Reading For Wednesday 2 Samuel 11:1-27

David's army may have been fighting successfully on foreign soil, but David was losing a battle with temptation at home. After an afternoon nap, David was walking on the roof of his palace when from that height he spotted a beautiful woman bathing, probably in the courtyard of a house at a lower elevation. David inquired about the woman and learned that she was the wife of one of his officers, Uriah the Hittite. Undeterred by her marital status, David sent messengers to summon this woman. David slept with Bathsheba and then returned to her house. A short time later Bathsheba discovered that she was pregnant and promptly notified David. In an attempt to cover the infidelity of Bathsheba, David ordered Uriah home from the battlefield. The King interviewed this officer and urged him to go to his house and refresh himself, but Uriah spent that night with the royal bodyguard at the door to the king’s house. 
When David was told that Uriah had not gone down to his house, he questioned him. Uriah explained that he could not in good conscience enjoy the comforts of home as long as his troops were experiencing the deprivations of a long military campaign and for two more days Uriah remained in Jerusalem. At a royal feast, David got Uriah drunk thinking that under the influence of alcohol that he would go home to his wife, but  Uriah stayed with the king’s servants outside the palace door. 

David resorted to a desperate scheme and drafted orders to be carried to the battle front by Uriah. Joab was to assign Uriah to the front line where the battle was most fierce and then withdraw leaving Uriah to be struck down and killed by the Ammonites. General Joab executed the orders of his king and in one of the Ammonite attacks against the Israelite forces Uriah was killed. Joab thought that David would be angry when he heard the report of heavy casualties at Rabbah, so he directed the messenger to respond to any angry outburst by reporting as an addendum the death of Uriah. The messenger reported to David the details of the battle. David realized that his royal orders led to the irresponsible conduct of Joab in ordering the men so close to the walls. He sent word back to his general urging him not to be distraught over the losses and ordered Joab to continue the attack. Bathsheba went through the motions of mourning for her dead husband and David married Bathsheba. It does not matter whether or not this evil act was hidden from the people; nothing is hidden from God, and this evil displeased him. 

Things To Consider:

• How do you deal with temptation? Why was David's second look and inquiry more dangerous than the first? 
• How should we deal with sin? 
• What does Bathsheba teach us about external works of cleansing? 
• Why does sin lead to more sin? 
• How many relationships were affected by the sin of these two? 
• How do David and Uriah's faithfulness compare to one another? 
• How destructive is sin to the heart? David was guilt-stricken over just cutting the edge of Saul's robe, yet he would resort to murder? 
• Why is sin so devastating if we have been saved from its penalty?