart for the Lord and he has a heart for the people. Now that he has repented, he can again be a godly example to them. He can also be an illustration of the grace of God, for he is living proof that there is no sin so bad that it can't be forgiven. There is no sinner so wretched that God can't save him. 

Why, though, did the Lord allow the baby to die? I have no fully satisfactory answer for this except to say that the child went immediately to be with the Lord and has been in His presence ever since; there is some comfort in knowing that. Indeed, that is how David will comfort himself in tomorrow's text. And also the death of David's child caused the hearts of the people to turn to him in pity and compassion. They know he is suffering what is probably the deepest grief there is. They cannot find it in their hearts to be angry that he let them down by committing two very grievous sins. They cannot find it in their hearts to feel as if he has not been punished enough. They can imagine no greater grief than the loss of a child (many of them have experienced this loss themselves) and instead of looking down on David and disrespecting him they feel sorry for him. In addition, their sense of justice has been satisfied. God has judged the case and has handed down a sentence. The case is closed and the people trust His judgment. They are willing to move forward and leave David's wrongdoings in the past.

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 37, The Consequences Of Sin

In yesterday's text Nathan the prophet confronted David with his sins. Next he prophesies some consequences that will be the result of David's sins.

Yesterday we closed with Nathan relaying this message from the Lord to David, "You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own." (2 Samuel 12:9b-10) David tried to keep his affair with Bathsheba as much of a secret as possible but we know that at least some of his servants were aware that she came to the palace and stayed in his private chamber with him until the early morning hours. No doubt at least some of those servants talked to their family members and friends about what they saw. Then those family members and friends talked to others about it. We don't know how widespread the rumors may have been about David and Bathsheba. We don't know whether anyone suspected Uriah's death in battle wasn't arranged on purpose. We don't know whether anyone felt pretty certain that the child David conceived with Bathsheba was conceived while she was still married to Uriah. But when Nathan comes to David and accuses him of adultery and murder, he's not speaking of suspicions he has. He's speaking of facts. He knows beyond a doubt that David did these things because the Lord revealed to him that David did these things. 

The message from the Lord contains some bad news. David's household will never be a peaceful household because he interfered with another man's household. David will deal with treachery from his own family members because he seduced Bathsheba into committing treachery against her husband. "This is what the Lord says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity on you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will sleep with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'" (2 Samuel 12:11-12) David will have several rebellious sons. His son Amnon will rape a half-sister named Tamar, after which he will throw her out of his house and refuse to marry her though the law commanded that he marry her (and the law said he could never divorce her because he took advantage of her). David will take no action against Amnon for his crime, even though it is his duty as both a father and as a king, and his son Absalom will murder Amnon for the rape of Tamar. Absalom will make an attempt to usurp the throne from David and, to symbolize his intention to take everything that is his father's, will sleep with his father's concubines in a tent on the rooftop of the palace in broad daylight. Later on another son of David's, Adonijah, will make a bid for the throne and will refuse to accept his father's decision to pass the crown down to Solomon instead of to him. 

"Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the Lord.'" (2 Samuel 12:13a) He's not stubborn like King Saul. Whenever the prophet Samuel would confront Saul with his sins, Saul would either deny wrongdoing or make excuses for not following the Lord's instructions to the letter. David admits his sin and sincerely repents of it and the Lord forgives him. He can now say again, "It is well with my soul." But that doesn't mean there won't be any earthly consequences for his actions. Even when we repent and are forgiven, there are sometimes still natural consequences to deal with. For example, if a person is unfaithful to their spouse and is sorry for it and repents of their sin to the Lord, the Lord forgives them but that doesn't mean their spouse won't divorce them. Another example might be if a person is caught stealing from work. They may be sorry for their actions and repent to the Lord and to their employer. The Lord accepts their sincere prayer of repentance but their employer may still fire them. One more example might be if a person abuses their health for many years with drugs and alcohol, then they turn to the Lord for help and are set free from their addictions. They are sober now but some of the damage they did to their body might be permanent. 

