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II SAMUEL

 

The Removal of Uriah from the Equation

II Samuel 11:14-27

Victor M. Eskew

 

1.      Outline:

 

i.                    THE DEATH LETTER (II Sam. 11:14-15)

ii.                  THE DEATH EXECUTED (II Sam 11:16-17)

iii.                THE DEATH REPORT (II Sam. 11:18-25)

iv.                THE DEATH APPROVED (II Sam. 11:26-27)

 

2.      To whom did David write a letter after Uriah refused to return to his home the second day? (II Sam. 11:14).

 

And it came to pass in the morning that David wrote a letter to Joab…

 

A.    Joab

 

B.      One referred to the letter as “a letter of condemnation.”

 

3.      Who took the letter to Joab? (II Sam. 11:14)

 

…and sent it by the hand of Uriah.

 

A.    Uriah

 

B.      Could there be anything more despicable than this?

1.      Uriah was a good man.

2.      Uriah was a loyal servant of David.

3.      Uriah was a committed soldier.

 

C.     Now, Uriah is carrying his own death letter written by his commander in order to cover up his commander’s sin committed against him.

 

4.      What was the content of David’s letter to Joab? (II Sam. 11:15)

 

And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

 

A.    Put Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, retire from him, that he may be smitten, and die.

 

B.      NOTE:  There is not one word as to “why” David wanted Uriah executed.

 

C.     Overall, David is not an evil man, but he is a desperate man.  When faced with what seems to be a desperate circumstance, he resorted to desperate means to cover his sin.  Too, he is a man who is filled with guilt, shame, and embarrassment.  He is seeking any means necessary to rid himself of these horrible feelings.

 

 

 

D.    LESSONS

1.      There are some who would say:  “I would NEVER do this.”  We should never say:  “Never” (I Cor. 10:12).

 

Wherefore let him that thinketh he standeth take heed lest he fall.

 

2.      K&D:  “O God! how great is our strength when we lay firm hold of Thee! And how weak we become as soon as we turn away from Thee! The greatest saints would be ready for the worst of deeds, if Thou shouldst but leave them for a single moment without Thy protection. Whoever reflects upon this, will give up all thought of self-security and spiritual pride.” - Berleburg Bible” (e-sword).

 

5.      Where did Joab place Uriah when he did battle against the city? (II Sam. 11:16).

 

And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were.

 

A.    He placed Uriah in the fight were the enemy’s valiant men were.

 

B.      Valiant

1.      Strong (2428):  a force, an army of strength

2.      BDB:  strength, might, force, army

 

C.     QEUSTION:  Should Joab have questioned the orders of the king?

1.      He knew the character of this solider.

2.      He did not know what had transpired between David and Uriah in Jerusalem.

3.      He was caught between a rock and a hard place.  Was he to disobey his king, his commander?

4.      Clarke:  “But what shall we say of Joab, the wicked executor of the base commands of his fallen master? He was a ruffian, not a soldier; base and barbarous beyond example, in his calling; a panderer to the vices of his monarch, while he was aware that he was outraging every law of religion, piety, honor, and arms!” (e-sword).

 

6.      T – F    Some of David’s servants other than Uriah died in the battle. (II Sam. 11:17)

 

And the men of the city went out and fought Joab:  and there fell some of the people of the servants of David…

 

A.    True

 

B.      There were other innocent people who were killed because David sought to cover his sins.

 

7.      T – F    Uriah was killed as David commanded. (II Sam. 11:17)

 

…and Uriah the Hittite died also.

 

A.    True

 

B.      Think about this.  Uriah gave his life freely and joyfully for his king and country.  However, he was really betrayed by his king in more ways than one.

 

8.      “Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war.” (II Sam. 11:18)

 

A.    Part of David’s letter may have told Joab to report the death of Uriah back to him.

 

B.      It appears that the battle did not go quite as it was expected to go.

 

9.      What reaction from David was Joab scared of? (II Sam. 11:19-20)

 

And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, and if so be that the king’s wrath arise…

 

A.    He was afraid that David’s wrath would arise.  He did not just lose Uriah in the battle.  He had lost others valiant men as well.

 

B.      Wrath

1.      Strong (2534):  heat, anger

2.      BDB:  heat, rage, burning displeasure, anger, wrath, burning anger

 

10.  What five questions did he think David might ask? (II Sam. 11:20-21)

 

…and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight?  knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall?  who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth?  did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall that he died in Thebez?  why went ye nigh the wall?

 

A.    Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? 

 

B.      Kew ye not they would shoot form the wall?

 

C.     Who smote Amimelch the son of Jerubbesheth?

 

D.    Did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone from the wall that he died in Thebez?

 

E.      Why went ye nigh the wall?

 

11.  How was the messenger to respond to David’s questions? (II Sam. 11:21)

 

…then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

 

A.    He was to inform him that Uriah was dead.

 

B.      In essence, David was told that it was his wishes concerning Uriah that had caused the other deaths.  Had it not been for his command about Uriah, this report would not have been given.

 

12.  T – F    The messenger refused to take the news to David. (II Sam. 11:22)

 

So the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had sent him for.

