His responses as we’ll see recorded in the Psalms, record … Did David rape Bathsheba – possibly, possibly not. Ultimately, Bathsheba’s second son by David, Solomon, succeeds him as king. From there he saw a woman bathing. 32:5). Perhaps out of loyalty to the “hero of the Old Testament” contemporary evangelicals often speak of this story as more of “sordid affair” which, while horrific and sinful, seems to most of us a lesser sin than the sin of rape. 12:24). Ways to Tell the Story: This story can be told using a variety of methods. Let the finality of those deaths remind you of sin’s temporal consequences, both for yourself and for other people. Yet David did not go unpunished; the child that was born to David and Bathsheba, as a result of their adultery, later died. Joab’s army surrounded their capital city, Rabbah. Both of them were in the wrong place at the wrong time. We must never be an occasion for sin in others, even in how we dress. top. David and Bathsheba. There were so many other sons that were borne to those other wives of David who were not tainted with … Here’s the synopsis of their story. By Ruth Graham. 1 0. David stayed in Jerusalem. The child would have been directly taken back to God, not a punishment for the child…but a direct punishment to David. Instead of leading his troops, David had stayed behind and sent them off to battle. After David and Bath-sheba sinned, why did their son have to die, since Deuteronomy 24:16 and Ezekiel 18:20 say that a son is not to die for his father's error? The birth of Solomon is proof that they continued to live as man and wife. David sinned when he took her — he had no right to her at all. Rape comes pretty close to the unforgivable sin in the minds of most reasonable people so … By Wayne Jackson “In Psalm 51, it appears that David is praying for forgiveness after having committed fornication with Bathsheba (as indicated in the superscription). Paul was also a raging murderer and killed countless people. Bathsheba was hardly a single girl free for the taking. There are several reasons for their importance: Historically, these chapters constitute the turning point that marks the end of the rise and the beginning of the fall of the house of David; Doctrinally, the setting provides a context for discussions of th Or did he rape her? Bathsheba was King David's most famous and controversial wife, in part because their marriage came after an illicit extramarital affair at the height of David's reign over Judah and Israel (circa 1005–965 BCE). Scripture does not tell us, but I am confident that Bathsheba acknowledged her sin also and God forgave them both. Hollywood filmmakers would perform a remake of this account to dwell on the sensual elements. Thus, by acknowledging that his sin against Bathsheba, Uriah, and Israel was a sin against God, he was recognizing that his sin … Oct 10, 2019 11:31 AM. 1 decade ago. Clearly, the firstborn royal prince thought he could get away with this because his father had done so. 2 One evening he got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of his house. Naturally she would have remarried Uriah had he returned home. Even so, such behavior was infinitely beneath the king. David and Bath-sheba were both married persons when they committed adultery and she became pregnant. Nothing in this text is intended to inspire unclean thoughts or actions. In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. This is why it matters that we get it right that David raped Bathsheba. We might say it all started “innocently.” David was strolling about on the roof of his palace (though he should have been in battle, 2 Sam. David raped Bathsheba, and why that matters If we can use a softer label or somehow chalk sexual violence up to lust or hormones or a woman’s seduction, those … The prominence and honor of Bathsheba in the rest of the Bible is the clearest indication Bathsheba did not sin against God by pursuing David. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. Soon David and Bathsheba had another son. His name was Solomon. Finally, 2 Samuel 13:1 implies, though it does not flatly state, that Amnon’s rape of Tamar happened shortly after David’s sin with Bathsheba. He may have wined her and dined her for a few days? As a result of David’s sin with Bathsheba, he would now reap many great pains; among them: a son’s betrayal, the verbal abuse by Shimei, and then the physical abuse and death threats of Absalom. 2 Samuel 11 : 6–27 records David’s attempts to cover-up his sin of adultery with Bathsheba. 2 Samuel 11 Easy-to-Read Version (ERV) David Meets Bathsheba. But Uriah, knowing his men, remained on the field and in battle conditions, refusing such luxury. A deceitful David attempted to cover the sin. However just because he sinned doesn’t make it rape. Ideology drives action, and for many evangelicals a skewed perception of power dynamics and sexual violence is at the wheel. Question: Why is the story of David and Bathsheba significant? c. He saw a woman bathing: David’s sin was not in seeing Bathsheba. Did David rape Bathsheba? Their adultery was a grave sin punishable by death under God's law. This is why Bathsheba is recognized as David’s wife (1 Sam. The writer of 2 Samuel blamed the sin on David, not Bathsheba, and the Lord sent the prophet Nathan to call him to accountability. So he was there to see Bathsheba bathing on her rooftop. Summary: Chapters 11 and 12 of 2 Samuel are among the treasures of scripture. Bathsheba was bathing after her purification – more than likely she could not have gotten pregnant that night, so they probably had sex more