And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord. — 2 Samuel 11:27

As a young girl, my friend became a Christian, but in her teenage years, she let God’s love go from her heart. One night, when she was ready to enter her senior year of college, she was driving on the freeway and God called her to make a decision. He asked whether or not she was going to serve Him. That night she prayed, and the Lord saved her. She decided to move home and commute an hour each way to school because she knew that if she lived on campus, there would be some situations that might cause her to stumble spiritually. She thought it was better to remove herself completely from the situation rather than taking a chance that, again, she would turn her back on the Lord.

Temptations come to each of us. When we face them, we have a choice. My friend made the choice to remove herself from the potential problem — a wise decision. In today’s text, David did not make that choice. When he observed Bathsheba on a neighboring rooftop, he could have turned into his house from his roof and busied himself with some kingdom business. Instead, David chose to entertain the temptation and then to act upon it.

Day by day we will face situations where we need to make a choice. If our car radio is on and the station begins to play an ungodly song, do we turn it off? If we rent a movie and find it to be inappropriate for Christians, do we turn it off? What is our reaction when someone wants to share some gossip with us?

Our choices may not seem to have the big impact that David’s did. They will, however, affect our Christian walk. We do not have to face tempting situations in our own strength, for God has promised to be with us. However, at times we will need to take action to remove ourselves from temptation’s path. The Bible says that the Lord was displeased with David. We want God to be pleased, not displeased, with our decisions each day.

BACKGROUND

Today’s text tells of David’s temptation and fall into sin with Bathsheba, the wife of one of his faithful soldiers. Although the Bible indicates that David was a “man after God’s own heart,” we find that he was vulnerable to temptation. When he did not resist the temptation, sin followed. The Bible is brutally honest concerning this difficult and sad situation. This honesty adds verification to the Bible’s validity, for this painful chapter could easily have been omitted, and David would have appeared in a far better light.

The Biblical account shows the progression of the sin of David. He moved from idleness to imagination, to committing, to covering. The covering of his sin certainly did not bring prosperity, and his sin left horrible scars on his kingly reign.

The nations in this area often fought battles in the spring because it was not the rainy season. Roads were drier at that time, so it was easier to move the troops and their equipment. Also, wheat and barley crops were ready for harvest and therefore available for food. The author of 2 Samuel indicates that David should have gone to the battle with his troops. Even if he had not engaged in physical warfare, he should have been there for tactical leadership and moral support. It is thought that David was approximately fifty years old at the time of this account.

In houses in the East, the roof was one of the most pleasant places to spend time. They were flat so there was room to walk, and the breezes cooled the area. David could have fled the temptation by leaving his palace roof. Instead he proceeded in a plan that he knew was sinful, and he committed both adultery and murder. As a result of his actions, innocent people died.

The meaning of the name Uriah is “Yahweh (God) is my Light.” This name indicates that Uriah worshiped God, although he had a Hittite background. Uriah proved himself to be a loyal and faithful warrior, conducting himself appropriately for a military man of that time.

AMPLIFIED OUTLINE

(Hannah’s Bible Outlines - Used by permission per WORDsearch)
II.   The shame of King David
    A.   David’s sin with Bathsheba
           1.   The background of David’s shame
                 e.   David’s vengeance on Ammon (11:1)
           2.   The act of David’s shame (11:2-27)
                 a.   David’s adultery with Bathsheba (11:2-5)
                 b.   David’s attempt to hide his crime by recalling Uriah (11:6-13)
                 c.   David’s murder of Uriah (11:14-25)
                 d.   David’s marriage to Bathsheba (11:26-27)

A CLOSER LOOK

1. Why did Uriah the Hittite refuse to go to his own home after being recalled to Jerusalem by King David? 
   
   
2. Contrast the integrity of Uriah with that of King David. What can we learn from both?
   
   
3. What steps can we take to help us resist temptation when it comes our way?

CONCLUSION

When we face temptations, God wants to help us win the victory. Let us purpose to seek His strength and remove ourselves from temptation whenever we can.