Now when evening came David arose from his bed and walked around on the roof of the king’s house, and from the roof he saw a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful in appearance. So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?”
– Second Samuel 11:1-3
Those in a position of authority become vulnerable in certain matters. David had this problem after becoming king. First, he acted as though he were above the law; second, he succumbed to favoritism; third, he became proud in his success.
After David had been king for some time, he began to act as though he were above the law. This got him into serious trouble, as seen in 2 Samuel 11–12. One day as he walked on the roof of his house in Jerusalem, he looked down and saw Bathsheba bathing. Some might wonder whether Bathsheba had set this up, but even if this were true, David was the one who took advantage of it and disobeyed God’s law. He sent for her and committed adultery with her. When he discovered that she was with child, he tried to arrange for her husband to be with her and thus cover up his deed.
Adapted from David: After God’s Heart, pages 100-101.
Tomorrow: “King David’s Lustful Sin” (2)