David Arranges for Uriah’s Death
Introduction:
Jeremiah 17:9 NLT
9 “The human heart is the most deceitful of all things,
and desperately wicked.
Who really knows how bad it is?
2 Samuel 11:14-27 NLT
David Arranges for Uriah’s Death
14 So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver. 15 The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.” 16 So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting. 17 And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight, Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.
18 Then Joab sent a battle report to David. 19 He told his messenger, “Report all the news of the battle to the king. 20 But he might get angry and ask, ‘Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn’t they know there would be shooting from the walls? 21 Wasn’t Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?’ Then tell him, ‘Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.’”
22 So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David. 23 “The enemy came out against us in the open fields,” he said. “And as we chased them back to the city gate, 24 the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king’s men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite.”
25 “Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged,” David said. “The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!”
26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 When the period of mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son. But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.
Examine the Scriptures
2 Samuel 11:14-27 NLT
David Arranges for Uriah’s Death
14 So the next morning David wrote a letter to Joab and gave it to Uriah to deliver.
- David plots Uriah’s death.
Uriah unknowingly carries his own death warrant.
15 The letter instructed Joab, “Station Uriah on the front lines where the battle is fiercest. Then pull back so that he will be killed.”
- David sends a letter to Joab, the commander of his army, instructing him to place Uriah at the front line of battle where the fighting is fiercest and then withdraw, ensuring Uriah’s death.
Then pull back so that he will be killed.”
Note: Uriah was one of “David’s mighty warriors” (listed in 1 Chronicles 11 and 2 Samuel 23)
David manipulates others to cover his sin.
This is an act of premeditated murder.
Leviticus 24:17 NLT
17 “Anyone who takes another person’s life must be put to death.
16 So Joab assigned Uriah to a spot close to the city wall where he knew the enemy’s strongest men were fighting.
- Joab complied with David’s instructions.
Joab’s willingness to carry out David’s orders reflects the ethical dilemmas faced by subordinates in systems of power.
David, as king, abused his authority to serve his personal desires,
Joab may have felt compelled to obey David as his king, believing it was his duty to follow orders. However, the Bible consistently upholds God’s law as the ultimate standard, even above human authority.
This was an act of premeditated murder.
Exodus 20:13 NLT
“You must not murder.
Situations like this highlight the importance of courageously opposing injustice, even when it comes from a superior.
Acts 5:29 NLT
29 But Peter and the apostles replied, “We must obey God rather than any human authority.
Obeying authority does not excuse participation in wrongdoing. Individuals are accountable for their actions, even when following orders.
James 4:17 NLT
Remember, it is sin to know what you ought to do and then not do it.
- Joab’s submission to David’s command does not absolve him of guilt for participating in an immoral act.
Bible characters who disobeyed those in authority:
The Hebrew midwives
Exodus 1:15-17 & 21 NLT
15 Then Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, gave this order to the Hebrew midwives, Shiphrah and Puah: 16 “When you help the Hebrew women as they give birth, watch as they deliver. If the baby is a boy, kill him; if it is a girl, let her live.”
17 But because the midwives feared God, they refused to obey the king’s orders. They allowed the boys to live, too.
21 And because the midwives feared God, he gave them families of their own.
Rahab (Note: Rahab is mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus.)
Joshua 2:2-6 NLT
2 But someone told the king of Jericho, “Some Israelites have come here tonight to spy out the land.” 3 So the king of Jericho sent orders to Rahab: “Bring out the men who have come into your house, for they have come here to spy out the whole land.”
4 Rahab had hidden the two men, but she replied, “Yes, the men were here earlier, but I didn’t know where they were from. 5 They left the town at dusk, as the gates were about to close. I don’t know where they went. If you hurry, you can probably catch up with them.” 6 (Actually, she had taken them up to the roof and hidden them beneath bundles of flax she had laid out.)
The people – the men of Saul’s army
1 Samuel 14:43-45 NLT
43 “Tell me what you have done,” Saul demanded of Jonathan.
“I tasted a little honey,” Jonathan admitted. “It was only a little bit on the end of my stick. Does that deserve death?”
44 “Yes, Jonathan,” Saul said, “you must die! May God strike me and even kill me if you do not die for this.”
45 But the people broke in and said to Saul, “Jonathan has won this great victory for Israel. Should he die? Far from it! As surely as the Lord lives, not one hair on his head will be touched, for God helped him do a great deed today.” So the people rescued Jonathan, and he was not put to death.
Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego
Daniel 3:10-12 NLT
10 You issued a decree requiring all the people to bow down and worship the gold statue when they hear the sound of the horn, flute, zither, lyre, harp, pipes, and other musical instruments. 11 That decree also states that those who refuse to obey must be thrown into a blazing furnace. 12 But there are some Jews—Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego—whom you have put in charge of the province of Babylon. They pay no attention to you, Your Majesty. They refuse to serve your gods and do not worship the gold statue you have set up.”
