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THE KING’S BUSINESS
past, David sent and took her home to his house, and she became his wife.” W h en D av id to o k B a th sh eb a h om e a n d sh e .be cam e his w ife, h e a lre ad y h a d m an y w ives (ch. 3 :2 -5 ; 5 :13-16) a n d sh e h a d n o spe cial h o n o r am o n g th e crow d . B e tte r fa r to be th e o n e h o n est w ife o f a g o o d soldier, th a n th e a d u lte ro u s w ife am o n g th e m any o f an a d u lte ro u s king. B y ta k in g B a th sh eb a to be h is w ife, D av id d id n o t ato n e fo r th e sin h e h a d com m itted b u t in creased it (ch . 1 2 :9 ). I t is tru e “she b o re him a so n ” (v . 27) b u t th e so n died. "But the thing that David had done dis pleased Jehovah.” G od w ill alw ay s ste rn ly ju d g e a d u lte re rs (H e b . 13 :4 ) an d H is ju d g m en t w ill b e , n o n e th e less s te m , b u t if a n y th in g m o re ste rn , if th e m an w ho sins h as b een th e o b ject o f H is especial grace. T h e B ible m ak es no a tte m p t to p a lliate o r co v er up D av id ’s s in ; w h y sh o u ld w e? Y et m an y do. L et D a v id ’s sin sta n d o u t in all its h id eo u sn ess a n d th en let u s m ag n ify th e g race o f G od th a t p a rd o n ed even a D av id . ch. 12:1. “And Jehovah sent Nathan unto David.” T h o u g h N a th a n cam e to e x p o se , an d reb u k e D av id , it w as an a ct of m ercy on G od’s p a rt to sen d him . G od is n e v e r m o re g racio u s a n d m erc ifu l th an w h en H e lays b a re o u r sin a n d lets u s k n ow h ow h a te fu l it is in H is sight. N a th a n ’s reb u k e re su lte d in D a v id ’s being b ro u g h t to rep en tan ce (v . 1 3). I t led also to D a v id ’s w ritin g a P sa lm .th a t h as been b lessed to th e salv atio n o f co u n tless th o u san d s (P s . 51, see title ) . T h e re is n o th in g m o re loving th a t G od e v er does th an to sen d H is m essen g er o r H is W o rd to co n v ict u s o f o u r sin, b u t o ften tim es w e a re a n g e re d by it ra th e r th a n th a n k fu l fo r it. ' “And he came unto him and said,” etc. N a th a n m ig h t w ell h a v e h e sita ted ab o u t ta k in g to a k in g such a ste rn m essage of ju d g m e n t as h e w as to ld to b rin g , b u t N a th a n d id n o t h esitate. G od h ad com m issio n ed him to go an d he w en t an d G od g av e p ow er to his w o rd s. “ There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.” N a th an
g ra n d d a u g h te r (cf. ch. 11:3 w ith ch. 2 3 :3 4 ) jo in e d in h is (D a v id ’s ) so n ’s co n sp iracy a g a in st him (ch . 15:21) an d th u s caused u n u tte ra b le so rro w to D av id a t w h a t he c o n sid ered th e in g ra titu d e o f h is m o st in tim a te frien d (P s . 55 :1 2 -1 4 ). W h en th e m essen g er b ro u g h t th e tid in g s, “U ria h th e H ittite is d ead ,” it sh o u ld h av e o v erw h elm ed D av id w ith sh am e a n d so rro w , b u t he w as so h a rd en e d a n d b lin d ed b y h is sin th a t he co u ld sen d w o rd to Jo ab , “L e t n o t th is th in g d isp lease th ee ” (v . 2 5 ). T h e re is som e th in g ap p allin g ab o u t th e b lin d in g p o w er of sin, an d h ow even p ro fessed C h ristia n s an d th o se w h o h av e been u sed in G o d ’s w o rk , w h en th ey h av e fallen in to sin seem fo r th e tim e to lose all conscience, a n d w ill tell a ll m an n e r o f lies a n d re so rt to all k in d s o f su b te rfu g es to co v er up th e ir sin. T h o u g h D av id k n ew th a t th e d eath o f th is b ra v e a n d fa ith fu l so ld ier w as d u e to his ow n m alicio u s cu n n in g , an d th a t it w as re ally by h is ow n sw o rd th a t U ria h fell (cf. ch. 1 2 :9 ), still w ith b lan d est h y p o crisy he co u ld say, “T h e sw o rd d e v o u reth one as w ell a s a n o th e r.” H e w as really n o t try in g to "com fort Jo a b so m u ch as he" w as try in g to ap p ease h is ow n conscience. D avid, by h is h ypocrisy, d id n o t succeed in de ceiv in g an y one. Jo a b h im self w as n o t in th e lea st d ece iv e d ; D av id sim ply p u t h im se lf in th e h a n d s o f Jo ab , w h om from th a t d a y on h e feared , an d w ho becam e a co n s ta n t c u rse to him . In th e final outcom e, th e h y p o crite always* deceives n o o n e but h im self, a n d in ju re s no on e else so m uch as he in ju re s him self. v. 26. "And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she made lamentation for her husband.” B a th sh eb a’s m o u rn in g fo r h e r h u sb an d w as m ere ly fo rm al a n d h y p o critical. S h e w as ap p are n tly g lad to lose a c ap tain th a t she m ig h t g ain a king. E v ery w h e re sh e ap p e ars in th e B ible, sh e is seen in a bad lig h t an d as a w eak w om an (ch . 11:3, 4 ; 1 K gs. 2 :1 9 -2 2 ). S h e g ain ed little by h e r v ile am bition, b ein g h e rse lf p u t asid e fo r a n o th e r (1 K gs. 1:15, 16). v. 27. "And when the mourning was
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