than once. David Stays in Jerusalem … Any immodesty on Bathsheba’s part did not excuse David’s sin, but she was still responsible for her wrong. Bathsheba found herself pregnant. Psalm 51:4. David’s sin resulted in at least two deaths: Uriah (Bathsheba’s former husband, 2 Samuel 11:17) and the son produced from David’s illicit union with Bathsheba (2 Samuel 12:18). In chapter 12 of 2 Samuel, we read of the prophet Nathan confronting David about his despicable acts, thereby convicting David of his sin and bringing him to repentance. Add Comment. Did David Sin against God Only? But David was allowed to continue his reign as Israel's king. Nathan the prophet was trying to tell David that God knew of David's sin with Bathsheba and that he better confess it to God. Adultery in the Bible Bathsheba Kind David. Let the death of the Son of God remind you of the eternal consequences of sin. Why? Third, the sin of David and Bathsheba is dealt with historically, but not in a Hollywood fashion. And for this God was exceedingly critical of David. The only problem was that Uriah didn't believe it was right for him to go home and sleep with his wife while all of the other men were off fighting a war. Did David really rape Bathsheba? Paul’s word in 1 Timothy 2:9 is relevant here: the women should adorn themselves in modest apparel, with propriety and moderation. We tend to think of the story as more of a “sordid affair” which, while horrific and sinful, seems to most of us a lesser sin than the sin of rape. Whenever you hear of a moral calamity, such as we have here, there is always a back story. I think most people just find rape to be more unforgivable that murder. Why would God choose to honor such a woman of sin throughout the history of His holy nation, Israel, where so much emphasis is placed on genealogical uprightness? David and Bathsheba is one of the most familiar stories in the Bible. 2–3). And never forget for a moment that David could and did repent, and he did not have to separate himself from Bathsheba. Ann Naffziger. ‘Against thee, thee only have I sinned.’” 5 David’s sin against God far exceeded his sin against any other in its gravity and scope. These things don’t just happen out of the blue at random. Mike K. Lv 7. As David put it in the Psalms, “I acknowledged my sin to Thee, and my iniquity I did not hide; I said, ‘I will confess my transgressions to the Lord’; and thou didst forgive the guilt of my sin” (Psa. 11:1) when he saw Bathsheba bathing (vv. The famous Psalm 51, read during Lent, is a psalm of confession and repentance often associated with King David repenting for his sin against Bathsheba. This aligns with a prominent literary-theological motif in 1-2 Samuel—“Those who honor me I will honor, and those who despise me shall be treated with contempt” (1 Sam 2:30). David then marries Bathsheba, and God strikes their infant son dead for David’s sin. Today’s passage tells the famous story of David’s adultery with Bathsheba and murder of her husband Uriah. Victims will be denied justice so long as we can’t come to terms with clergy rape as rape. The Lord forgave David of his sin. Even those who don't know much about scripture may be familiar with the account of King David lusting after a married woman, Bathsheba, sleeping with her, and then having her husband killed to cover up the sin … Always remain true to the facts found in the Bible but help children connect to its meaning by using drama, visual aids, voice inflection, student interaction and/or emotion. This story is telling us that King David raped Bathsheba. The story of David, Uriah, and Bathsheba complicates the biblical portrait of David and reflects a strand of deep skepticism about kingship in some biblical traditions. Indeed, this story is written in a way that causes us to shudder at the thought of such things. But the best news of all is that, by the grace of God, David faced every one of these consequences with the promises of God. As for why that is, David committed adultery with Bathsheba and tried several times to make it look like Uriah (Bathsheba's Husband) was responsible for the pregnancy that resulted from this sin. Ann Naffziger is a scripture instructor and … There is a story behind David’s sin with Bathsheba. He invited Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, home for a time, hoping the man of great integrity would have relations with his wife. Moreover, among all the sons of David, Solomon, the son of Bathsheba was chosen to be the first successor to King David. Did David sin – 100% yes. In summary: The seduction of Bathsheba happened sometime around the eighteenth or nineteenth year of David’s reign. Bathsheba Bathing In the famous scene where King David sees Bathsheba bathing (2 Sam 11), the story doesn’t mention whether she was naked or clothed, alone or with others, innocently or inappropriately on display. God put away his sin, therefore the child did not die for the sin but rather David was not given the blessing of this child. i. Why David wept over the death of the baby, unique to any man in scripture, may testify to the possible illegitimacy of David’s own birth (he said he was conceived in sin in the Psalms). 11 In the spring, when kings go out to war, David sent Joab, his officers, and all the Israelites out to destroy the Ammonites. David sin was one of taking what he should not have, but not, God forbid, one of actual adultery. Why Evangelicals Are Arguing Online About David and Bathsheba Did David woo Bathsheba? Yet after it was done, God recognized this union. David lusted after her and made plans to have her for his own.