Today we read of the tragic events of David and his sin with Bathsheba. While his sin would be forgiven it would go on to affect his whole family for generations.
2 Samuel 10: David Defeats Ammon and Syria
1 After this the king of the Ammonites died, and Hanun his son reigned in his place.
2 And David said, "I will deal loyally with Hanun the son of Nahash, as his father dealt loyally with me." So David sent by his servants to console him concerning his father. And David's servants came into the land of the Ammonites.
3 But the princes of the Ammonites said to Hanun their lord, "Do you think, because David has sent comforters to you, that he is honouring your father? Has not David sent his servants to you to search the city and to spy it out and to overthrow it?"
4 So Hanun took David's servants and shaved off half the beard of each and cut off their garments in the middle, at their hips, and sent them away.
5 When it was told David, he sent to meet them, for the men were greatly ashamed. And the king said, "Remain at Jericho until your beards have grown and then return."
6 When the Ammonites saw that they had become a stench to David, the Ammonites sent and hired the Syrians of Beth-rehob, and the Syrians of Zobah, 20,000 foot soldiers, and the king of Maacah with 1,000 men, and the men of Tob, 12,000 men.
7 And when David heard of it, he sent Joab and all the host of the mighty men.
8 And the Ammonites came out and drew up in battle array at the entrance of the gate, and the Syrians of Zobah and of Rehob and the men of Tob and Maacah were by themselves in the open country.
9 When Joab saw that the battle was set against him both in front and in the rear, he chose some of the best men of Israel and arrayed them against the Syrians.
10 The rest of his men he put in the charge of Abishai his brother, and he arrayed them against the Ammonites.
11 And he said, "If the Syrians are too strong for me, then you shall help me, but if the Ammonites are too strong for you, then I will come and help you.
12 Be of good courage, and let us be courageous for our people, and for the cities of our God, and may the LORD do what seems good to him."
13 So Joab and the people who were with him drew near to battle against the Syrians, and they fled before him.
14 And when the Ammonites saw that the Syrians fled, they likewise fled before Abishai and entered the city. Then Joab returned from fighting against the Ammonites and came to Jerusalem.
15 But when the Syrians saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they gathered themselves together.
16 And Hadadezer sent and brought out the Syrians who were beyond the Euphrates. They came to Helam, with Shobach the commander of the army of Hadadezer at their head.
17 And when it was told David, he gathered all Israel together and crossed the Jordan and came to Helam. The Syrians arrayed themselves against David and fought with him.
18 And the Syrians fled before Israel, and David killed of the Syrians the men of 700 chariots, and 40,000 horsemen, and wounded Shobach the commander of their army, so that he died there.
19 And when all the kings who were servants of Hadadezer saw that they had been defeated by Israel, they made peace with Israel and became subject to them. So the Syrians were afraid to save the Ammonites anymore.
2 Samuel 11: David and Bathsheba
1 In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.
2 It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.
3 And David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, "Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?"
4 So David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she had been purifying herself from her uncleanness.) Then she returned to her house.
5 And the woman conceived, and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant."
6 So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David.
7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the war was going.
8 Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." And Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king.
9 But Uriah slept at the door of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
10 When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "Have you not come from a journey? Why did you not go down to your house?"
11 Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing."
12 Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.
13 And David invited him, and he ate in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk. And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.
15 In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die."
16 And as Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men.
17 And the men of the city came out and fought with Joab, and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite also died.
18 Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting.
19 And he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling all the news about the fighting to the king,
20 then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall?
21 Who killed Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? Did not a woman cast an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.'"
22 So the messenger went and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell.
23 The messenger said to David, "The men gained an advantage over us and came out against us in the field, but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate.
24 Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall. Some of the king's servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also."
25 David said to the messenger, "Thus shall you say to Joab, 'Do not let this matter trouble you, for the sword devours now one and now another. Strengthen your attack against the city and overthrow it.' And encourage him."
