2Sa 11:22-27 | KingComments | STEP | David orders Joab to ensure that Uriah is killed. It is nothing less than an order to have him murdered. The brave man who is prepared to die for the honor of his king is killed by his king. David has lost his mind through his adultery ( ). He killed Goliath in broad daylight and before the eyes of all the people. He secretly lets the murder of Uriah happen, it is a work of darkness. David is that hardened that he orders the murder by giving the letter for Joab and the instructions to Uriah himself. The fact that he gives the letter to Uriah is an extra proof of the integrity of Uriah. David knows that this faithful soldier will never open the letter. By making Joab complicit in his iniquity, he at the same time makes himself a slave to him. By the way, Joab did not have to do this. Later he also knows to act when David is doing wrong in his eyes ( ). How deeply David sunk! When he was chased in the mountains like a partridge by Saul ( ), he was happier than now. Then he had a living faith and a good conscience. Joab is well acquainted with David’s way of thinking, because he knows how he will react ( ). In view of this, the messenger must then say that Uriah is dead. When David has heard the report, he knows he has achieved his goal. His response is a general comment, without any sympathy because of the death of his subjects. Uriah is dead. That was what it was all about. He soothes Joab’s conscience, but his own conscience seems cauterized.

‏ 2 Samuel 11:22-27

David Lets Uriah Be Killed

David orders Joab to ensure that Uriah is killed. It is nothing less than an order to have him murdered. The brave man who is prepared to die for the honor of his king is killed by his king. David has lost his mind through his adultery (Pro 6:32). He killed Goliath in broad daylight and before the eyes of all the people. He secretly lets the murder of Uriah happen, it is a work of darkness.

David is that hardened that he orders the murder by giving the letter for Joab and the instructions to Uriah himself. The fact that he gives the letter to Uriah is an extra proof of the integrity of Uriah. David knows that this faithful soldier will never open the letter. By making Joab complicit in his iniquity, he at the same time makes himself a slave to him. By the way, Joab did not have to do this. Later he also knows to act when David is doing wrong in his eyes (2Sam 19:5-7 ; 2Sam 24:3).

How deeply David sunk! When he was chased in the mountains like a partridge by Saul (1Sam 26:20), he was happier than now. Then he had a living faith and a good conscience.

Joab is well acquainted with David’s way of thinking, because he knows how he will react (2Sam 11:18-21). In view of this, the messenger must then say that Uriah is dead. When David has heard the report, he knows he has achieved his goal. His response is a general comment, without any sympathy because of the death of his subjects. Uriah is dead. That was what it was all about. He soothes Joab’s conscience, but his own conscience seems cauterized.

David Takes Bathsheba to Be His Wife

Bathsheba also receives the message of her husband’s death and mourns for him. This mourning must not have lasted too long and must not have been too deep, for immediately after the time of mourning David sends for her and she becomes his wife. In this way sin must remain hidden.

However, his sin will find him out (Num 32:23). It also seems that the matter has become well known anyway. Can we not derive this from what Nathan says about the slander of the LORD’s enemies by this sinful act of David (2Sam 12:14)? It was also possible to count in that time and it was noted that the son of Bathsheba was born much earlier than nine months after his marriage.

David may have tried to hide his sin from the eyes of men, but it is impossible to hide it from the eyes of the all-seeing God. We read: “But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD.” We see what sin is to God when we read the profound confession of David in Psalm 51. This psalm David wrote “when the prophet Nathan came to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba” (Psa 51:1a).

The lesson this history contains for us is that we must be careful not to hang around but to do what the Lord commands. A sin never comes alone. We must be careful of the lust of the eyes. If we have sinned, we should not try to camouflage that sin, because that leads to another sin. We must confess sin. I am now thinking of the sexual relationship that the former President of the United States, Bill Clinton, had with Monica Lewinski (November 1995-March 1997, Wikipedia). He did everything possible to deny the charges so as not to lose his face to the world.

Actually, we should not even think about Clinton’s relationship with Lewinski. Don’t we have enough to do with ourselves? How often do we try to find an excuse for sin, so we don’t have to confess it, afraid as we are of losing face? This needs to be not only on the sexual level. It can happen in all kinds of situations. Also then there is One Who looks from the beginning and it must be said that it is “evil in the sight of the LORD”.

We may all pray for ourselves: ‘Lord, do not lead me into temptation, but keep me close to Yourself, in Your way. “Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You” (Psa 16:1). I know, Lord, that these words were in Your heart when You walked here on earth. You spoke them, not because You were afraid to stumble, but because as Man You found complete safety and protection with Your God. These words indicate how You were completely dependent on Your God. Thank You for allowing me to pray these words too. With me it is for fear that I give in to sin. There is so much around me that connects to the sin dwelling in me, that I want to ask again: Preserve me, O God, for I take refuge in You.’