2 SAMUEL LESSON 13


     We will begin this lesson in II Samuel 12:1 "And the LORD sent
Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were
two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor."

     This is a continuation of chapter 11. We know from that chapter,
that David and Bath-sheba had committed adultery, and she had
conceived a child. David had sent her husband to the front of the
battle, and had him killed, so he and Bath-sheba could marry. At the
end of the last lesson we learned that they had a son born from that
affair. It appears that David has not repented before the LORD for
these sins. At least a year has passed, since the adulterous affair
began. Nathan is a prophet of God. The LORD has sent Nathan to speak
to David. The parable, he gives, will show David just how guilty he is
of this sin. Of course, the rich man in this is speaking of David, and
the poor man is Uriah.

     II Samuel 12:2 "The rich [man] had exceeding many flocks and
herds:" II Samuel 12:3 "But the poor [man] had nothing, save one
little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up
together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat,
and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a
daughter." II Samuel 12:4 "And there came a traveller unto the rich
man, and he spared to take of his own flock and of his own herd, to
dress for the wayfaring man that was come unto him; but took the poor
man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him."

     This is a parable about what David  had done to Uriah. David was,
indeed, rich, but he, also, had many wives and many concubines. Uriah
had only one wife. This is telling how David took the only wife that
Uriah had, instead of being satisfied with the wives he already had.

     II Samuel 12:5 "And David's anger was greatly kindled against the
man; and he said to Nathan, [As] the LORD liveth, the man that hath
done this [thing] shall surely die:" II Samuel 12:6 "And he shall
restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he
had no pity."

     David had a sense of fairness, even though he had not shown it in
the case of Uriah. He had judged many things among his people, and he
immediately knew the man in the parable was very wrong. David is
saying, that the man that would do such a thing should surely die. The
last part of this really would be an impossibility, if the man had
been killed. He could not give 4 back for one, if he is dead.

     II Samuel 12:7  "And Nathan said to David, Thou [art] the man.
Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, I anointed thee king over Israel,
and I delivered thee out of the hand of Saul;"

     Suddenly, Nathan tells David the man in the parable is speaking
of him. God had shown great confidence in David. God had trusted David
with the whole kingdom, when He anointed him. He had miraculously
saved him from Saul. David has ruined God's trust in him.

     II Samuel 12:8  "And I gave thee thy master's house, and thy
master's wives into thy bosom, and gave thee the house of Israel and
of Judah; and if [that had been] too little, I would moreover have
given unto thee such and such things."

     The custom in the orient was that all possessions, including
wives, belonged to the king, who took over the throne from another.
This is what is meant by houses and wives. David did not take the
wives of Saul, or Ishbosheth, for his own. David had taken many wives,
however.  He had everything he should have wanted. If there was a
desire of his heart he did not have, he should have asked God, and God
would have given it to him.

     II Samuel 12:9 "Wherefore hast thou despised the commandment of
the LORD, to do evil in his sight? thou hast killed Uriah the Hittite
with the sword, and hast taken his wife [to be] thy wife, and hast
slain him with the sword of the children of Ammon."

     We can easily see, that just because David had not pierced Uriah
with his own sword, did not free him from the guilt of killing him.
Truly, David killed Uriah, and God holds him responsible.

     II Samuel 12:10 "Now therefore the sword shall never depart from
thine house; because thou hast despised me, and hast taken the wife of
Uriah the Hittite to be thy wife."

     The punishment for David killing Uriah will continue on, until
the death of David. God does not count this sin as an ordinary sin,
but it is a sin against God, as well as against Uriah. We will see in
David's children the punishment of God through his children. Amnon was
murdered. Absalom rebelled against David, and died before David's
death. There were so many violent things that happened to David's
children, we will just mention these two here. In addition to the two
mentioned, is a sentence that both David and Bath-sheba are punished
by, when they lose the baby that was born from their adulterous
affair.

     II Samuel 12:11 "Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will raise up
evil against thee out of thine own house, and I will take thy wives
before thine eyes, and give [them] unto thy neighbour, and he shall
lie with thy wives in the sight of this sun."

     David had spoken of death, as part of the punishment on the man
in the parable that Nathan brought. He, also, spoke of the lamb being
replaced four times over. The punishment of David from the LORD came
right out of his own mouth. Perhaps, this is speaking of Absalom
trying to take David's wives. He rebelled against his father and
wanted to be king, which would have given him David's wives.

     II Samuel 12:12 "For thou didst [it] secretly: but I will do this
thing before all Israel, and before the sun."

     What David thought was a secret sin, was something the LORD knew
all about. David had not come forward and repented of this sin. The
Lord punishes him in the open.