Nathan is almost finished with his message to David but the last part of the prophecy is the worst part. "Nathan replied, 'The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die. But because by doing this you have shown utter contempt for the Lord, the son born to you will die.'" (2 Samuel 12:13b-14) Adultery was a capital crime in ancient Israel. Murder was a capital crime in ancient Israel, as well as in many other nations of that day and of our own day. But the Lord is going to spare David's life. He could have struck him dead for behaving in such an ungodly manner as the king of Israel. David is in such a position of authority and influence that his sins have the ability to affect far more people than if an ordinary citizen had committed these sins. The Lord could have made an example of David and taken his life as a reminder to all the people that a person cannot live in this manner and get away with it. The Lord is merciful to David by allowing him to remain alive and on the throne of Israel. By and large, he is a good king for the nation except for this one shocking foray into the depths of depravity. But the Lord has to administer some discipline to David---public discipline---so the citizens will know that a person cannot flaunt His laws and commandments and get away with it. If David had suffered no personal consequences of his sin, this would have enticed others to live in opposition to the word of God. So for the rest of his life, David will deal with strife in his family. And he will suffer the death of his son, which we will look at in tomorrow's study as we strive to understand such a difficult passage in the Scriptures.

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 36, Nathan Confronts David With His Sins

The Lord sends Nathan the prophet to rebuke David for his sins. Nathan begins his conversation with David by presenting him with a parable, though David evidently believes it is an actual legal case upon which he is expected to pass judgment. 

"The Lord sent Nathan to David. When he came to him, he said, 'There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except a poor little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him.'" (2 Samuel 12:1-3) David does not yet realize that he is the rich man in the parable and Uriah is the poor man. Bathsheba is symbolized by the little ewe lamb.

"Now a traveler came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveler who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him." (2 Samuel 12:4) I suppose we might say that the traveler represents the sexual lust that David satisfied, not by having relations with one of his own wives or concubines, but by having unlawful relations with another man's wife. At this point he still doesn't realize the parable is about him.

David's sense of justice is offended by the thought of what the rich man did. He is enraged due to his love of animals, and for sheep in particular, having been a faithful and loving shepherd of his father's sheep. He's so upset by this story that he declares the man should die for his sin, even though this is not a capital case. "David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, 'As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this must die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity.'" (2 Samuel 12:5-6) 

He is overwhelmed by emotion when he says the man who did such a thing is worthy of death. He could not legally put a man to death for the crime described by Nathan but he displays his knowledge of the law when he adds that the man must pay back fourfold, for Exodus 22:1 states that whoever steals a sheep and slaughters it must pay back four sheep for the one sheep. We see by this that David has been obedient to the Lord's rule for kings in Deuteronomy 17:18-19a which says that the king must write out a copy of the law for himself and must read from it every day of his life. But, sadly, David has not been obedient to the verses before and after those, which state that a king is not to have many wives and that a king must not consider himself above the law. David's downfall into sin began when he took a number of wives and concubines contrary to the word of God. Instead of serving to satisfy his sexual appetites, this served only to fan the flames of this particular temptation. He did not deny himself as many wives as it pleased him to have and this led to him not denying himself the wife of another man. He began thinking of himself as being above the law because he was the king. He thought he could do as he pleased and get away with it. 

But he has not gotten away with it. The Lord loves him too much to let him keep living in denial. The Lord loves him too much to let him keep living with unconfessed sin. It has been taking a toll on David, though we find no mention of that in 2 Samuel, but David wrote a psalm that speaks of how difficult it was all those months when he refused to acknowledge his sin. His conscience, though he tried to silence it, troubled him day and night. The Holy Spirit, though he tried to stop his ears to His pleading, repeatedly urged him to confess and repent. In Psalm 32:3-4 David says of this time in his life, "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer." 

