1 & 2 Samuel: Sin & Consequences

Reading: 2 Samuel 11:1-15

Preacher: Lucy Flatt.

Actions have consequences. Inaction has consequences
Recently our government announced seven Government policies and regulations that many farmers want either scrapped or rewritten. Among them are the freshwater policy, the New Zealand emissions trading scheme, the Clean car package and the crown pastoral land reform bill and a few others.

In response; the country’s main centres were crowded with tractors and utes protesting the government’s actions.

Why? One farmer noted “The common theme of last Friday was that the pace and change of government reform has been overwhelming and is taking its toll. A relentless tidal wave of change that often seems to occur with little consultation and without any clue as to how they will be practically implemented, and no comprehension of the flow on effects they will have.”

Whether we believe the polices to be good or bad – protesting useful or not - we can admit that these policies have consequences that affect a huge number of our country, no doubt we can admit that this will have a flow on affect for us townies.

Those in power, those writing the policies and governing our nation take action or avoid action which create consequences for our daily lives.

Many people hold to the belief that we owe it to one another to weigh our action or inaction toward what is best for society. That we can build a better community if only we were more considerate of others, and considered them in our decision making. Through the lens of Christ we believe that we live guided by the Holy Spirit toward action or inaction for God’s Kingdom and glory. We make decisions as people of God.
These decisions have consequences.
When we break relationship with God and chose our own way - we sin.
Sin too has consequences.

This morning we will explore the consequences of David’s sin and his resulting fall.
As we read the account of his fall we will consider his abuse of power, his definite responsibility for his actions and how we might be challenged to consider the sins in our own lives, those attitudes or actions which bring death rather than life.

Last week we heard the account of King David’s desire to build a temple for the Lord. Contrasting his own grand home – with the dwelling place of God – David’s  heart was to see God’s home rightfully established. God not only promised David that his offspring should complete this but promised to establish his Kingdom through David - an everlasting Kingdom.

Fast forward four chapters and we land in this morning’s reading 2 Samuel 1 to 15.
David’s nephew - Joab is out leading the Israelite forces against the Ammonites. The Ammonites are descended from Lot’s youngest daughter (Genesis 19: 38). David did not start the war with the Ammonites, though through it he gained Syria to the North and expanded his Kingdom.

It is interesting but not uncommon that David is not with them. We hear that it was the time kings go out to battle but the Hebrew gives no indication that this means a singular king, but could easily be the kings army[i]. David had been at home for part one of the war (chapter 10:7) having sent Joab and his servants out. Again he has sent them out and will eventually join them in Chapter 12 for fall of the Ammonites city of Rabbah

We should pay special attention to the authors emphasise that David remained in Jerusalem. In Chapter 10 no such contrast is made and we already know he is not with them through the author’s explanation in verse 1.

The Lord has given David rest from (most of) his enemies (2 Sam 7:11b) he has extended his territories and almost doubled his Kingdom. David has shown Hesed steadfast love to the house of Saul, gathering Jonathan’s crippled son to eat around his table alongside David’s kin. As we hear of David at home we envision his kindness and care toward others.

With this in mind we read that David arose from his couch – better translated bed – and took a walk on the roof. It was Palestinian custom to take a siesta through the hottest part of the day and we can safely assume he was out in search of a cool breeze.

Geographically Jerusalem is situated on a hill and at this point in history the Kings house stood between the eastern and western hills overlooking the city. David would have had an excellent view over his subjects as he ruled in safety behind the impressive city walls.

David saw from the roof a woman bathing.
No one else could have been able to see what David saw and the woman was very beautiful. The author takes the time to note that David didn’t simply glance – he looked long enough to know that she was very beautiful.

The woman was clearly bathing on the rooftop and before we jump in to accuse her of bathing outdoors - in what we might assume is full view of the King - let us explore this woman’s actions closely. Bathing on the rooftop in this reading would have been like a modern day bathroom with a window. Yes there would be a possibility that someone might at some point see in but the possibility is low. Extremely low! Only someone who sought to see, who went out of their way to see would be able to stare in.

Imagine someone standing at a bathroom window staring in– this is King David.

We really begin to struggle here. Many of us like King David. We may begnin looking for his heart after God’s own, his hesed, his righteousness…

And yet, he acts. Like James (1:14) warns “But each person is tempted when they are lured and enticed by their own desires” and he sent and inquired about the woman. Just as he has in the past turned to inquire of the Lord – on this occasion he inquires after his own desires.

And one said (to David) “Is not this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?

This woman is known.
She is married.
The granddaughter of one of David’s closest advisors Ahitophel, the daughter of Eliam, of the same house as David. The wife of Uriah who while named as a Hittite is clearly devoted to Yahweh given a possible translation of his name is the light of Yahweh.
Eliam is kin and Uriah a neighbour.

The tenth commandment echo’s around us Do not covet your neighbours wife (Exodus 20:17b) .

So (then we read) David sent messengers and took her.
The language is brutal and clear. There is no ambiguity of fault.
David. Took. Her.
Samuel warned the Israelites back in 1 Samuel 8 that Kings would take their sons and daughters. The Kings of other nations could take whom they pleased but the Israelite King at least was to be bound by the law – bound to not covet another’s wife.

and she came to him, and he lay with her
you shall not commit adultery (Exodus 20:14).
David is now acting like the Kings of other nations. Unbridled by the law he takes what he sees is good.
Like Adam in Genesis 3 he sees, he takes and he falls.

