2 Samuel 11:1-12:13

Memory Verse: 12:13

Introduction

Questions

Outline

I. David's Sin (11:1-27)

>1. One springtime, when kings go off to war, what was David doing? (1a)

* 2 Samuel 11:1a "In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army."

* "In the spring" -The spring of the same year that David and Israel was attacked by the Ammonites from the south and the Arameans from the north. The time frame is around ten years after David established Jerusalem as Israel's capital, around 993 B.C.

* "at the time when kings go off to war" -Directly after the grain harvest. The grain harvest was in April and May. Israel was commanded by the Lord to celebrate the Feast of Firstfruits in their first month (after Passover), which was during the spring. After the Feast of Firstfruits Israel (and all the other nations) would go to war. This does not mean that they would go to war for no reason. For Israel, the reason was because there were still parts of the promised lands that they had not yet conquered (i.e. Philistia, Phoenicia, Arameans, Geshur, etc.)

* "David sent Joab out" -David did not go out to war. At the same age I am now, approaching forty-eight years old, David was tired of fighting battles all his life. Yet, this was one of the requirements of a king. Israel stated their expectation for the king. 1 Samuel 8:19b-20 records them saying, "We want a king over us. Then we will be like all the other nations, with a king to lead us and to go out before us and fight our battles." I can identify somewhat with David. After serving the Lord thirty years I can say, "I been fighting the spiritual fight so long and am tired. That is the task for the young and strong." Yet this is not so. I am a adapted prince in the service of my King Jesus. As I prince I am to continue fighting the spiritual fight. Like Paul I should be able to say at the end of my life, "I have fought the good fight. I have kept the faith." (2 Tim. 4:7)

* Deuteronomy 17:14-20 and 1 Samuel 8:6-18 outline some of the guidelines for Israel's king.

* Isaiah 40:28-31 "Do you not know? Have you not heard? The LORD is the everlasting God, the Creator of the ends of the earth. He will not grow tired or weary, and his understanding no one can fathom. He gives strength to the weary and increases the power of the weak. Even youths grow tired and weary, and young men stumble and fall; but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint."

>What was his army doing? (1b)

* 2 Samuel 11:1b "They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem."

* "They destroyed the Ammonites" -The background of the battle is discussed in the previous chapter.

* "Rabbah" -Rabbah was the capital city of the Ammonites; modern Amman. It is twenty miles (32km) east of Jerusalem.

>Why would David fall into an easy and complacent life? (1c)

* "But David remained in Jerusalem" -The wording is clear that David resisted. David did not go to the start, middle, and end of the fight. Sin does not come out of nowhere. sin comes by slowly letting down one's guard; less prayer time, less Bible study, less time with God's people, and less service in love for the Lord and his people.

* Galatians 6:9 "Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up."

* Hebrews 12:3 "Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart."

* Taking a physical break is not bad as long as how we take it in the Lord. Quiet times of reflection is acceptable and good. (Jos. 1:8; Psalm 1:2, 77:12, 119:97, 148, 143:4-6)

* The temptation of being a full time paid servant of the Lord is to grow complacent; pleased with ones past accomplishments, using them as an excuse to take it easy. A great man of God once said, "There is no such thing as retirement from the service of the Lord." Of course we should not get in a rut, a habitual life of faith.

* We should always focus on the purpose that Jesus has called us, our mission in his service. David's first purpose was to unite the kingdom, his second service was to fight off Israel's enemies and conquer all of the promised land.

* We should continually examine our hearts before the Lord in prayer and as we study his word. We should ask why we do what we do. "Is this in line with what the Lord asks of me?"

* David's power and authority was left unchecked and unchallenged. Anyone who is a leader in such situation is doomed to sin and fail. We all need someone who can speak the truth without fear of retaliation.

* "Power tends to corrupt, and absolute power corrupts absolutely. Great men are almost always bad men." (John Emerich Edward Dalberg Acton, 1887) Similar William Pitt in a speech to the UK House of Lords in 1770 said, "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it".