At no time during those months was David at peace. He could not have said, "It is well with my soul," because there was a distance between himself and the Lord. He could find no relief from a nagging sense of unrest, not even at night when he was tired and needed sleep. I can recall a time when I did something that shocked myself, something I would never have pictured myself doing, and after I confessed and repented I remember thinking back on the days before I confessed and repented and saying of them, "I couldn't even look the Lord in the eyes." Of course I meant that figuratively but there was a sense of not being able to even lift my eyes heavenwards until I had acknowledged my sin. I went through a few weeks of not wanting to acknowledge my sin and I couldn't even talk to the Lord about anything else because there was this elephant in the room, so to speak, that I needed to deal with.

David hasn't been wanting to deal with the elephant in the room. He's denied its existence for so long that when he hears Nathan's story it doesn't occur to him that this is not a literal legal case the prophet is bringing to him. He's outraged by the facts of the case. He wants the man dead who did such a thing. He does not recognize himself in the parable until Nathan speaks this line for which he is most well known: "Then Nathan said to David, 'You are the man!'" (2 Samuel 12:7a) I picture David's eyes going wide with shock and his mouth falling open in a gasp. I imagine him feeling as if his heart skips a beat before it starts pounding in guilt and fear. 

The prophet continues, "This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you all Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why do you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in His eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised Me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'" (2 Samuel 12:7b-10)

David already had more women in his life than he needed before he ever laid eyes on Bathsheba. He'd married several Israelite wives. He'd married several foreign concubines. He'd inherited the royal harem of King Saul and Saul's son Ish-Bosheth; whether or not David ever visited any of these women and made his relationship with them "official" is not known. But the point is, he had no lack of female company. He did not need to look outside of his own palace if he felt the need for companionship. He had no right to gaze lustfully upon another man's wife or to send for that woman and commit adultery with her. Then, after he committed adultery with her, he compounded his sin by trying to cover it up and pass off his unborn child as another man's. When that didn't work, he committed the ultimate sin of murder. Nathan says that the root of these sins is that David "despised the word of the Lord"; in other words, he behaved as if the Lord's laws didn't apply to him. He thought he could ignore them because he is the king of Israel, but Nathan reminds him that he would not be the king of Israel if the Lord had not elevated him to that position. David owes everything he is and everything he has to the Lord and yet, as the prophet points out, he behaved as if he didn't have enough. He took what belonged to someone else.

Because David meddled in someone else's home life and caused a family to break apart, from now on he will have to deal with strife in his own household. Nathan is not finished relaying the word of the Lord to David. In tomorrow's text he tells him what is to come. In the past David fought many battles on the field of war but in the future his primary battles will be battles within the home. I've mused before that David seemed to live closer to the Lord before he became king, and I believe that may be because his power and success went to his head. I think the main reason the Lord is going to allow troubles to come into his personal life is because David doesn't handle success as well as he handles adversity. Hardship tends to drive him closer to the Lord; prosperity tends to make him drift from the Lord. No one enjoys hardship. David didn't enjoy it either, but he will look back on the discipline of hardship and say this to the Lord about it: "Before I was afflicted I went astray, but now I obey Your word." (Psalm 119:67)

 

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 35, David Marries Uriah's Widow/The Lord Sends Nathan To Rebuke Him

Upon David's instructions, Joab placed Uriah at the most dangerous place near the city wall during Israel's siege of the Ammonite city of Rabbah. Some of the Ammonites came out to fight them, plus some of them shot arrows from the wall. They killed Uriah and several other men. Joab sends a messenger to inform David of the casualties. 

"Joab sent David a full account of the battle. He instructed the messenger: 'When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, the king's anger may flare up, and he may ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? Who killed Abimelek son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn't a woman drop an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?' If he asks you this, then say to him, 'Morever, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'" (2 Samuel 11:18-21) In Judges 9 Abimelek recklessly got too close to the wall of a city under siege and was killed when a woman dropped an upper millstone on him. It's bad battle strategy to get within reach of falling objects and shooting arrows, but it was necessary for Joab to send Uriah (and several other men so his sending of Uriah didn't look suspicious) right up against the wall of Rabbah so Uriah's death could be guaranteed. Joab knows David will pretend to be upset about the casualties so no one will suspect he's pleased about the death of Uriah. 