     II Samuel 12:13 "And David said unto Nathan, I have sinned
against the LORD. And Nathan said unto David, The LORD also hath put
away thy sin; thou shalt not die."

     David is truly sorry, and has repented in his heart. He was so in
love with Bath-sheba, that he was blinded to his sin. David confesses
his sin to Nathan. David knows he deserves to die. David knew the
penalty for adultery and for murder was death. Both penalties would be
very hard to carry out against a king. David was not as concerned of
what man could do to him, as he was with his standing with God. Nathan
assures David that the sin has been set aside by the LORD, and He will
not kill David for the sin. In the Psalms, we read of the great sorrow
that David felt, because of his sins.

     II Samuel 12:14 "Howbeit, because by this deed thou hast given
great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also
[that is] born unto thee shall surely die."

     David represented the LORD, especially to the heathen world. They
were aware that David was anointed of the Lord to carry out His
wishes. The fact that David committed so terrible a sin, would be a
shame for David, and for God who chose David. It would actually make
the heathens think less of the LORD, because He let David get away
with such a sin. The death of the baby would be a visible sign of the
LORD punishing David for his sin.

     II Samuel 12:15  "And Nathan departed unto his house. And the
LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife bare unto David, and it was
very sick."

     Notice, this punishment is from the LORD. This is not something
Satan did to David. This is from the LORD. The death of the baby would
prove to the heathen world, that the LORD was just, and was so
powerful, that He could strike the king for sin.  The baby is very
sick.

     II Samuel 12:16 "David therefore besought God for the child; and
David fasted, and went in, and lay all night upon the earth."

     David did all he knew to do. He fasted and lay on his face before
the LORD. His prayer was sincere, but the LORD would not hear.

     II Samuel 12:17 "And the elders of his house arose, [and went] to
him, to raise him up from the earth: but he would not, neither did he
eat bread with them."

     His grief was so overwhelming, that the elders tried to get him
up. He fasted, while the baby was sick. His prayers were sincere and
with deep grief, but the LORD would not hear.

     II Samuel 12:18 "And it came to pass on the seventh day, that the
child died. And the servants of David feared to tell him that the
child was dead: for they said, Behold, while the child was yet alive,
we spake unto him, and he would not hearken unto our voice: how will
he then vex himself, if we tell him that the child is dead?"

     David prayed and fasted the entire 7 days, that the baby was
sick. It was to no avail. The baby died. They were afraid of the
worst, when they told David the baby was dead. He knew it was his sin
that brought this upon his baby. The elders had tried to talk to him,
but he would not listen. Now, they were afraid of what he might do, on
hearing of the baby's death.

     II Samuel 12:19 "But when David saw that his servants whispered,
David perceived that the child was dead: therefore David said unto his
servants, Is the child dead? And they said, He is dead."

     The servants were afraid to tell David, for fear of what he might
do. The whispering gave indication to David, that the baby was dead.
David helped them by asking the question. Then they must answer. The
baby is, indeed, dead.

     II Samuel 12:20 "Then David arose from the earth, and washed, and
anointed [himself], and changed his apparel, and came into the house
of the LORD, and worshipped: then he came to his own house; and when
he required, they set bread before him, and he did eat."

     David had not been in the sanctuary before. He had been lying
before the LORD somewhere in his own house. There is no need to weep
for the baby any longer, the baby is dead. He went to the sanctuary,
after cleansing himself and worshipped the LORD. David knows he
deserves the punishment the LORD brings upon him. He finally agrees to
eat after the baby is dead.

     II Samuel 12:21 "Then said his servants unto him, What thing [is]
this that thou hast done? thou didst fast and weep for the child,
[while it was] alive; but when the child was dead, thou didst rise and
eat bread."

     The servants did not understand why David was weeping and
fasting. He was fasting and weeping, as much for the sin he committed,
as he did for the life of the child. He did grieve over the child, but
his greatest grief was that he had done something that displeased God
so greatly. David actually showed the people around him, that he
accepted the punishment levied upon him by the LORD, when he went to
the sanctuary to worship at the death of the baby.

     II Samuel 12:22 "And he said, While the child was yet alive, I
fasted and wept: for I said, Who can tell [whether] GOD will be
gracious to me, that the child may live?"

     David was very aware of the gracious forgiveness of the LORD, he
had been shown so many times. He fasted and wept, hoping that the LORD
would, one more time, be gracious and let the child live. There was
still hope of receiving that forgiveness, until the baby died. Now, it
is too late.

     II Samuel 12:23 "But now he is dead, wherefore should I fast? can
I bring him back again? I shall go to him, but he shall not return to
me."

