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Week Three - David and Bathsheba

 Welcome to Week Three of our Bible Study! This week, we will look at another story from the Old Testament. I know most folks think of Jesus using parables to teach, and it is debatable if this story in II Samuel should be classified as a parable. It is a Bible story but was used as a vehicle to convict King David of his egregious actions. Whatever we want to call it, that’s our topic for this week.

Most folks that have spent time in church have heard the story of David and Bathsheba, found in II Samuel 11. David committed adultery with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah the Hittite, then ordered Uriah to be sent to the front line of battle so that he was killed. In chapter 12, we find the prophet Samuel confronting David. While the baby borne from this adulterous relationship dies, David and Bathsheba parent another baby that turns out to be pretty important, King Solomon.

All of chapter 11 is a play by play of the events, but the last verse is a moral statement about David’s actions: “But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.” That statement provides a backdrop for chapter 12 and the remainder of David’s time as king of Israel.

While we are likely very familiar with this story, our challenge is to see the events in a fresh way and discover what God would teach us. Some points to ponder:

-          Why wasn’t David in the field with the army?

-          How can we reconcile David not being with the army, when we have seen how successful he was in battle previously?

-          Where is our place when a battle is going on?

-          The Bible speaks of idleness as a sin; is this one of the factors in the story of David and Bathsheba?

-          Why did Samuel tell the story to confront David, rather than just directly telling him he had done evil in the sight of the Lord?

-          Do you think there is a connection between David being a shepherd and the lamb in the story?

-          David was anointed and chosen by God to be king; the Bible speaks of the Spirit being on him in a mighty way, yet he did this awful thing. How can this be?

-          Do you find it ironic or at least interesting that God used this illicit relationship between David and Bathsheba to give birth to King Solomon?

-          What about all the other less than ideal relationships that are in the lineage of Joseph or Mary?

Lots to consider this week. Please give it some thought and read through II Samuel 11-12 at a minimum, and you may want to back up and review some of the information in previous chapters.

I look forward to seeing you all Sunday evening. God bless you! Greg

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