“The Arrogant” (David & Bathsheba)

Scripture: 2 Samuel 11

Israel wanted a king just like the ones that other nations had – one who would govern them and lead them in battle (1 Samuel 8:19-20), so the Lord gave them one! And Saul, the first king of Israel, would be just like the kings of other nations in every way – he would be corrupt, arrogant, greedy, self-centered, and self-absorbed. So the prophet Samuel would announce to Saul that if he had only shown obedience to God and His ways, his kingdom would have been glorious. But since he hadn’t followed the Lord’s leadership, God was choosing someone else to lead Israel - someone who would be a “man after his own heart”. (1 Samuel 13:13-14)

This man, who had the heart of God, was David – the youngest and least significant son in the family of Jesse. At first, David would be a favorite of King Saul’s, but as time went on, Saul would become jealous of the young man, and would actually try to kill him – not once, but several times. The Lord would protect this future king of Israel, and eventually, Saul and his sons would die in battle and David would ascend to the throne. But David, even though he had a heart akin to God’s, would be anything but perfect in his reign.

Read 2 Samuel 11:1-5

As is our tradition today, kings in that day were not only the governor of their country, but they also served as Commander-in-Chief of the Army. But in that day, the king actually led his army into battle, and didn’t just send them out under someone else’s authority. David had accepted this responsibility in the past, but now, he had decided to stay at home while the army engaged the Ammonites at Rabbah.

Whenever anyone neglects their responsibilities in favor of their personal comfort and enjoyment, trouble isn’t too far around the corner. Throughout scripture, idleness is condemned as unprofitable for our lives. (Proverbs 19:15, as an example) David had chosen “idleness” over his obligations as king, and he would fall into temptation as a result of it.

In his idleness, David also isn’t sleeping so well. Inactivity in the life of a young man has the potential to create insomnia! So he finds himself on the roof of his palace when he not only should have been with his army, but when he would normally have been asleep. Some scholars would have us believe that Bathsheba is partly to blame for the indiscretion because of her nudity on the roof of her home. Was she really a seductress? Was she being flirtatious? Personally, I believe that she chose that time of night to bathe, thinking that no one would see her! In addition, a woman who lived 3,000 years ago had little authority or influence over men of that day, so the onus must be fully upon the king who was where he shouldn’t have been, and even Nathan the prophet would later put the blame firmly upon the king (2 Samuel 12:1-10)

Kings and other leaders have always been known to exercise their authority over the people to their own benefit, so why should David be any different? Even with a heart for God, he was still a sinful man, and he used his royal position to gain the upper hand over one of his faithful subjects. King David was showing his arrogance to a fault! And the effect and shame would fall on Bathsheba – at least initially.

Read 2 Samuel 11:6-12

David could place demands on the woman, but that wasn’t such an easy issue with her husband. So now, to compound the issue, the king begins to engage in intrigue. But David hadn’t counted on this military leader being so conscientious and principled. Uriah wouldn’t fall for the trap, and the king’s deception couldn’t be covered up.

Consider the difference in character between Uriah and David. Uriah goes beyond all reason to put consideration for his troops ahead of his own pleasure. David, on the other hand, puts his pleasure before the obligation he has for his army and his nation. Uriah is shown to be the exceptional and honest leader, while David fails completely in his leadership. Uriah never denies who he is or what he must be, while David denies his very faith and all that it should mean for him.

Arrogance has a way of compounding an original problem by creating lie upon ruse upon dishonesty. The Australian pastor and writer, Phillip Jensen, wrote:

Arrogance is the pride of self-importance. It is thinking of yourself as more important or more able than you are. It is often accompanied by showing contempt or disregard for others.

--Phillip Jensen, "The 'arrogance' of humility," From the Dean, April 24, 2009, http://phillipjensen.com.

That is about as accurate a description of King David, at least in this situation, as we could ever find. David would never hesitate to do anything and everything that was needed to cover up his infidelity, even to the extent that he would cause the murder of Uriah and his men in battle. (2 Samuel 11:16-17) From the New Interpreters’ Bible, we read “God’s anointed king has become an agent of death. Self-interested use of power has led David into a deadly chain of events from seizure to deception to death.”
But David has been described as “a man after God’s own heart”! What would the Lord think about David’s actions?

Read 2 Samuel 11:26-27

The man who loyally served his king is murdered, so that David could marry the woman who he has impregnated. Some might think that David has finally set the record straight through marriage, but consider everything that he did to get to that point! In his book “Sinning Like a Christian”, William Willamon writes, in the chapter on Pride, that first, pride is the sin that tends to lead us to the commission of many other sins. Second, he writes “When we take too much credit for our lives and our achievements, when we come to look at our lives as products of our own striving rather than gifts, we are moving close to that idolatry in which the creature refuses to give due to the Creator.”
(Willimon, William, “Sinning like a Christian: A New Look at the Seven Deadly Sins”, Abingdon Press, 2005, pg36)

In essence, David was setting himself up as his own idol. And the final verse of this chapter tells us that the Lord was “displeased” with the king (to say the least!).

But this isn’t the last word on David’s sins. In the next chapter (2 Samuel 12:1-14), the prophet Nathan is sent to the king with words on condemnation from God. He offers a parable of sorts that identifies David as a sinner, and reveals that the child conceived through his arrogance would also die. The thoughtless and selfish act of David’s failure to lead his troops into battle, would lead to countless deaths, a broken marriage, and for all practical purposes, a rape – not to mention all of the lies and the deception that caused his field general Joab to become complicit in the carrying out of Uriah’s death sentence.

David, who is recognized as the greatest and most beloved king in all of Israel’s history, has sinned. In his confession, though, he would be forgiven for the trespass, but, unfortunately, his child will die, nonetheless. Call it pride, call it arrogance, call it conceit – whatever it may be called, the world sees nothing wrong with these attitudes, and as a matter of fact, pride is even honored! But just look at what it can lead to! The Lord tells us that whatever leads us to sin, then it, too, must be sin.

And this is one of Jesus’ most honored relatives? Is there any doubt that God had to come to earth to set us straight? David’s arrogance would eventually cause the death of his innocent child, and our arrogance has caused the death of our sinless Lord. God, in his compassion and love for us, could never leave us drowning in our own sin, so he allowed himself to be sacrificed in place of us, just as David’s child would die in his place.

Almighty God will never abandon us! But we may very well have to suffer the consequences for our failure to follow his ways. David was forced to accept the death of his child, but the Lord has given us the right to either choose or reject the marvelous gift of his Son. And it is our decision that will bring with it either our salvation and eternal life, or our condemnation and death.

Our own arrogance can easily get in the way of a life in eternity with Jesus. We must make this choice with Godly wisdom.