     The answer is no, he cannot bring him back. David has done all
that he can. We know that, truly, it is appointed unto man once to
die.

     II Samuel 12:24  "And David comforted Bath-sheba his wife, and
went in unto her, and lay with her: and she bare a son, and he called
his name Solomon: and the LORD loved him."

     It appears that, David had great love for Bath-sheba. The fact
that she conceived, again, and God gave her a son, shows that God had
forgiven them for their sins. Notice, the statement, "the LORD loved
him". "Solomon" means peaceable. Solomon was known as a man of peace.
The name David gave Solomon indicates that the wars of David's early
days are over.

     II Samuel 12:25 "And he sent by the hand of Nathan the prophet;
and he called his name Jedidiah, because of the LORD."

     "Jedidiah" is the same as Solomon, and it means beloved of
Jehovah. Remember, this name is the one God gave him, not his parents.
Nathan was speaking as a representative of the LORD, when he gave the
name.

     II Samuel 12:26  "And Joab fought against Rabbah of the children
of Ammon, and took the royal city." II Samuel 12:27 "And Joab sent
messengers to David, and said, I have fought against Rabbah, and have
taken the city of waters."

     This is not in chronological order. This battle is the same one,
that Uriah was involved in. Even though it was a long siege, all of
the above things did not happen during this time. The two Scriptures
above happened a short time after the death of Uriah.

     II Samuel 12:28 "Now therefore gather the rest of the people
together, and encamp against the city, and take it: lest I take the
city, and it be called after my name." II Samuel 12:29 "And David
gathered all the people together, and went to Rabbah, and fought
against it, and took it."

     David needed to lead the actual final assault on the city. David
took more men with him, too. David needed the honor of the conquest
very much at this point. Joab is, also, saying, if he takes the great
risk of storming the wall, he would claim the city for himself. David
will lead the assault. The men fight better, knowing their king is
leading them.

     II Samuel 12:30 "And he took their king's crown from off his
head, the weight whereof [was] a talent of gold with the precious
stones: and it was [set] on David's head. And he brought forth the
spoil of the city in great abundance."

     This crown weighed about 125 pounds. This would be a terrible
weight for a man to have on his head. This crown had to be taken off
their king's head and symbolically placed on David's head to show his
supreme rule. This was a proclamation of victory.

     II Samuel 12:31 "And he brought forth the people that [were]
therein, and put [them] under saws, and under harrows of iron, and
under axes of iron, and made them pass through the brickkiln: and thus
did he unto all the cities of the children of Ammon. So David and all
the people returned unto Jerusalem."

     This is a description of cruelty to the ultimate. This does not
say whether this is all the people, or just the soldiers. We should
hope it was just the soldiers. It appears, some of them died by being
sawed. It seemed, the Israelites dismembered the people with pieces of
iron swung like a sickle. Some were beheaded with axes. The brickkiln
is, probably, the most cruel. These kilns are heated to extreme heat
to bake the bricks, as they pass through the heat. A person could not
last long in here, they would burn to death. They returned to
Jerusalem with the name of being a bloody king. The only answer we
have for the cruelty that David showed here, is the fact that had they
lost, the enemy would have killed them in this same manner.




























                        2 Samuel 13 Questions


1.  Who did the LORD send to David with a message?
2.  How was the message presented?
3.  How much time had elapsed since the adulterous affair?
4.  What is this parable truly about?
5.  What reaction did David have to the parable?
6.  What punishment did David speak on himself?
7.  What did Nathan tell David about the man in the parable?
8.  What did the LORD tell David, He had done for him?
9.  What is the custom in the orient about wives and houses of kings?
10. David had despised the _____________ of the LORD.
11. Who really killed Uriah in the sight of God?
12. What judgement did the LORD speak on David?
13. What were some of the examples of this judgement?
14. What was meant by taking his wives?
15. David's punishment will be _________, because his sin had been
    secret.
16. Who did David admit his sin to?
17. What reassurance did he give David?
18. What terrible news did Nathan give David about his baby with Bath-
    sheba?
19. Who did David's sin hurt?
20. What would the death of the baby prove to the heathen world?
21. What did David do, to show his sincere wish for the baby to live?
22. When did the baby die?
23. Who told David the baby was dead?
24. What did David do, after the baby died?
25. What was another reason David was weeping and fasting, besides
    wanting the baby to live?
26. David __________ Bath-sheba.
27. How do we know God forgave them?
28. What does "Solomon" mean?
29. What did God name Solomon?
30. What does that name mean?
31. What word did Joab send David from the war?
32. How much did the crown of gold weigh, that they captured?
33. What horrible ways did they kill the people they defeated?