Joab and David are speaking in code during this exchange. Joab is letting David know the job has been accomplished; David is letting Joab know he's happy with his work and that he accepts the loss of several other men as part of the price of causing Uriah to die in battle. "The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. The messenger said to David, 'The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance of the city gate. Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.' David told the messenger, 'Say this to Joab: Don't let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.' Say this to encourage Joab." (2 Samuel 11:22-25)

"When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the Lord." (2 Samuel 11:26-27) It is believed by most scholars that Bathsheba observes only the shortest allowable period of mourning, perhaps just seven days. She can't afford to mourn for long. The pregnancy is progressing and if she and David hope to pass the child off as being conceived within wedlock between them, time is of the essence. 

Does she know David arranged for Uriah to be killed? There's no evidence that David notified her of his plans; we haven't been told of any communication between her and David since the message informing him of her pregnancy. She may suspect Uriah was set up to be killed or she may simply believe he's a natural casualty of war. After all, men die every day in battle, and her husband was known to be a brave man who wouldn't balk at being ordered to charge at the walls of a fortified city. We don't know if she had any affection for Uriah. Marriages tended to be arranged in those days but that doesn't mean she doesn't care that he's dead. She may be truly sorry that a courageous and honorable man lies slain on the battlefield, but whatever grief may or may not be in her heart, she can't take much time for outward mourning. As soon as David sends for her, she goes immediately to marry him and live in the palace. In the course of time, she bears a son.

David thinks his problems are all solved now. Some of his household servants know of the night Bathsheba spent with David while her husband was still alive. They must suspect that the child was conceived on that adulterous night but it would not be in their best interests to allow the king to see the suspicion in their eyes. The other women of the royal harem probably aren't fooled either when Bathsheba tries to pass off a full-term baby as baby born more than a month early. The midwives who attend the birth certainly aren't fooled either. But the general public may still be in the dark as to David's sin. After all, he lived in a time when a newborn prince wouldn't be presented on live TV for all the world to see. No one outside the women's quarters of the palace, other than David, has to lay eyes on the child when he's first born. There's no reason for the citizens of Israel to doubt the king's word if he says his son has been born four to six weeks early. They may actually think even more highly of David now than they did before, saying among themselves, "How good it was of David to marry the poor childless widow of Uriah! What a wonderful way for David to honor the memory of that brave war hero! Not only did David take in this woman out of respect for one of the great warriors of Israel, but the Lord blessed him with fruitfulness for his kindness toward the memory of Uriah. The Lord must be pleased with David since He enabled him to conceive a child with his new wife during their honeymoon week."

But the Lord is not pleased. "The Lord sent Nathan to David." (2 Samuel 12: 1a) The Lord sends a message of displeasure to David by someone whose friendship David treasures, by someone whose opinion David values. I believe the Lord has been trying to speak to David directly, through the Holy Spirit, but David has hardened his heart against the Holy Spirit's pleadings to acknowledge his sin and repent of it. The Lord must use another method to get David's attention and He does it by sending someone to him whose disapproval will be hurtful to David. In tomorrow's text He does it by sending this man to present an allegory to him that will arouse his anger against a person (a fictional person, but this is unknown to David) who has done something David finds utterly despicable. He will announce that the man in question is worthy of death, at which time Nathan will utter the words for which he is famous: "You are the man!" 

The Second Book Of Samuel. Day 34, David Causes Uriah's Death

David has been working hard to try to cover up his sin of adultery. Until Bathsheba informed him of her pregnancy, I think he believed he had gotten away with it, but now he's in a mess. Bathsheba's husband Uriah was away with the army during the time she conceived the child, so in an attempt to make Uriah think this child is his own, David called him home to Jerusalem for a couple of days on the pretext of wanting a detailed report of Israel's war with the Ammonites. David believed Uriah would go home and sleep with Bathsheba while he's in Jerusalem. Then, within a week or two (for time is of the essence since she is already a month or so pregnant), Bathsheba could have sent a message to her husband announcing that they conceived a child together while he was home. But Uriah didn't go home, telling David that he didn't feel right enjoying the comforts of home and the pleasures of marriage while his fellow soldiers were camped in fields far from home and far from the women they loved. 

