2 Samuel 11:14 says, And it came to pass in the morning, that David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. Having failed in his plan to make Uriah believe that he was the father of the unborn baby, David devised another plan and sent a letter to Joab to have it put in effect. He was now involving another in his sinful actions, and if we allow sin back into our lives, we often have others involved in it as well. Verse fifteen adds, And he wrote in the letter, saying, Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten, and die. David told Joab to put Uriah in the hottest battle and then withdraw support from him so that he would be killed. Joab was under David’s command, but he still could have refused to do this. Even if someone is in power over us and commands us to do something sinful, we always have the choice to say no. Verse sixteen continues, And it came to pass, when Joab observed the city, that he assigned Uriah unto a place where he knew that valiant men were. Joab assigned Uriah to a place where he knew valiant men were, or where there was the most danger. All Uriah had ever done was be a loyal soldier and be married to Bathsheba. We should never attempt to destroy those who are loyal servants of God, no matter our reasoning. Verse seventeen states, And the men of the city went out, and fought with Joab: and there fell some of the people of the servants of David; and Uriah the Hittite died also. The people of the city that Joab sent Uriah to battle against came out and killed some of Joab's troops, including Uriah. It could even be that Uriah would have been assigned to this battle without David’s instructions, but David had made Joab and himself responsible for his death by their actions. Even though someone might have been destroyed without our actions, if we deliberately seek their destruction we must bear the responsibility for our actions. Verse eighteen adds, Then Joab sent and told David all the things concerning the war; Verse nineteen continues, And charged the messenger, saying, When thou hast made an end of telling the matters of the war unto the king, Joab sent a messenger to David to update him on the war technically, but he was actually telling David that Uriah was dead as we will see. Joab was not acting as an honorable soldier, but as an agent of sin. We as Christians should never allow ourselves to become a party to the sins of others. Verse twenty says, And if so be that the king’s wrath arise, and he say unto thee, Wherefore approached ye so nigh unto the city when ye did fight? knew ye not that they would shoot from the wall? Joab said that David might question his tactics in approaching so close to the wall of the city where it would be very dangerous. Verse twenty-one adds, Who smote Abimelech the son of Jerubbesheth? did not a woman cast a piece of a millstone upon him from the wall, that he died in Thebez? why went ye nigh the wall? then say thou, Thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. Joab said that they had the example of Abimelech being killed by a woman with a piece of pottery when he got too close to the wall. I believe Joab was afraid that David might use the bad tactics to get rid of him, but he included the fact that Uriah was killed in the action. He knew what David wanted done and did it, but I am not sure that he totally trusted David to not then have him killed, but he did have the knowledge of David's instructions that he could use in his defense. Those who are joined together in sinful actions often are afraid to totally trust each other, especially if one has power over the other one. Verse twenty-two continues, So the messenger went, and came and shewed David all that Joab had sent him for. The messenger brought the report to David. I believe that all David really wanted to hear was that Uriah was dead so he could hide his sinful action. Personally, I don't believe David was concerned about the others who died as well. He had gotten what he wanted. Those engaged in sinful actions often are not concerned about others that they may harm as well. Verse twenty-three states, And the messenger said unto David, Surely the men prevailed against us, and came out unto us into the field, and we were upon them even unto the entering of the gate. Verse twenty-four adds, And the shooters shot from off the wall upon thy servants; and some of the king’s servants be dead, and thy servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also. The messenger gave an accurate report of what had happened, concluding with the fact that Uriah was dead. Of course, he didn't realize that this was the purpose of the raid to start with. Verse twenty-five continues, Then David said unto the messenger, 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. David sent a message back to Joab telling him not to be disheartened by what had happened and that there was no determining who would die in war, even though they had conspired to make sure that Uriah did. David was covering their actions as a normal outcome of war. We should never be surprised if people engaged in sinful actions today attempt to make what they are doing seem to be a normal thing. Verse twenty-six says, And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband. Bathsheba had been unfaithful to Uriah, but she still mourned his death. She didn't know anything about David’s plot to have Uriah killed, and she was now an expectant mother without a husband. She did not know David’s intentions either at this time. Verse twenty-seven adds, And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD. After her time of mourning, David sent for Bathsheba and she became one of his wives and they had a son. It would seem that things had turned out as David wanted, but he had a big problem. God was displeased with David’s actions. No matter how successful we may be in carrying out actions that are sinful in God's eyes, He will always know and we will always have a problem.
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