Bathsheba in mourning

Bathsheba, having been informed of her husband Uriah’s death, is in mourning. (1) The time of mourning was seven days. (2) It is said that Bathsheba mourned and grieved, but whether this was from the heart or merely a formality is unknown. (3) When the time of mourning ended, David immediately sent his servants to her and brought her into the palace as one of his wives. If he had waited, it would have become clear that she was pregnant through adultery. Fearing this, he likely rushed the matter. (4) In later generations, the Jews would come to forbid remarriage within 90 days. This was to make clear who the father of the child to be born was. Some scholars count David’s quick marriage to Bathsheba as one of his sins. (5) After that, Bathsheba gave birth to a baby boy. This means that approximately six months had passed. David had been given ample time necessary for repentance, but he made no move on his own.

The eyes of man and the eyes of the Lord

You may deceive the eyes of man, but you cannot deceive the eyes of the Lord. David told Joab, “Do not let this thing displease you” (v 25), but God did not speak to David in the same way. (1) Things went according to David’s plan, and it appeared as though everything had settled. (2) However, God knew everything. As it is written, “But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the Lord.” (3) Leviticus 20:10 states, “If there is a man who commits adultery with another man’s wife, one who commits adultery with his friend’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress must be put to death.” David and Bathsheba committed a sin worthy of death. (4) What is even worse is that, in order to cover up his sin, David carried out the murder of Uriah. In the process, he also committed the sin of causing the deaths of many soldiers. Though he had committed such great sins, David lived for about six months without feeling much pain. The more you immerse yourself in sin, the more you become numb to sin. Let’s pray earnestly now. So that we may become sensitive to sin, and that we may find our greatest joy in doing the will of God.