 

A.    False

 

13.  How did the messenger picture the battle to David in II Samuel 11:23-24?

 

And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate.  And shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants…

 

A.    The battle started in the field.  Israel pushed them to the gate of their city.  Then, they were fired upon by the archers from the city wall.

 

14.  How did the messenger end his report to the king? (II Sam. 11:24)

 

…and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also.

 

A.    Some of the king’s servants were killed, but Uriah was killed also.

 

B.      He combined the bad news with the “good news,” that is, the death of Uriah.

 

15.  T – F    David responded to Joab’s message with understanding. (II Sam. 11:25)

 

Then David said unto the messenger, Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another…

 

A.    True

 

B.      David told Joab that he understood that in battle there will be the loss of life from time to time.  It is part of warfare.  Casualties will occur.

 

C.     We see David’s heart being very cold at this time.  The loss of life does not seem to bother him at all.  In fact, he justifies it.

 

16.  T – F    David encouraged Joab to make the battle stronger and overthrow the city. (II Sam.

11:25)

 

…make the battle strong against the city, and overthrow it:  and encourage thou him.

 

A.    True

 

B.      If they overthrew the city, the loss of life would be worth it. 

 

17.  How did Uriah’s wife respond to the report of her husband’s death? (II Sam. 11:26)

 

And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.

 

A.    She mourned for her husband.

 

B.      This text tells us very little about this incident from Bath-sheba’s perspective.

1.      She bathed herself.

2.      She committed adultery with David.

3.      She returned to her home.

4.      She informed David of her conception.

5.      She mourned the loss of Uriah.

6.      There are many questions that we have about her role in all of this that will remain forever unanswered.

7.      NOTE:  Since David was not sentenced to death, neither was she.  Her child, however, would eventually die.

18.  What did David do with Uriah’s wife after the time of mourning as past? (II Sam. 11:27).

 

And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son…

 

A.    David made Bath-sheba his wife and she bore David a son.

 

B.      David was forced into this marriage in order to continue to cover his sin.

 

19.  What was the Lord’s response to “the thing David had done”? (II Sam. 11:27).

 

…But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.

 

A.    It displeased Him.

 

B.      Displeased

1.      Strong (3415):  to be broken up

2.      BDB:  to tremble, quiver

 

C.     LESSON:  We see how sin impacts God.  He is displeased.  He is broken up by our transgressions against His will.

 

D.    David and Bath-sheba probably thought that all was behind them now.  All they needed to do was to live their lives as if David had rescued a grieving wife.  The Lord was not going to allow that to happen.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

II SAMUEL

 

The Rebuke from Nathan the Prophet

II Samuel 12:1-14

Homework

Victor M. Eskew

 

1.      Outline:

 

v.                  II SAMUEL 12:1-4

vi.                II SAMUEL 12:5-6

vii.              II SAMUEL 12:7-9

viii.            II SAMUEL 12:10-12

ix.                II SAMUEL 12:13-14

 

2.      Who did the Lord send to David? (II Sam. 12:1)

 

3.      How did Nathan describe the two men who lived in one city? (II Sam. 12:1)

 

4.      What did the rich man possess? (II Sam. 12:2)

 

5.      What was the poor man’s only possession? (II Sam. 12:3)

 

6.      In what five ways did the poor man treat the little ewe lamb? (II Sam. 12:3)

 

A.

 

B.

 

C.

 

D.

 

E.

 

7.      The ewe lamb “…was unto him as a ___________________” (II Sam. 12:3)

 

8.      Who came to the rich man? (II Sam. 12:4)

 

9.      T – F    The rich man took of his own flock to feed the wayfaring man. (II Sam. 12:4)

 

10.  Whose lamb did he take for the man that was come to him? (II Sam. 12:4)

 

11.  “And David’s __________________ was _____________  ______________ against the man…” (II Sam. 12:5)

 

12.  What sentence did David pronounce on the rich man? (II Sam. 12:5)

 

13.  T- F     The man was to restore the lamb fourfold. (II Sam. 12:6)

 

14.  “…because he had shown no ________________” (II Sam. 12:6)

 

15.  How did Nathan respond to David? (II Sam. 12:7)

 

16.  What five things had God given David? (II Sam. 12:7-8)

 

A.

 

B.

 

C.

 

D.

 

E.

 

17.  T- F     God was willing to give David even more than what was given. (II Sam. 12:8)

 

18.  What had David despised? (II Sam. 12:9)

 

19.  What had David done in the sight of the Lord? (II Sam. 12:9)

 

20.  How did Nathan describe the evil that David had done? (II Sam. 12:9)

 

21.  What would not depart from David’s house because of this sin? (II Sam. 12:10)

 

22.  T – F    God would raise up evil against David out of his own house. (II Sam. 12:11)

 

23.  What was God going to do with David’s wives? (II Sam. 12:11)

 

24.  How had David done his sin? (II Sam. 12:12)

 

25.  How was God going to punish David (II Sam. 12:12)

 

26.  “And David said unto Nathan, I have ______________ against the __________.” (II Sam. 12:13)

 

27.  T – F    David’s sin was forgiven and he would not die because of it. (II Sam. 12:13)

 

28.  What had David given his enemies an occasion to do? (II Sam. 12:14)

 

29.  Who was going to have to die? (II Sam. 12:14)