SCRIPTURE BY JANICE HALL
Lesson Text: 2 Samuel 11:2-5, 14-18, 26-27; 12:13-15
Related Scriptures: Exodus 20: 13,14,17; Leviticus 18:20; 20:10; Matthew 5:27-28; John 8: 3-11
We see in the lesson today, in 2 Samuel brings about themes of temptation, sin, power, responsibility, consequences, and deceptions. The verses reveal David’s great transgressions, family troubles caused by sin of adultery, and two political rebellions against his rule and his reign. His greatest sin was against the Lord.
In Exodus 20: 13,14,17 explains the sixth, seventh, and the 10th commandments. We are taught, “ You shall not murder”, “ You shall not commit adultery “, and “ You shall not covet”. The verses in Leviticus reveals the laws of sexual morality, also the penalty for adultery which is death.
In Matthew 5:27-28, Jesus acknowledges that adultery is sin, but also explains that attitudes of lust are sinful as well. He teaches that lust is absolutely a sin, even if it never results in a physical action. John 8:3-11, reflects on the previous verses( 7:53- 8:2), where a woman is caught in adultery, is brought to Jesus for judgment. The religious leaders presented her as a sinner before Jesus, but ignored their own sin. Jesus challenges the woman,” Go and sin no more”.
SYNOPSIS BY DOUG SMITH
As David gazed from his palace roof, he saw a beautiful woman bathing, and lust filled his heart. He remained on the roof and did not resist the temptation. Instead, David entertained the temptation by inquiring about Bathsheba. The many results of allowing the temptations to remain in his heart would be devastating. The phrase, “she was purified from her uncleanness”( vs.4) means that Bathsheba had just completed her purification rights following menstruation, indicating she could not have already been pregnant by her own husband when David slept with her.
David put both Bathsheba and Joab in a difficult situation. Bathsheba knew it was wrong to commit adultery, and to refuse a king’s request could mean punishment or death. Joab did not know why Uriah had to die, but it was obvious the king wanted him killed. Uriah and several other soldiers died as a result of David’s scheme. David compounded his problems by taking unto himself Uriah’s wife and marrying her.
David confessed and repented of his sin. But God’s judgment was that the child would die. The consequences of David’s sin were irreversible. This was not a judgment on the child for being conceived out of wedlock, but a judgment on David for his sin. Nathan, a prophet of great wisdom, bravery, obedience, and loyalty, gave three crucial messages at three crucial times in David’s life.
PRACTICAL APPLICATION BY BRITTENNE BOYKIN
We know David as a man of war, a psalmist, one of Israel’s greatest kings and man of extreme passions, but scripture would record him as a man after God’s own heart. In today’s lesson we have a birds eye view of King David during one of his most infamous moral lapses of his life. David falls prey to the pride within the crevices of his own heart. He succumbs to the tried and true formula that the enemy of our soul uses. He finds himself with time on his hands.
David enjoying a little rest and relaxation while his men are at battle, and what does he spy with his little eye, a beautiful woman named Bathsheba bathing on the balcony across the way. So far we have idol time, gazing too long at what he shouldn’t have (11:2), gaining more information about a woman that was off limits (11:3), and making a framework for sin and creating a recipe for disaster (11:4). David was so caught up in his desires and lustful self gratification that he sends a loyal supporter to his death in order to conceal the results of his deeds. (11:14-17) We see in previous sections of our Sunday School lesson that David and Bathsheba do end up together and a child is even born through their relationship but David’s actions displease God.(11:26-27) We know this because Nathan the prophet tells David, and although God forgives David, he and Bathsheba both suffer the judgement that befalls them.(12:14-15).
David’s mistakes remind us that sin has a deceptive nature and that every action has a consequence. God sees our actions and knows our hearts. Pride causes us to think that our deeds escape the gaze of God. Let us be ever aware that sin is progressive and the good times it can provide momentarily, can often leaves us with catastrophic consequences. This week, let us take time to stop and identify when we find ourselves lingering too long on things that are contrary to the character of God and offensive to him.
