The Slippery Slope

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SUNDAY

October 31

The Slippery Slope
Read 2 Samuel 11 and ask yourself, How could someone so honored of God stoop so deep into sin? What warning should this present to all of us?

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We cannot study the story of Uriah without looking at David. In David’s association with Uriah, we can see David at his worst. The author of Samuel does not sing the hero’s praises while ignoring his sins. The story of David, Bathsheba, and Uriah marks a turning point in the life and reign of David. Up to this point, David is portrayed as someone going from strength to strength. Second Samuel 11 depicts the beginning of David’s downfall.
Some may want to see in David’s sin an excuse for their own. However, the narrator emphasizes that sin has consequences and shows how many lives one particular sin affected. The first to suffer as a result of David’s sin is Uriah, followed by the child born to David and Bathsheba. David loses credibility in his family, and the repercussions spread from a family problem to a problem of national proportions. The chain reaction that David’s sin has set in motion widens to include rape (2 Sam. 13:14), murder (2 Sam. 13:28, 29), and many lives lost in a rebellion (2 Samuel 15). Even if repentance gains God’s mercy, the author of the book of Samuel clearly points out to us that sin has grave consequences (2 Sam. 12:13, 14).
The story of David, Bathsheba, and Uriah is told in a carefully structured way. The biblical author uses action words (often involving the verb to send) in order to contrast Uriah and David’s behavior. Let’s have a look at the structure of the story, based on the main action.

• David sends Joab to fight the Ammonites (11:1).
• David inquires about and sends for Bathsheba (vss. 3, 4).
• David commits adultery with Bathsheba (vs. 4).
• Bathsheba sends a message about her pregnancy (vs. 5).
• David sends for Uriah (vs. 6).
• Uriah refuses to sleep with Bathsheba (vs. 13).
• David sends the death warrant with Uriah (vss. 14, 15).

As can be easily seen, “sending” is a very important activity in 2 Samuel 11. When we send someone around, we normally have power over that person. Looked at from this angle, David is truly the most powerful character in our story. He does most of the sending. He controls the members of the cast. He shapes and destroys their lives. He looks like a typical ancient Near Eastern absolute monarch of his time. However, there is one thing that David does not control: sin. Although he seems to control the outward action, sin controls his choices and motivations.