>2. How did David come to sin so easily and naturally? (2-4)

* 2 Samuel 11:2-4 "One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home."

* "One evening David got up from his bed" -David was taking naps and sleeping in. He was in a position where all were afraid to question his actions. If anyone spoke up either David or one of his "yes men" would have rebuked and chastised him. All should be accountable to another human. One of the hard jobs of the prophet was to challenge kings who often had absolute power and control. Some congregation leaders are little kings today. We can tell a pastor (shepherd) is unaccountable when they continually preach on obeying them. I've even have heard directors equate their word with God's word and obeying them as equal to obeying God. Anyone has it in them to do this.

* "walked around on the roof of the palace" -David was bored. Since we was not doing what he was suppose to do and had always done what he had suppose to do, he didn't know what to do now that he wasn't doing it. Roofs in Palestine at this time were flat with a canape for shade and pillows to relax on. In the evenings they were a cool place to relax.

* "From the roof he saw a woman bathing" -All around our society there are promiscuous images and people. Seeing these once and quickly looking away is not wrong. Extended looking or turning to look again is wrong. Why? Our weak sinful nature dehumanizes the opposite gender, changing them from people into objects. Following desires of the flesh is to ignore the spirit. (1 Cor. 7)

* "Bathsheba" -The fact that modesty didn't keep her from bathing in the heat of the day with no covering over her roof and the fact that she came to him without reservation or protest shows that she was just as much to blame as David even if she had no ulterior motive. Verse 6 also says that she purified herself, indicating she had knowingly sinned.

* "Eliam" -One of the thirty might men and one of David's personal body guards. (23:34) Eliam is also known as Ammiel by transposition of the two elements in his name in 1 Chron. 3:5.

* "the wife of Uriah the Hittite" -Uriah was one of David's body guards. (23:39) "Uriah" means "my light is the LORD" suggesting he had accepted the true God. Hittites were to be completely wiped out. Yet like others, when Uriah accepted the Lord as the one and only true God he was exempt from God's decree and wrath. The fact that David accepted a Hittite because he now loved the Lord shows David's caring heart.

* David did not seek comfort with him many wives and concubines, a fact that is within Nathan's rebuke.

* 1 Corinthians 7:2-6 "But since there is so much immorality, each man should have his own wife, and each woman her own husband. The husband should fulfill his marital duty to his wife, and likewise the wife to her husband. The wife's body does not belong to her alone but also to her husband. In the same way, the husband's body does not belong to him alone but also to his wife. Do not deprive each other except by mutual consent and for a time, so that you may devote yourselves to prayer. Then come together again so that Satan will not tempt you because of your lack of self-control. I say this as a concession, not as a command."

>Why is laziness such a serious matter? (Gen. 1:28; Eccl. 11:6; Heb. 12:1-4)

* Genesis 1:28 "God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."

* Ecclesiastes 11:6 "Sow your seed in the morning, and at evening let not your hands be idle, for you do not know which will succeed, whether this or that, or whether both will do equally well."

* Hebrews 12:1-4 "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of our faith, who for the joy set before him endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. Consider him who endured such opposition from sinful men, so that you will not grow weary and lose heart. In your struggle against sin, you have not yet resisted to the point of shedding your blood."

* God created man with a mission; Adam was to subdue the earth, take care of the garden, and to fill the earth with spiritual sons and daughters.

* Jesus has given the church, his bride a mission to spread the gospel to the ends of the earth and to love each other as he has loved us.

>What happened to complicate things?

* 2 Samuel 11:5 "The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, 'I am pregnant.'"

* Our sins often entangle us. Hebrews 12:1 states, "Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles, and let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us."

>3. How did David try to cover up his sin? (6-8)

* 2 Samuel 11:6-8 "So David sent this word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent him to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him."

* David tried to cover up his sin. Repentance involves admitting we have sinned with a desire not only to stop sinning, but a desire to do what is right.

* "wash your feet" -This is considered to be an ancient way for a king to exempt a soldier from his obligations and service in the army.

