David and Bathsheba: A King's Grievous Sin

In the spring, when kings go forth to battle, David remained in Jerusalem. One evening, walking upon his palace roof, he saw a woman bathing—Bathsheba, wife of Uriah the Hittite, one of David's mighty men who was away at war. Despite knowing she was married, David sent for her, lay with her, and she conceived. One sin spiraled into deeper darkness. To cover his adultery, David summoned Uriah from battle, expecting him to go home to his wife. But Uriah's integrity exceeded his king's: 'The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents... shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife?' Even when David made him drunk, Uriah would not compromise his soldier's oath. David's solution was murder by proxy. He sent Uriah back to battle carrying his own death warrant: a letter instructing Joab to place Uriah in the fiercest fighting, then withdraw support. Uriah died. After Bathsheba's mourning, David took her as his wife. 'But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.' God sent Nathan the prophet, who told a parable about a rich man with many flocks who stole a poor man's one beloved lamb to feed his guest. David's righteous anger flared: 'The man that hath done this thing shall surely die!' Nathan's response cut to the heart: 'Thou art the man.' The prophet recounted God's blessings to David, then pronounced judgment: the sword would never depart from his house, evil would rise from his own family, and the child born from adultery would die. David's repentance was immediate and genuine: 'I have sinned against the LORD.' Nathan assured him of forgiveness—he would not die—but consequences remained. The child died despite David's fasting and prayer. Yet God's grace triumphed: Bathsheba bore another son, Solomon, whom the LORD loved.