David’s Sin and Repentance
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law. David reasoned that if Uriah were slain by the hand of enemies
in battle, the guilt of his death could not be traced home to the king,
Bathsheba would be free to become David’s wife, suspicion could be
averted, and the royal honor would be maintained.
Uriah was made the bearer of his own death warrant. A letter sent
by his hand to Joab from the king commanded, “Set ye Uriah in the
forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be
smitten, and die.” Joab, already stained with the guilt of one wanton
murder, did not hesitate to obey the king’s instructions, and Uriah fell
by the sword of the children of Ammon.
Heretofore David’s record as a ruler had been such as few monarchs
have ever equaled. It is written of him that he “executed judgment and
justice unto all his people.”
2 Samuel 8:15
. His integrity had won the
confidence and fealty of the nation. But as he departed from God and
yielded himself to the wicked one, he became for the time the agent of
Satan; yet he still held the position and authority that God had given
him, and because of this, claimed obedience that would imperil the
soul of him who should yield it. And Joab, whose allegiance had been
given to the king rather than to God, transgressed God’s law because
the king commanded it.
David’s power had been given him by God, but to be exercised
only in harmony with the divine law. When he commanded that which
was contrary to God’s law, it became sin to obey. “The powers that
be are ordained of God” (
Romans 13:1
), but we are not to obey them
contrary to God’s law. The apostle Paul, writing to the Corinthians,
sets forth the principle by which we should be governed. He says, “Be
ye followers of me, even as I also am of Christ.”
1 Corinthians 11:1
.
An account of the execution of his order was sent to David, but
so carefully worded as not to implicate either Joab or the king. Joab
“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
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arise, ... then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. So
the messenger went, and came and showed David all that Joab had
sent him for.”
The king’s answer was, “Thus shalt thou say unto Joab, Let not this
thing displease thee, for the sword devoureth one as well as another:
make thy battle more strong against the city, and overthrow it: and
encourage thou him.”