* "a gift from the king was sent after him" -David was imposing on Uriah a false sense of obligation to obey his words to go home to enjoy his wife's company. Some gifts come with strings attached. I have been a victim of such gifts and false kind words. Those with improper desires are often very crafty. May the Lord protect us from such improper things. Do not give expecting.

>Why did his first effort fail? (9)

* 2 Samuel 11:9 "But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master's servants and did not go down to his house."

* "Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace" -A common place for a body guard for the king to sleep. Uriah kept to his duty to the very man who was secretly plotting to destroy him. At one time I was like Uriah, faithfully serving under the authority of a man and in the service of the Lord who was plotting evil against me. He was to me like David was to Uriah at this time. I had to leave from under his corrupt shepherding so my new wife would be spared his plans. To this day the man will not admit his sins against me and seek to right the wrong. On the few occasions I have seen him since then and see the guilt in his eyes and on his face. If he does not do the right thing toward me in this life I know that he will have to give an account for his actions at the Bema seat. I can learn that as Saul and then David and then the leader over me, I too have the capability to do this very thing.

* Uriah, being a man who sought God lived a life of devotion and honor.

* Uriah was in contrast to David and should have convicted David of his refusal to go to war as he was required.

>What kind of man was Uriah? (10-13)

* 2 Samuel 11:10-13 "When David was told, "Uriah did not go home," he asked him, "Haven't you just come from a distance? Why didn't you go home?" Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!" Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. At David's invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master's servants; he did not go home."

* "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents" -Uriah loved the Lord and the Lord's people. David's plot against Uriah was little different that Saul's plots against David, especially when David lived in Saul's house and fought Saul's battle. David had become like Saul and Uriah was now like David. "You who judge others do the same thing." David would soon learn this fact. I know what it is like to have spiritual men turn from the Lord's ways and words and then lay a burden on me because of their sins and selfish ways. It is a crushing experience.

* John Wesley said, "Give me 100 people who fear God and fear sin and the world will be changed." Uriah was such a man.

>What further sin did David commit in order to cover his first sin?

* 2 Samuel 11:14-21 "In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die." So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died. Joab sent David a full account of the battle. He instructed the messenger: "When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, the king's anger may flare up, and he may ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth? Didn't a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?' If he asks you this, then say to him, 'Also, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.'"

* David should have accepted his sin and repented. David should have admitted to David his sin against him and the Lord and sought restitution.

* When we commit a sin we should not try to solve it on ourselves or take it into our own hands. We should confess and repent.

* Human sinful nature goes against admitting ones sins, especially the humiliation of it. Jesus taught, "This is the verdict: Light has come into the world, but men loved darkness instead of light because their deeds were evil. Everyone who does evil hates the light, and will not come into the light for fear that his deeds will be exposed. But whoever lives by the truth comes into the light, so that it may be seen plainly that what he has done has been done through God." (John 3:19-21)

* Leaders are most tempted with money, sex, power, and pride.

>What does this teach us about sin?

* One small sin will lead to great sins.

* Sin is the opposite of love. Sin destroys compassion for one's fellow.

* Sin breeds fear.

* David's fear of exposure to men was a symptom of his sinful acts.

* Sin's real problem is a lack of faith in God's love and power.

* Sin makes us self centered.

>4. How did David's sin affect his heart for his people? (22-25)

* 2 Samuel 11:22-25 "The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance to the city gate. Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead." David told the messenger, "Say this to Joab: 'Don't let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.' Say this to encourage Joab."

* "Don't let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another." -David was saying Uriah and the other's deaths was no big deal.

* David was made become of some of his men had died. He was made at Joab because he felt he was not conducting the war well. In truth the men's death was a result of the fact that David had lost focus and decided not to go out to war, fulfilling his God given task.

* David cared more for people's opinion of him then Uriah's life.

* The very thing that drew men to David, his compassion and fairness was lost because of sin.