26 When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she lamented over her husband.
27 And when the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.
Things to think about…
1. These two chapters show the strength and the fickleness of David’s character. In 2 Sam 10 we see him offering peace to an Ammonite king. The son was not as wise as his father and foolishly dishonours David’s delegation. It was the means for subduing the Ammonites and the Syrians. David’s gracious gift was rejected. Have you ever been misunderstood or rejected when you have offered a gift in love? God sees your heart. Your reward is with Him!
2. The Lord used the folly of the new Ammonite king, Hanun to subdue both the Ammonites and the Syrians. This is much like the situation which would later happen after Solomon reigned and his foolish son Rehoboam took the throne. The foolish son would lose influence and land because he did not have his father’s wisdom. But the Lord has a purpose in it all. We pray our children receive Christ’s wisdom.
3. David’s adultery with Bathsheba is a grievous part of scripture. David was actually asked to stay behind in battles by Joab because he was not as young and fit anymore. If we are not fighting the Lord’s battle’s however it puts us in danger of not being able to resist sin. This was David’s trial and he failed. Have you lost some spiritual battles of late? If so repent and be restored by our gracious God! Keep killing sin otherwise it kills you as we say.
4. Look at the character of Uriah the Hittite. He is actually one of the 30 listed as David’s most valiant fighting soldiers, 2 Sam 23:39. David sacrificed this man to cover his own lust and deceit. Uriah honours God and his other soldiers even when David puts temptation in front of him – even to the point of getting him drunk – shameful. Yet Uriah still honours the Lord. Our honour to the Lord may even cost us our lives. The other message here is that Jesus says we are never to cause any little ones (either children or young in the faith) an opportunity to stumble spiritually. God judges that very severely. David paid for his sin as we shall see in the coming days.
5. 2 Sam 11:27 says “David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD”. The Lord allowed Bathsheba to conceive. We know all life comes from the Lord. We know what would ultimately happen to this child. The act displeased the Lord. Did the child pay for David’s sin with it’s life. This is not our God. I believe this child was blessed with the presence of God after a very short sojourn on this earth. Pray for the Lord’s mercy over innocent victims that get caught in the evil plots of men.
Vision Point for cell groups
CBC’s Vision :- To be a growing biblical church community, significantly influencing our city and beyond, through intentional outreach, fulfilling our mission.
The reading for Sunday came from 2 Samuel 5.
1. David had finally realised the promise given to him about 22 years earlier by the prophet Samuel. The Lord calls people into areas where they can bring Him glory. Do you know that your present roles, responsibilities are being directed by the Lord? Are you experiencing His leading and blessing over your life?
2. Obeying the Lord’s will and staying faithful always involves a fight against our own sin and often the sin of others. Are you seeing victories in your own battles and those that come against you?
3. Even after David was made king of all of Israel he had just as many battles as he had before. He fought over Jerusalem, then twice against the Philistines. It was then that he started to get comfortable. What moral failures in David do we begin to see from the passage? Is material blessing always good? How do we keep it in balance, so we hold the right tension of honouring the Lord and enjoying His abundance?
4. Pray for our city and each other that God’s people will reflect love, truth and grace while maintaining a right understanding of using the battle armour and spiritual warfare that Paul speaks about in Ephesians 6..
Prayer Points
1. Clarity of life and freedoms through to the end of the year.
2. Pray for testimonies that people will be doing every second week. Please consider when you would like to do yours when the pastor asks you to share yours 😉
3. Pray for other building projects – café roof, the repair of the house roof and solar.
4. Growth, conversions, joy in the Word and Spirit to remain and increase.
Praise Points.
1. Ability to meet, albeit it virtually online.
2. The unity and grace on display at CBC.
Announcements
1. Members’ meeting 15 Aug after thew morning service– assuming no lockdowns, and the freedom to do so.
2. PlayPatch for toddlers at church, Fridays 9:30-11am. Please get the word out. See Maddison for details. Not this week due to lockdown.
3. Recharge Youth – 6:30-8:30pm. Parents please download the app that Melinda has sent so your kids can join in online at 7pm tonight.
4. Church bank details bsb:- 704 913 and Acc number:- 4000 4388 1
