Dealing with Consequences: 2 Samuel 11:14-25
The only solution to sin is confession, but in the moment, confession is always the last option we desire to pursue. Confession implies getting caught. Confession implies consequences. Confession implies taking ownership. Confession implies people seeing us for the flawed human we are rather than the perfect human we project ourselves to be.
Uriah’s righteousness forces David into a bind. Because Uriah did not go to his wife, there is no way the baby might be considered Uriah’s child. David decides to kill Uriah. He uses the military action at Rabbah to accomplish and disguise the decision.
Stepping back to look at the situation from the ten-thousand-foot vantage point, killing Uriah only resolves a small portion of the sin. Killing Uriah only makes it so nobody needs to confess the sin to Uriah. The baby will still grow within Bathsheba. At some point, Bathsheba will give birth. At that point, everyone will wonder how Bathsheba could give birth to a baby when her husband is dead! Bathsheba’s reputation will diminish. People will brand her an adulteress. Her child will grow up without a father.
Even worse for David, should Joab ever discover Uriah’s wife gave birth to a child conceived during the siege of Rabah, Joab will remember David’s order to have Uriah killed in the battle. Joab will be very suspicious of David’s guilt. Having Uriah killed can only serve to drive a wedge of suspicion between David and his nephew and lead to Joab’s doubt of David’s character.
Internally, this act shows how sin causes David to ignore the sanctity of life. David refused to kill Saul, even when Saul was hunting him. David valued Saul’s life when he was focused on God. In the middle of his sinfulness, David brushes off the death of Uriah and all the other warriors fighting close to him, arguing that death is a natural consequence of battle. While death is a natural consequence of battle, he knows Uriah’s death was planned.
This is the problem with sin. Sin feels fun in the moment when the consequences are so far down the road they can be ignored. When the consequences draw close, sin breeds deceit as we cover up the consequences. As we avoid consequences, our continued deception draws more consequences. We must work even harder to bury them. Sin becomes hard work as we try to create a narrative to explain how the circumstances could be a part of normal life and not the consequences of our sinfulness.
Even worse, sin draws other people into our guilt. David’s lust drew Bathsheba into adultery. David’s sin drew Joab into guilt as he became David’s executioner. Sin begets more sin. The only solution to sin is confession, but in the moment, confession is always the last option we desire to pursue.