Peter and John
Acts 4:18-20 NLT
18 So they called the apostles back in and commanded them never again to speak or teach in the name of Jesus.
19 But Peter and John replied, “Do you think God wants us to obey you rather than him? 20 We cannot stop telling about everything we have seen and heard.”
17 And when the enemy soldiers came out of the city to fight,
Uriah the Hittite was killed along with several other Israelite soldiers.
- Here one sin led to another sin, escalating from adultery to deception and murder.
Uriah was not the only casualty. David was also responsible for the death of several other Israelite soldiers.
- David’s sin harmed others.
18 Then Joab sent a battle report to David. 19 He told his messenger, “Report all the news of the battle to the king. 20 But he might get angry and ask, ‘Why did the troops go so close to the city? Didn’t they know there would be shooting from the walls?
- Joab knew that fighting close to the enemies’ city wall was a military blunder.
Joab knew that his actions were wrong.
21 Wasn’t Abimelech son of Gideon killed at Thebez by a woman who threw a millstone down on him from the wall? Why would you get so close to the wall?’
Judges 9:50-56 NLT
50 Then Abimelech attacked the town of Thebez and captured it. 51 But there was a strong tower inside the town, and all the men and women—the entire population—fled to it. They barricaded themselves in and climbed up to the roof of the tower. 52 Abimelech followed them to attack the tower. But as he prepared to set fire to the entrance, 53 a woman on the roof dropped a millstone that landed on Abimelech’s head and crushed his skull.
54 He quickly said to his young armor bearer, “Draw your sword and kill me! Don’t let it be said that a woman killed Abimelech!” So the young man ran him through with his sword, and he died. 55 When Abimelech’s men saw that he was dead, they disbanded and returned to their homes.
56 In this way, God punished Abimelech for the evil he had done against his father (Gideon was called Jerub-baal) by murdering his seventy brothers.
Then tell him, ‘Uriah the Hittite was killed, too.’”
Joab’s messenger was instructed to inform David specifically that Uriah had been killed, communicating to David that his plan had worked.
- David’s plan worked.
22 So the messenger went to Jerusalem and gave a complete report to David. 23 “The enemy came out against us in the open fields,” he said. “And as we chased them back to the city gate, 24 the archers on the wall shot arrows at us. Some of the king’s men were killed, including Uriah the Hittite.”
25 “Well, tell Joab not to be discouraged,” David said. “The sword devours this one today and that one tomorrow! Fight harder next time, and conquer the city!”
Basically, David told Joab not to be discouraged by the death of a few good men.
David was calling sin something other than sin: merely a natural consequence of war.
- David’s callus attitude is chilling.
What should David have done?
1 John 1:9 NLT
9 But if we confess our sins to him, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all wickedness.
26 When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him.
Bathsheba mourns for Uriah.
There is no indication of David mourning the death of Uriah.
- Bathsheba mourned for Uriah.
27 When the period of mourning was over,
Probably a period of seven days.
Joseph mourned his father’s death for seven days.
Genesis 50:10 NLT
10 When they arrived at the threshing floor of Atad, near the Jordan River, they held a very great and solemn memorial service, with a seven-day period of mourning for Joseph’s father.
King Saul’s death.
1 Samuel 31:11-13 NLT
11 But when the people of Jabesh-gilead heard what the Philistines had done to Saul, 12 all their mighty warriors traveled through the night to Beth-shan and took the bodies of Saul and his sons down from the wall. They brought them to Jabesh, where they burned the bodies. 13 Then they took their bones and buried them beneath the tamarisk tree at Jabesh, and they fasted for seven days.
David sent for her and brought her to the palace, and she became one of his wives. Then she gave birth to a son.
But the Lord was displeased with what David had done.
No sin is hidden from God, and accountability is inevitable.
David had brazenly violated God’s laws.
Exodus 20:13-17 NLT
13 “You must not murder.
14 “You must not commit adultery.
15 “You must not steal.
16 “You must not testify falsely against your neighbor.
17 “You must not covet your neighbor’s house. You must not covet your neighbor’s wife, male or female servant, ox or donkey, or anything else that belongs to your neighbor.”
- David had abused his royal power, which the Lord had entrusted to him to shepherd the Lord’s people.
The assignment that God had given to David.
2 Samuel 5:2 NLT
… And the Lord told you, (David) ‘You will be the shepherd of my people Israel. You will be Israel’s leader.’”
- The Lord was displeased with what David had done.
A small sample of the guilt David would have to live with.
Psalm 51:2-4 NLT
2 Wash me clean from my guilt.
Purify me from my sin.
3 For I recognize my rebellion;
it haunts me day and night.
4 Against you, and you alone, have I sinned;
I have done what is evil in your sight.
