BATHSHEBA

2 Samuel 11:1-5 (KJV)

And it came to pass, after the year was expired, at the time when kings go forth to battle, that David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the children of Ammon, and besieged Rabbah. But David tarried still at Jerusalem.

And it came to pass in an eveningtide, that David arose from off his bed, and walked upon the roof of the king's house: and from the roof he saw a woman washing herself; and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.

And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her; for she was purified from her uncleanness: and she returned unto her house.

And the woman conceived, and sent and told David, and said, I am with child.

I knew this day would come.

From that moment back in August of 2016 when I determined to try to find what is a man after God’s own heart, I knew I would have to deal with the subject of Bathsheba.

I might be missing something.

You might have another event to add

But when I think of David there are two events that immediately rise to the surface defining of him:

·   David and Goliath

·   David and Bathsheba

Of course I was excited to preach about David and Goliath, but the subject of Bathsheba has been weighing in the back of my mind ever since I began the messages.

·   Back in 2015-2016 there were some women who made accusations against now President Donald Trump.

·   The last few weeks there were some women who made accusations against now Supreme Court Justice Brett Kavanaugh.

But those are only accusations. No real evidence was ever produced to prove their accusations.

Not so, David and Bathsheba.

God Himself confirmed the sins of David and recorded them to be forever remembered and rehearsed.

What could David’s most notorious sin have to do with his heart after God?

The answer is in his response to the sin rather than in the sin itself.

Let’s begin by noting,

I. THE TRAUMA OF THIS EVENT

2 Samuel 11:4-5 (KJV)

And David sent and enquired after the woman. And one said, Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

And David sent messengers, and took her; and she came in unto him, and he lay with her…

I’m going to construct a couple of my own words and speak about the “shoulda’s and “shouldn’ta’s” of the story of David and Bathsheba.

It was the season when kings went forth to battle.

·   David shoulda been out with his men.

·   David shoulda made a covenant with his eyes not to look upon a maid

·   David shoulda taken stepped inside when he saw there was a woman bathing

·   David shoulda taken the high road and let her be when he found out she was married

And then:

·   David shouldn’ta sent for her

·   David shouldn’ta lay with her

·   David shouldn’ta had her husband killed

The enormity of the sin involved here is very hard for me to wrap my head around.

This was a sin of passion.

David’s lust 

·   Defiled Himself

·   Dishonored Bathsheba and

·   Delivered an innocent baby into this world

This sin of passion devolved into a crime of premeditation.

David’s going to get found out!

If Bathsheba carries this baby to term while her husband is out fighting the enemies of Israel – 

Well, the scandal is just too terrible for David to imagine.

So David devises a plan.

He has Uriah, her husband sent home from the front. He meets with David and is invited to spend the evening with his wife before heading back. What man would not have cherished an offer like that?

But Uriah didn’t go home.

How could he enjoy and evening with his wife when fellow soldiers were battling the enemies of his people?

Next night, David tried to loosen Uriah’s ethics.

He got him drunk and invited him to spend the night at home. 

But Uriah didn’t go home.

Even drunk he had more honor than that.

Desperate, David sent him back to the fight.

But he sent with him a letter to the General Joab. Put Uriah in the hottest part of the battle and retire from him so he dies.

May I remind you that there is not a person in this room whose life is not filled with “shoulda’s” and “shouldn’ta’s”?

I understand that yours are probably not of the same degree as David’s but, if God could forgive David don’t you imagine you ought to forgive others of their own “shoulda’s” and “shouldn’ta’s”?

What I would like you to do right now is take a moment to inventorynot your neighbor’s but your own “shoulda’s” and shouldn’ta’s”.

Don’t make light of them

Don’t line them up next to someone you think is worse than you

Measure every one of those: 

·   sins, 

·   mistakes, 

·   failures, 

·   faults, 

·   weaknesses, 

·   flaws 

or whatever else you like to call them next to Jesus Christ.

I ask you to consider next

II. THE TRAGEDY OF THIS EVENT

2 Samuel 12:9-12 (KJV)

Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite with the sword, and hast taken his wife to be thy wife, and hast slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon.

Now therefore the sword shall never depart from thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife.

Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives before thine eyes, and give them unto thy neighbour, and he shall lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun.

