2Samuel 11-14
David's Descent
Into The Depths

Yahweh is the Most High God (none higher) and exercises His rule for the benefit of His people whom He loves. The first half recognizes His work on behalf of Jacob's descendents. The rest of the psalm looks forward to when He will reign supreme over all the earth.

Appearances can be deceiving, both materially (cf “The Millionaire Next Door”) and spiritually.

Poverty has its privileges; no one wants to kidnap you for ransom.

The righteous also give light to others.

Independence is the essence of sin. David seeks to meet his needs/desires independently of God. Most sin occurs when we're not doing what we should be doing, and therefore do what we shouldn't. David should have been leading his troops, but instead he's lounging at home. He falls into the same pattern we've observed since Genesis, seeing and taking, without self-control. The temptation or desire to sin isn't sin; temptation becomes sin when we exercise our will to embrace it.

James 1:14 But each one is tempted when he is drawn away by his own desires/lusts and enticed.15 Then, when desire is embraced/conceived, it gives birth to sin; and sin, when it is full-grown, brings forth death.

There is no seeking God's will, nor asking how an action fits into one's purpose for being on the planet, nor how it will fare at the judgment seat. It's just unsanctified desire/lust gratification, and results in deadly consequences. The tragedy is compounded by God indicating in the next chapter that David's self will was totally unnecessary (12:8).

The attempt to hide or cover up one's sin is as old as Adam, but David doesn't want Bathsheba (and perhaps himself) to get in trouble. So David calls Uriah the Hittite home so he will sleep with Bathsheba, and no one will be the wiser. Ironically everyone in Israel, and most educated people throughout history know what happened. Unfortunately, Uriah demonstrates a greater loyalty to God and the troops than David, and refuses to enjoy the comforts of home while his comrades are fighting. Had he actually done what David said, he would not have had to carry his own death warrant.

Joab, loyal to David, does as commanded. Uriah is murdered per David's instruction “make it look like an accident.” God isn't fooled, but He is displeased. David's desire for temporal pleasure turns God's choicest servant into an adulterer and murderer of a choice soldier. Not good.

A number of months later, God sends Nathan to David with a parable that exposes his sin. When we can see ourselves objectively, or as others see us, sin is obvious. However, Satan deceives us by disguising our sin, or we deceive ourselves into thinking that our temporal desires aren't deadly, and we stumble in the dark, away from the light of the truth.

God's just judgment of David is prefaced with a reminder of how God had met David's needs in the past and would have continued to do so if David had just asked, rather than acting independently of God (essence of sin). God would have given David even more wives! David's sin is not just the acts, but the violation of God's command/word. We tend to think certain behavior is wrong, but the root of wrong is despising (not valuing) God's word, which inevitably leads to disobeying it. Unless we change our values, we will go to the grave sinning. See help under Digging Deeper. David's earned consequences are parallel to the offenses: David's wives would be taken and the sword would never depart from his house (see next chapter).

David's confession “I've sinned” results in God “putting away” his sin, so that he doesn't die. The Mosaic law specified the death penalty for adultery, but Ancient Near East custom considered all the people as owned by the king. Psalm 51 David gives the fuller text of David's repentance in which he notes 51:4 "Against You, You only, have I sinned, and done this evil in Your sight..." Note that even though pardoned from the death penalty, David still reaped consequences from what he had sown. Many NT believers don't quite grasp that pardon from the guilt of sin and escaping eternal damnation in the lake of fire, does not mean everything's all good. This is one of Satan's key deceptions of believers.

Galatians 6:7 Do not be deceived, God is not mocked; for whatever a man sows, that he will also reap. 8 For he who sows to his flesh will of the flesh reap corruption, but he who sows to the Spirit will of the Spirit reap everlasting life. 

Most also misunderstand eternal life, incorrectly equating it with forgiveness. See section on Eternal Life (pages 18-26) in the Study Guide under Digging Deeper for more.

David beseeches God for mercy, somewhat like Moses did when his sin resulted in loss. God gives David the consequences of his actions, and life goes on, in the person of a second son with Bathsheba, Solomon, whom Yahweh calls Jedidiah (“beloved of Yahweh”).

Joab subdues the city and loyally calls David for the final assault so he will get the glory. In addition to the spoil (for the temple) the Israelites gain servants and workmen. God's work goes on.

David not only failed to exercise self-control, he failed to train his children in it. His eldest son Amnon was so ruled by his passions that he was sick over not getting what he thought was necessary to his happiness. Listening to evil rather than good counsel resulted in deceiving his father and raping his step-sister. Then the guilt set in and he despised her. Rather than asking David to have her as his wife, a logical solution, he wrongs her and then compounds the injury by irrationally kicking her out. Frequently people hate the ones they've wronged because they need to balance out the guilt.

 David again failed at home by letting his emotions and his own sin cloud his responsibility to do what was right (Lev 20:17). He got angry and fumed in his lazy-boy recliner, rather than executing justice. He had abdicated the moral ground by his own sin, and any just action would have appeared hypocritical. However failure to act had even worse consequences, as Absalom (third born son), Tamar's brother, murders Amnon. Like father, like son. David's second son was born of Abigail (2Sam 3:3; 1Chron 3:1) but apparently died young since no other mention is made of him. Amnon's murder puts Absalom next in line for the throne.

Absolom flees, and David again (cf Micah) failed to resolve family difficulties by taking the initiative to reconcile the relationship with Absalom. As king, he could have judged Amnon's murder as justified. Instead, he mourns for Absalom (not the dead Amnon) every day for years. David suffered the consequences of both his sin, and then his failure as father. 

Loyal Joab, seeing David pine for his son in exile, pulls a Nathan, sending a woman to speak a parable to David, portraying the situation of Absalom. She appeals to David to show amnesty to Absalom as God had shown it to him.

David instructs Joab to bring Absalom back, but doesn't fully restore the relationship, refusing to let Absalom see his face.

Absalom has four children (blessing of fertility), and waits a couple of years, but still no reconciliation. His requests to see David are ignored by Joab until he sets Joab's fields on fire to get his attention and an audience with David. Absalom says if he is guilty, David should kill him, otherwise, restore the relationship. There is no mention of Absalom repenting or admitting sin. David accepts him back, but the delay in doing so will have further negative consequences.