David has no valid excuse to keep holding Uriah in Jerusalem. His behavior is going to begin looking suspicious to the honorable young soldier. David has no choice but to send him back to his regiment but he makes a second, deadly choice. He knows that, upon finding out his wife is pregnant by some other man, Uriah will demand that she tell him the truth. Even if she refuses to reveal the identity of her child's father, I don't believe it will be that difficult for Uriah to ask around and find out. At least some of David's servants are aware that Bathsheba visited him late one evening and didn't leave until morning. And people talk, don't they? Those servants probably told their families at home, then their family members told their neighbors, then their neighbors told their co-workers. A fair number of people in the city may be aware that Bathsheba slept with the king, or at least they suspect that's what happened. When Uriah, in righteous indignance, begins asking around about his wife's movements while he was away with the army, it won't take long until he learns of her nighttime visit to the palace.

Then the king of Israel who professes to love the Lord with all his heart will be thought of by many as a hypocrite. Some of his subjects will no longer respect him. Some may even refuse to follow his orders now that they feel they can no longer follow his example. People will whisper about him behind his back and make jokes about him. Not only will he suffer this humiliation, but Uriah may demand some sort of satisfaction, for as King Solomon will later say, "A man who commits adultery has no sense; whoever does so destroys himself. Blows and disgrace are his lot, and his shame will never be wiped away. For jealousy arouses a husband's fury, and he will show no mercy when he takes revenge. He will not accept any compensation; he will refuse a bribe, however great it is." (Proverbs 6:32-35)

Adultery was a capital offense in ancient Israel but capital punishment could not be carried out unless the crime was witnessed by two or more people. This was the rule for all crimes that carried the death penalty. In addition, where adultery was concerned, if a man and woman were caught in the act by two or more witnesses, both parties were to be stoned to death. I can hardly imagine Uriah demanding that the king of Israel be stoned to death, even if David admitted to being the father of Bathsheba's unborn baby. I do not think Uriah would have been in a position to insist on his wife and her partner in adultery being put to death but that doesn't mean he couldn't have made the news known far and wide that the person who ruined his happy home and seduced his wife into debauchery was none other than the king of Israel. 

David will not face the death penalty. Bathsheba will not face the death penalty. But some execution orders are already signed and they are for the only innocent party in this sordid chapter: Uriah. "In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah, saying. In it he wrote, 'Put Uriah out in front where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.' So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died." (2 Samuel 11:14-17) 

Unknowingly, Uriah carries his own death sentence back to his army commander who is laying siege to the Ammonite city of Rabbah. Joab unquestioningly follows his Uncle David's orders, likely assuming Uriah has committed some type of unforgivable offense against the king. Joab has not been in Jerusalem for some time and cannot be expected to have heard any gossip regarding David and Bathsheba. I don't believe he suspects David's true motive in causing the death of Uriah. Would it have made any difference if Joab had known Uriah was innocent of any wrongdoing against the king? I tend to think not. I think he would still have acted to save the king's reputation because in his mind this would also serve to protect the national security of Israel. Besides that, we've already learned that Joab can be unscrupulous and violent when it suits him; as time goes on we'll find him becoming more unscrupulous and being willing to bend the rules when it suits him.

Even if Joab knew the truth, I cannot imagine him rebuking David for taking all measures necessary to cover up his crime. But not everyone shares Joab's opinion. The Lord will rebuke David for his crime and He will send the message by someone whose friendship and esteem David values very much: Nathan the prophet. In tomorrow's text we'll find David breathing a sigh of relief when he learns Uriah has been rendered unable to accuse him of anything. He thinks he can cover up his sin, ignore it, put it behind him, and never deal with it. But the Lord loves David too much to allow him to live with sin that's never been dealt with. He has to acknowledge and repent of it, not only for his own good but for the good of all Israel.