* Joab was no fool. He knew that David's command and thus his reasons for it was evil. He also knew that David would not like the death of brave men in normal circumstances and that he was responsible for these men's death. Yet he was wise enough not to question David as long as David's heart was not right. Jesus said, "Do not give dogs what is sacred; do not throw your pearls to pigs. If you do, they may trample them under their feet, and then turn and tear you to pieces." (Matthew 7:6) A man who at one time heart sought after the heart of the Lord now was acting like a pig. Joab knew that if he did not handle this properly David would tear him to pieces like he did Uriah. It is a terrible thing to fall under the hand of a man who has left his first love and whose candle had been blown out.

>After Uriah's death, what did his widow and David do?

* 2 Samuel 11:26-27a "When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son."

* "After the time of mourning was over" -The standard time of mourning was seven days. (Gen. 50:10; 1 Sam. 31:13)

* "David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife" -David did this quickly so that no one would suspect that the infant now alive in Bathsheba was not his.

>What is the author's comment? (27b)

* 2 Samuel 11:27b "But the thing David had done displeased the Lord."

* In God's point of view it was not Joab or the Ammonites that killed Uriah, but David.

* Legally Uriah died in battle, but spiritually Uriah died in David's heart.

* The heart of David was now full of evil intent.

* Not only had David brazenly violated God's laws, but, even worse, he had shamelessly abused his royal power, which the Lord had entrusted to him to shepherd the Lord's people. (5:2, 7:7-8)

* Each of God's people have been given tasks, responsibilities, gifts, and some even authority. We should never use these for selfish gain. We should not abuse that which God has give us.

>How did his sin affect him? (Psalms 32:3-4)

* Psalms 32:3-4 "When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Selah"

* David himself had already written, "Lead me, O LORD, in your righteousness because of my enemies-- make straight your way before me. Not a word from their mouth can be trusted; their heart is filled with destruction. Their throat is an open grave; with their tongue they speak deceit." (Psalm 5:8-9))

* When a man who had sought God and obeyed God as David had sins the guilt eats away the soul as cancer eat on the flesh. A callous heart is a heart that continually ignores and rationalizes when the conscience testifies to guilt.

II. David's Repentance (12:1-13a)

>5. Who was Nathan? (1a; 7:2a)

* 2 Samuel 12:1a "The Lord sent Nathan to David."

* 2 Samuel 7:2a "he said to Nathan the prophet"

* Nathan was a prophet of the Lord, a spiritual man, especially directly to king David. In order for David to accept Nathan's word as the word of the Lord he needed to have already recognize Nathan as such. Nathan had creditability in David's eyes for Nathan had spoken God's word to David previously even though at that time David could have harmed Nathan for the message.

* Nathan's approach to David's sinful activity was wise. When a person can accept in his own judgement that his actions were evil, then there is a chance that they can repent.

>What was the story he told David?

* 2 Samuel 12:1b-4 "When he came to him, he said, "There were two men in a certain town, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had a very large number of sheep and cattle, but the poor man had nothing except one little ewe lamb he had bought. He raised it, and it grew up with him and his children. It shared his food, drank from his cup and even slept in his arms. It was like a daughter to him. Now a traveller came to the rich man, but the rich man refrained from taking one of his own sheep or cattle to prepare a meal for the traveller who had come to him. Instead, he took the ewe lamb that belonged to the poor man and prepared it for the one who had come to him."

* When a person has the absolute power that David had one needs to help them in a wise manner or they too will fall under absolute authorities wrath.

>How was David like the man in the story? (5-10)

* 2 Samuel 12:5-10 "David burned with anger against the man and said to Nathan, "As surely as the Lord lives, the man who did this deserves to die! He must pay for that lamb four times over, because he did such a thing and had no pity." Then Nathan said to David, "You are the man! This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 'I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave your master's house to you, and your master's wives into your arms. I gave you the house of Israel and Judah. And if all this had been too little, I would have given you even more. Why did you despise the word of the Lord by doing what is evil in his eyes? You struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword and took his wife to be your own. You killed him with the sword of the Ammonites. Now, therefore, the sword will never depart from your house, because you despised me and took the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your own.'"

