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2nd Samuel Chapter Eleven

1. David delegated the war against Ammon to Joab, while he remained behind to enjoy a wild night-life (2nd Sam. 11:1,2a, cf. v.11).
2. David was not prepared for the temptation he faced, because he was already out of God’s will to begin with.
3. David’s attraction to Bathsheba was entirely physical, as he had no idea who she even was (2nd Sam. 11:2b,3).
   1. Bathsheba was the wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David’s mighty men (2nd Sam. 23:39).
   2. She was the daughter of Eliam, one of David’s mighty men (2nd Sam. 23:34).
   3. She was the granddaughter of Ahithophel the Gilonite (2nd Sam. 15:12,31; 16:23; 17:23).
4. Even though David is warned that Bathsheba is a married woman, he sends for her anyway (2nd Sam. 11:4a).
   1. “She purified herself” is not likely a reference to the purification that was required after the sexual act (Lev. 15:18).
   2. “She purified herself” is more likely a reference to menstrual purification before the sexual act (Lev. 15:19ff.; 18:19).
5. David is caught in undeniable guilt (2nd Sam. 11:5).
6. David makes two attempts to make Uriah think he was the father of Bathsheba’s child (2nd Sam. 11:8,13).
   1. Uriah sleeps with the servants who arranged for his own wife’s adultery (2nd Sam. 11:9).
   2. These servants aid David by notifying him of Uriah’s lack of cooperation (2nd Sam. 11:10).
7. When the lie cannot be manufactured, the murder must be achieved (2nd Sam. 11:14-15).
8. Once again, David marries another man’s widow (2nd Sam. 11:26,27; cf. 1st Sam. 25:39-42).

2nd Samuel Chapter Twelve

1. The Lord dispatched Nathan the Prophet to deliver the message of Divine judgment to King David (2nd Sam. 12:1-15a).
2. Nathan’s parable incites David to anger (2nd Sam. 12:1-6), and produces an irrefutable indictment (2nd Sam. 12:7-9).
3. The Lord’s Divine discipline is spelled out (2nd Sam. 12:10-12).
   1. David’s house would continually be in need of their military (v.10).
   2. David would have his worst enemies from his own household (v.11; Mic. 7:6; Matt. 10:36).
   3. David’s concubines will be sexually mistreated as consequences for David’s sexual misconduct (vv.11,12).
4. David responds to the Divine judgment with immediate and total repentance and confession (2nd Sam. 12:13-14).
   1. He was on the verge of the Sin Unto Death (v.13).
   2. The child of adultery must die (v.14).
5. David’s immediate repentance does not prevent the execution of Divine discipline (2nd Sam. 12:15b,18a; Gal. 6:7; Heb. 12:11).
6. David humbled himself through the Divine discipline, fasting and praying on behalf of the child (2nd Sam. 12:16-23).  He must also comfort Bathsheba, as she endures the Divine discipline (2nd Sam. 12:24-25).
7. Joab finishes the war that David should have been fighting, and gives David the glory (2nd Sam. 12:26-31).

Psalm Fifty-One

1. Psalm 51 is David’s prayer of confession before the Lord, when he was finally convicted in his heart by Nathan’s rebuke (2nd Sam. 12:1-15).
2. The forgiveness and cleansing of a believer’s sin is entirely a work of God’s grace, as a response to the believer’s confession (Ps. 51:1-4).
3. Although we are born into a body of sin, the Lord’s cleansing makes us clean (Ps. 51:5-9; Isa. 1:18; Eph. 5:26; 1st Jn. 1:9).
4. The believer’s restoration to fellowship is his opportunity to become a teacher for others (Ps. 51:10-13).
5. The believer’s restoration to fellowship is his opportunity to serve with an even greater devotion (Ps. 51:14-17; Lk. 7:47).
6. The believer’s restoration to fellowship is his opportunity to focus once again upon the eternal plan of God (Ps. 51:18-19).