1 And the Lord sent Nathan to David. He came to him and said to him, “There were two men in a certain city, the one rich and the other poor. 2 The rich man had very many flocks and herds, 3 but the poor man had nothing but one little ewe lamb, which he had bought. And he brought it up, and it grew up with him and with his children. It used to eat of his morsel and drink from his cup and lie in his arms, and it was like a daughter to him. 4 Now there came a traveler to the rich man, and he was unwilling to take one of his own flock or herd to prepare for the guest who had come to him, but he took the poor man's lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.” 5 Then David's anger was greatly kindled against the man, and he said to Nathan, “As the Lord lives, the man who has done this deserves to die, 6 and he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.”
7 Nathan said to David, “You are the man! Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you out of the hand of Saul. 8 And I gave you your master's house and your master's wives into your arms and gave you the house of Israel and of Judah. And if this were too little, I would add to you as much more. 9 Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and have taken his wife to be your wife and have killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. 10 Now therefore the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ 11 Thus says the Lord, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. 12 For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’” 13 David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the Lord.” And Nathan said to David, “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. 14 Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” – 2 Samuel 12:1-14 ESV
When David received the news from Joab that Uriah had been killed in battle (just as David had commanded), he responded flippantly, “Do not let this matter displease you…” (2 Samuel 11:25 ESV). Joab, under David’s direct orders, had purposefully sent Uriah into a dangerous situation where he was exposed to enemy fire. In other words, Joab had been complicit in David’s plan to have Uriah murdered. Yet, David told his general not to be bothered by this violation of God’s law.
The language David used is interesting. The Hebrew word translated as “displeasure” is actually rāʿaʿ, which most often gets translated as “evil.” The literal translation would be, “Do not let this thing be evil in your eyes.” In other words, David was telling Joab not to see what he had done as evil or sinful. He wasn’t to grieve over it or be upset about it. Yes, he had just overseen the execution of an innocent man and caused the needless deaths of many of his own men but, from David’s perspective, it was no big deal – “for the sword devours one as well as another” (2 Samuel 11:25 ESV).
But David’s words stand in stark contrast to those of the prophet Isaiah.
“What sorrow for those who say that evil is good and good is evil, that dark is light and light is dark, that bitter is sweet and sweet is bitter.” - Isaiah 5:20 NLT
David was attempting to negate the gravity of his sin and was even unwilling to admit that what he had done to Uriah and with Bathsheba was actually a sin at all. David was totally unrepentant and non-remorseful and he didn’t want Joab to be displeased about his role in the affair either. But David conveniently forgot about God’s displeasure. What he had done was sin and God hates sin. He is the holy and righteous God who must deal justly with sin. He can’t ignore it, excuse it, or turn his back on it. And because David was the king of Israel, he was held to an even higher standard by God. He was God’s chosen representative and the leader of God’s people, and as the old proverb states: “As is the king, so are the subjects.”
What is amazing about this story is that it took a third party to bring David to a point of repentance. It was not until Nathan the prophet showed up at David’s doorstep that David had second thoughts about what he had done. Even Psalm 51, written by David as a result of this whole affair regarding Bathsheba and Uriah, was written after Nathan had been used by God to convict David. The description attached to the psalm explains this fact: “A Psalm of David, when Nathan the prophet went to him after he had gone in to Bathsheba.”
David finally came to a realization of the gravity of his actions only after God sent Nathan to expose David’s sin. And, frankly, it took the rather deceptive tactics of Nathan to get David to recognize the weight of his actions and the depth of God’s displeasure. Blinded by his lust for Bathsheba and motivated by a desire to protect the integrity of his name, David had launched a staggering plan to cover up his immoral actions and, all along the way, he rationalized and justified what he had done. But once God stepped in, David stood convicted, condemned, and completely reliant upon the mercy of God.
Have mercy on me, O God,
according to your steadfast love;
according to your abundant mercy
blot out my transgressions.
Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity,
and cleanse me from my sin!
For I know my transgressions,
and my sin is ever before me.
Against you, you only, have I sinned
and done what is evil in your sight,
so that you may be justified in your words
and blameless in your judgment. – Psalm 51:1-4 ESV
While David may have been successful at persuading Joab to blow off his role in Uriah’s death, he would never convince God that what he had done was a good thing. God wasn’t just displeased; He was angry and His was a righteous indignation. He had taken David’s actions personally.
“Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.” – 2 Samuel 12:9 NLT
David had to be reminded that his reign had been God’s doing. The royal power he had used to satisfy his lust and order the death of an innocent man had been delegated to him by God.
“I anointed you king of Israel and saved you from the power of Saul.” – 2 Samuel 12:7 NLT
God even reminded David of what had happened to Saul, who had also multiplied wives for himself, in direct violation of God’s command.
“I gave you your master’s house and his wives and the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. And if that had not been enough, I would have given you much, much more.” – 2 Samuel 12:8 NLT
This was not God giving His approval of Saul’s collection of wives, and it cannot be used to infer that God was transferring the rights to Saul’s many wives to David. This would be in direct contradiction to God’s own commands (Deuteronomy 17:17). God was simply stating that the sins of Saul had led to his fall. David had taken ownership of all that had belonged to Saul, all because God had made it possible. Yet, had responded to God’s goodness and grace by committing two indefensible sins.
“Why, then, have you despised the word of the Lord and done this horrible deed? For you have murdered Uriah the Hittite with the sword of the Ammonites and stolen his wife.” – 2 Samuel 12:9 NLT
David was convicted and confessed his sins before God and, while he would receive forgiveness, there would still be consequences.
“From this time on, your family will live by the sword because you have despised me by taking Uriah’s wife to be your own.” - 2 Samuel 12:10 NLT
David’s sin would not go unpunished. He would receive God’s forgiveness but he would also pay dearly for what he he had done.
“Because of what you have done, I will cause your own household to rebel against you. I will give your wives to another man before your very eyes, and he will go to bed with them in public view. You did it secretly, but I will make this happen to you openly in the sight of all Israel.” – 2 Samuel 12:11-12 NLT
This devastating news got David’s full attention and he responded: “I have sinned against the Lord” (2 Samuel 12:13 ESV). He recognized that his actions had been a form of rebellion against God Himself. What he had done to Bathsheba had been a violation of her marriage vows to Uriah but, ultimately, it was a violation of God’s law. David had taken the life of an innocent man and, in doing so, he had taken a divine right and made it his own. He had played god and had no right to do so.
But David took responsibility for his sins and repented. He didn’t argue, excuse, rationalize, or justify himself. He confessed and took his punishment like a man, but God was not going to let David off easy.
“…the Lord has forgiven you, and you won’t die for this sin. Nevertheless, because you have shown utter contempt for the word of the Lord by doing this, your child will die.” – 2 Samuel 12:13-14 NLT
Years later, in one of his psalms, David said of God, “as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us” (Psalm 103:12 ESV). David would come to love and appreciate the forgiveness of God but he would also undestand the discipline of God.
The most difficult thing about this passage is the death of the child born to David and Bathsheba. This innocent child had been the result of their adulterous affair but had played no part in it. He had been the unwitting byproduct of their sin and, yet, it was he who paid the highest price. As difficult as it is to understand the seeming unfairness of this punishment, it makes more sense when considered in the light of the words of James.
But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. – James 1:14-15 ESV
To blame God for the death of the child would be wrong. It was the sin of David that caused the child’s death. The sad reality about sin is that the innocent always suffer the most. When we sin, we always try to justify or rationalize our actions by claiming that we are not hurting anyone else. But sin always has a victim other than us. If we look at the list of sins in Galatians chapter 5, we see that they are all other-oriented. Our sins are always damaging to others, and it was David’s sin with Bathsheba and his role in the death of Uriah that led to the loss of his own son. He could not point his finger at God and attempt to blame Him.
As we will see in the rest of the chapter, David will pray to God for his son’s healing, but he will not blame God for his son’s illness. He knew where the blame belonged. David had taken another man’s wife and shown no pity. He had arranged for the murder of that same man and had shown no remorse.
But David was going to learn a powerful and life-changing lesson from this dark moment of the soul. He would later write the following words that reflected his new understanding regarding sin and repentance.
For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it;
you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.
The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit;
a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. – Psalm 51:16-17 ESV
English Standard Version (ESV) The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Permanent Text Edition® (2016). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Living Translation (NLT) Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