For thou didst it secretly: but I will do this thing before all Israel, and before the sun.

David acknowledged his sin and because of it, God did not take his life.

But that doesn’t mean David paid no consequences.

Years ago a young man I knew defiled a girl and got her pregnant.

He came to me one day furious at the girl’s father.

“God has forgiven me. What right does he have not to?”

Here’s the thing,

Being forgiven does not necessarily mean being free of the consequences.

After Bathsheba the remainder of David’s life focuses on only two things:

·   Arranging for the Temple his son would eventually build and

·   Agonizing over the conflicts he has in his family

I want to ask you to consider – it might not be God’s plan to overlook your own “shoulda’s” and “shouldn’ta’s”.

It may be that the way to glorify God is to humbly walk with God through the consequences of your failures.

2 Corinthians 1:3-6 (KJV)

Blessed be God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comfort;

Who comforteth us in all our tribulation, that we may be able to comfort them which are in any trouble, by the comfort wherewith we ourselves are comforted of God.

For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us, so our consolation also aboundeth by Christ.

And whether we be afflicted, it is for your consolation and salvation, which is effectual in the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation and salvation.

David could have had Shimei killed for cursing him as he fled his son Absalom.

He didn’t do it.

2 Samuel 16:11-13 (KJV)

And David said to Abishai, and to all his servants, Behold, my son, which came forth of my bowels, seeketh my life: how much more now may this Benjamite do it? let him alone, and let him curse; for the LORD hath bidden him.

It may be that the LORD will look on mine affliction, and that the LORD will requite me good for his cursing this day.

And as David and his men went by the way, Shimei went along on the hill's side over against him, and cursed as he went, and threw stones at him, and cast dust.

Allow me now to hurry to what I think points to a heart after God’s…

III. THE TUTORIAL TO THIS EVENT

2 Samuel 12:13 (KJV)

And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD. …

A detailed account of David’s confession before Nathan is in,

Psalms 51:1-19 (KJV)

To the chief Musician, A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet came unto him, after he had gone in to Bathsheba. 

Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: according unto the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions.

Wash me throughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that thou mightest be justified when thou speakest, and be clear when thou judgest.

Behold, I was shapen in iniquity; and in sin did my mother conceive me.

Behold, thou desirest truth in the inward parts: and in the hidden part thou shalt make me to know wisdom.

Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.

Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit within me.

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation: and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.

O Lord, open thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

For thou desirest not sacrifice; else would I give it: thou delightest not in burnt offering.

The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise.

Do good in thy good pleasure unto Zion: build thou the walls of Jerusalem.

Then shalt thou be pleased with the sacrifices of righteousness, with burnt offering and whole burnt offering: then shall they offer bullocks upon thine altar.

A. He acknowledged

Psalms 51:3 (KJV)

For I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me.

·   No covering it up

·   No ignoring it

·   No offering excuses

·   No pointing fingers at other people

·   No running from it

David acknowledged his transgression.

A world of trouble could be avoided if we would be honest and open about our sins.

B. He didn’t get depressed

Psalms 51:8 (KJV)

Make me to hear joy and gladness; that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice.

Some people mope around all unhappy like hoping that other people will notice and come to their rescue.

The only one who needs to know about your problems is Jesus. 

Take them to Him and let Him make you glad.

C. He sought filling and faith

Psalms 51:11-12 (KJV)

Cast me not away from thy presence; and take not thy holy spirit from me.

Restore unto me the joy of thy salvation; and uphold me with thy free spirit.

The most wonderful thing in the world is to remember that our salvation is on account of Jesus and not ourselves.

We can never lose our salvation because it was given to us by Jesus.

Once we have repented of our sin any Christian can be filled with the Holy Spirit.

D.  He kept telling people how to be saved

Psalms 51:13 (KJV)

Then will I teach transgressors thy ways; and sinners shall be converted unto thee.

Don’t give up on serving the Lord.

·   Acknowledge your sin

·   Make right what you need to

·   Accept those consequences you can’t get rid of and

·   Keep on serving the Lord

Conclusion

Being a man after God’s own heart did not make David sinless.

The difference between him and Saul was that, instead of:

·   Making excuses and covering up his sins David

·   Acknowledged them and dealt with the consequences

A man after God’s own heart, knows he needs the heart of, the mercy of God, and seeks it.