* "He must pay for that lamb four times over" -Exodus 22:1 "If a man steals an ox or a sheep and slaughters it or sells it, he must pay back five head of cattle for the ox and four sheep for the sheep."

* David had been given everything, but he became greedy and selfish.

* Sinful man cannot get enough to satisfy the place of God in our heart and lives.

* "you despised me" -The nature of sin is despising the Lord Jesus.

>What would be the unavoidable consequences of David's sins?

* 2 Samuel 12:11-12 ""This is what the Lord says: 'Out of your own household I am going to bring calamity upon you. Before your very eyes I will take your wives and give them to one who is close to you, and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. You did it in secret, but I will do this thing in broad daylight before all Israel.'"

* "Out of your own household" -His sons.

* "I am... I will" -David will need to recognize that what is about to happen, though through men, it is still from the Lord. The people who would do these things, David must not blame or hold accountable for it will be the Lord behind it. Later, when these things were fulfilled, David accepted that it was God doing it. So he did not stop them for it.

* "in broad daylight before all Israel" -When a leader sins it should be exposed and dealt with in public. I have seen people try to protect leaders when they sin against God and God's people. This is not how the Lord deals with leaders who do such things. Even Moses' one sin was made and dealt with publicly. When a leader sins against the Lord and the people, their sins must be made public as an example to all. Why? Public exposure is for their own good.

* "Sin has two results - it separates a man from God, and it produces evil effects in the world. The first of these can be cancelled by forgiveness, but te second remains. The tragedy of human history is that the evil effects of sin are not always nor wholly borne by the sinner." (The Wycliffe Bible Commentary)

>6. What was David's response to Nathan rebuke? (13a; Ps. 51:1-4, 10-12, 17; 32:1-5)

* 2 Samuel 12:13a "Then David said to Nathan, 'I have sinned against the LORD.'"

* Psalm 51:1-4 "Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions. Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me. Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge."

* Psalm 51:10-12 "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me."

* Psalm 51:17 "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise."

* Psalm 32:1-5 "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD'-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin."

>How was he different from most people?

* David accepted his sin, public rebuke, and the consequences of his sin.

* David sought the Lord's forgiveness over public image.

* David must have known that he could have lost everything even this kingship. Yet now those didn't matter as much as the forgiveness of sin and a newly established relationship with the Lord.

* James 5:16 Therefore confess your sins to each other and pray for each other so that you may be healed. The prayer of a righteous man is powerful and effective."

* David had no excuses for his sins.

* David had no resentment toward Nathan for his frankness and public declaration.

>Why is David a truly great man and an ancestor of faith? (Rom. 4:5-8)

* Romans 4:5-8 "However, to the man who does not work but trusts God who justifies the wicked, his faith is credited as righteousness. David says the same thing when he speaks of the blessedness of the man to whom God credits righteousness apart from works: 'Blessed are they whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the Lord will never count against him.'"

* Forgiveness of sin and reconciliation are the companions of grace and peace.

III. Forgiveness and Consequences of Sin (12:13b-31)

>7. What shows God unconditional grace to a man who was after God's heart and lived by faith and then sinned? (13a; Psalms 32:1-2)

* 2 Samuel 12:13b "Nathan replied, "The Lord has taken away your sin. You are not going to die.

* Psalm 32:1-5 "Blessed is he whose transgressions are forgiven, whose sins are covered. Blessed is the man whose sin the LORD does not count against him and in whose spirit is no deceit. When I kept silent, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long. For day and night your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was sapped as in the heat of summer. Then I acknowledged my sin to you and did not cover up my iniquity. I said, 'I will confess my transgressions to the LORD'-- and you forgave the guilt of my sin."

* Jesus taught the twelve apostles, "A person who has had a bath needs only to wash his feet; his whole body is clean. And you are clean, though not every one of you." (John 13:10)

* The Lord warned Adam that if he were to sin he would die. It is the same for us. By grace we do not die when we sin.

