David Murders Uriah to Marry His Wife

IIT UBF - University Bible Fellowship at IIT

David Murders Uriah to Marry His Wife

Date: Sep. 24, 2024

Passage

2 Samuel 11:14-27 (ESV)

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 displease 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.

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Daily Bread

Key Verse: 11:27

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.

David hoped to cover up his adultery by calling Uriah home to his wife, but Uriah would not cooperate. David should have been convicted by his friend’s faithfulness to God and to his king. But David, full of his own power and authority, plotted secretly to put Uriah to death. It was premeditated murder of his good friend.

David used Joab to accomplish this task, ordering him to put Uriah in the front of the battle to be killed. Joab clearly understood what David was planning, even if he may not know why. Joab cooperated with David, and a good man, Uriah, was cut down.

David and Joab may have thought they were good friends covering for each other. But their conspiracy was no better than Cain murdering his brother Abel.

After killing Uriah, David took responsibility for Bathsheba and married her. He may have thought the whole thing was behind him. He got away with it. But what he did displeased God (27).

Prayer: Father, I cannot hide my sin from you. Nor can I cover my friend’s sins through deception. Let me know with certainty what displeases you in me.

One Word: God cannot be mocked (Gal 6:7)

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Today's Question

What does every sin deserve?

See answer and references