Bathsheba, by contrast, had been purifying herself on the roof after her period. According to Levitical law a period made a women unclean and thus to return to worship she was to purify herself, making her clean and able to reengage. This wee aside by the narrator gives not only the context to the few words we hear from Bathsheba I am pregnant, but is to show she is doing right in the midst of David’s luring wrong.

At this point while disgusted with David, we might be hopeful that he will confess and make amends. He seems like that sort of a guy.
Our hopes may arise when we hear that David has sent to Joab to send Uriah back to Jerusalem.
But again David lets us down.
Having already broken two commandments – he enacts Plan A. Convince Uriah to sleep with his wife and thus be clean of his crime.

But when Uriah arrives - David’s plan does not come to fruition.
Perhaps Uriah is suspicious, imagining the palace to be like many other places his suspicion may have been aroused by gossip in regards to the number of people involved in being sent, collected and announced.
His mention of the ark of the Lord may be a play to rebuke David’s actions, reminding him of the law and the ten commandments You shall not covet your neighbours wife, you shall not commit adultery.

Or perhaps Uriah is pious.
“Sexual activity while on military duty was expressly forbidden by law in ancient Israel. It brought about ritual impurity and therefore forced a soldier to undergo purification rituals. This would prevent Uriah from performing his military duty.”[ii]  And Uriah specifically refuses David’s veiled suggestions to have his feet washed
David can say no more, without revealing his actual intentions, so he piles Uriah with wine. Hoping to break his pious mentality and give in to the very desires David has succumb to.
But Uriah will not.

Onto Plan B. David sends Uriah back to the front with a note for Joab – Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, that he may be struck down, and die.

Many of us will realise that this is a really stupid plan. The idea in a cover up is in fact to cover it up not needlessly bring in multiple people to execute it. In addition it seems stupid to send Uriah with the message. If he had suspicions he’s likely to look, an given his clear rebuke and refusal to listen to David’s words he may simply not follow through at all. David seems content in his stupidity and thus in the later verses we hear David break the fifth commandment you shall not murder (Exodus 20:13).

Today’s reading is the turning point for the Davidic monarchy. As James (1:15) remind us desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death. David hasn’t simply sinned, he has spectacularly fallen! Breaking no less than three of the commandments and liable for death under the law (Deuteronomy 17:14-end) David’s death is not imminent. Rather Uriah dies by his schemes, then David’s sin affects his son, his family and eventually his Kingdom. 

Saul’s sin by comparison seems minute in the shadow of David’s fall.
While Saul sinned and God removed his Kingdom, David falls and God’s promise of an eternal Kingdom remains. God is faithful in the face of a fall, though David does not live without its immediate consequences.

As we will see, the son born to the pair dies. David’s other Son - Absalom rebels against him, David’s daughter Tamar is raped by her half-brother, David goes into exile, and his closest advisor betrays him - possibly as a result of his rape of Bathsheba. The consequences of his sin are evident.

As we read we may have noticed the silence of Bathsheba.
She is no longer referred to by name but rather as the wife of Uriah. Even in the genealogy of Jesus in Matthew 1 where, Rahab, Ruth and Mary are named, she is the wife of Uriah.
In all the narrative of Samuel she simply says “I am pregnant”.

Even if she was complicit in the adultery we hear no dialogue, no sense of care, no love between either of them.
David has the power, not Bathsheba.

Bathsheba is a generation younger than David.
She is kin, from the same tribe as the King.
She is the daughter, granddaughter and wife of men in the Kings service. Her decisions – if she is able to make any – will have consequences on the lives of those she loves.

It is obvious that David abuses his power.

It is not the first story we will hear of the abuse of power.
The Church globally seems to have been struck with a multitude of sex scandals.
And our own church here in New Zealand cannot stand quietly by while we engage in the royal commission of abuse. Anglican Churches, associations and schools across the province are going forward to give an account of their actions or inaction in regards to the survivors who have experienced abuse at their hands.
A letter from the Archbishops makes it clear that “abuse in any form is incompatible with the love of God. It is completely unacceptable within the Church. It violates our sacred belief that all people are made in the image of God, are loved by God and deserve to be treated with dignity and respect.” They welcome any survivors to share their stories and to be heard. We  can access this material digitally through our national webpage, our diocesan webpage or alternatively speak with a member of vestry or myself.

David is in the wrong. His sin is evident, like a slow moving train we can see it’s trajectory coming in every step he makes.  Sin as we have heard from the book of James has a trajectory “each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. 15 Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown brings forth death.
That means there are multiple points at which to stop, or get off the train of sin.

Each of us has the opportunity to pause and to consider how and when to get off.
We like David, are not free of sin, and sin breeds when we ignore it.

So let us pause for a moment and consider where we have influence and power. Are we using this for God’s glory, to join in building his Kingdom? Or our own sinful gain?

Unlike David we live into the hope and joy of the everlasting Kingdom. Here and not fully God has already begun its establishment. We are able to experience, listen to, and be prompted by the Holy Spirit. Convicted of sin we can draw near and receive forgiveness knowing that Jesus has defeated sin and death.

So as we step into this next week - where might God be seeking to bring our actions or inactions in line with his Kingdom purposes? Where might he establish his rule despite our sin?

[ii] ESV student study bible page 408