>What can we learn about our lives of faith? (1 John 2:1-2)

* 1 John 2:1-2 "My dear children, I write this to you so that you will not sin. But if anybody does sin, we have one who speaks to the Father in our defense--Jesus Christ, the Righteous One. He is the atoning sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world."

* Anyone can sin, even those who live by faith and have been given the gift of the Holy Spirit. If such a person sins, they can still humbly go to the Lord Jesus for forgiveness.

>8. Why did God strike David's child?

* 2 Samuel 12:14-15 "'But because by doing this you have made the enemies of the Lord show utter contempt, the son born to you will die.' After Nathan had gone home, the Lord struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David, and he became ill."

* So David and all Israel would know the evil nature of sin. Sin should not be taken lightly.

>What did David do before and after the child died?

* 2 Samuel 12:16-17 "David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and went into his house and spent the nights lying on the ground. The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them."

* "fasted" -Fasting is denying ones self and concentrating on the spirit and the Lord.

* David returned to normal life after his son died.

* David's understanding and faith was reflected in his life.

>Why?

* David had resurrection faith. David believed and trusted in the love of the Lord.

>What does this reveal about David's faith in God?

* 2 Samuel 12:18-23 "On the seventh day the child died. David's servants were afraid to tell him that the child was dead, for they thought, "While the child was still living, we spoke to David but he would not listen to us. How can we tell him the child is dead? He may do something desperate." David noticed that his servants were whispering among themselves and he realized the child was dead. "Is the child dead?" he asked. "Yes," they replied, "he is dead." Then David got up from the ground. After he had washed, put on lotions and changed his clothes, he went into the house of the Lord and worshiped. Then he went to his own house, and at his request they served him food, and he ate. His servants asked him, "Why are you acting this way? While the child was alive, you fasted and wept, but now that the child is dead, you get up and eat!" He answered, "While the child was still alive, I fasted and wept. I thought, 'Who knows? The Lord may be gracious to me and let the child live.' But now that he is dead, why should I fast? Can I bring him back again? I will go to him, but he will not return to me."

* "I will go to him" -Job said, "the place appointed for all living." (Job 30:23) The conscious existence in the next life in Sheol. Sheol was empties of the faithful when Jesus rose from the dead.

* The young infant, though born with the sinful nature, would be in Sheol as David knew he was destined.

>How did God show his love and forgiveness? (24-25)

* 2 Samuel 12:24-25 "Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth to a son, and they named him Solomon. The Lord loved him; and because the Lord loved him, he sent word through Nathan the prophet to name him Jedidiah.'

* "Solomon" -Solomon means peace.

* "the Lord loved him" -Both his parents had repented and were cleansed. Thus they sought to bring Solomon up in the ways of the Lord. Some believe that Nathan became Solomon's royal instructor in the teachings of the Lord.

* Moses was said to be noticeably an exceptional infant and toddler. So is true of Solomon.

>9. What does David's fighting spirit shows about his renewed leadership? (26-31)

* See a wood engraving by Gustave Dore (1832-1883) to the right depicting David punishing the Ammonites. Dore's drawings were in Bibles that are now in public domain. This one was scanned in by creationism.org.

* 2 Samuel 12:26-31 "Meanwhile Joab fought against Rabbah of the Ammonites and captured the royal citadel. Joab then sent messengers to David, saying, "I have fought against Rabbah and taken its water supply. Now muster the rest of the troops and besiege the city and capture it. Otherwise I will take the city, and it will be named after me." So David mustered the entire army and went to Rabbah, and attacked and captured it. He took the crown from the head of their king--its weight was a talent of gold, and it was set with precious stones--and it was placed on David's head. He took a great quantity of plunder from the city and brought out the people who were there, consigning them to labor with saws and with iron picks and axes, and he made them work at brick making. He did this to all the Ammonite towns. Then David and his entire army returned to Jerusalem."

* David repentance included fighting as a king is suppose to do.

* Joab's humility and loyalty is shown.

* David had put them to hard labor not torture. They paid the price of thier young leaders poor advice and the dull mind of their leader.