Biblical Story of David and Bath-Sheba (David Saw Bath-Sheba Taking a Bath)

David, the slayer of Goliath, became a great king of Israel. Both God and man had sanctioned his kingship and placed much authority in his hands. But, amidst all his strength, David was weak and an easy prey of temptation.On a certain evening he was walking on the roof of the royal palace when he saw a woman bathing. She was beautiful to look upon and David was so overcome with lust for her that he sent his messengers to bring her to his rooms. When she arrived he discovered that she was the wife of Uriah, one of David's soldiers.This did not deter David, for his lust was great. Rather, he lay with her in his rooms. Then she arose and returned to her house. Now, Uriah was away fighting and knew nothing of his wife's unfaithfulness. He was faithful to his king, knowing not that this king had violated his home.Very soon Bath-sheba, for that was the name of Uriah's wife, sent word to David saying, "I am with child." Sorely distressed, David summoned Uriah to the king's house und
er the pretext of wishing a report on the progress of the war. When Uriah had given his report, David sent him, "Go down to thy house, and wash thy feet."When Uriah left the king's presence, a "mess of food" was dispatched to his house from the royal larder. But Uriah did not go home. Instead, he slept at the door of the king's house with the servants. When this news reached David, he called Uriah to him and said, "Art thou not come from a journey? Wherefore didst thou not go down unto thy house?""The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field," Uriah replied, "Shall I then go into my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As thou liveth, and as my soul liveth, I will not do this thing."David's plan had failed since Uriah refused, in the name of the soldier's code, to lie with his wife and thereby make David's child appear to be his own. But the king was not beaten. He had another pla
n which he immediately set about to try. He ordered Uriah to remain in the king's house for two days. During this time, he gave him wine until he was drunk. This also failed, for even under the influence of strong drink, Uriah refused to go home and lie with his wife.In desperation, David resorted to his last plan. He wrote a message to Joab, Uriah's officer, and sent it by Uriah. The message said, "Set ye Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retire ye from him, that he may be smitten and die."Joab did as the king had ordered, and Uriah was killed. When a messenger brought the news to David, he praised Joab for his generalship, but Uriah's wife "made lamentations for her husband." When the period of mourning was past, David summoned her to his house and she became his wife.David was pleased with himself and his cleverness that now the child who was to be born would appear to everyone to be the king's. In the meanwhile, a prophet of Jehovah named Nathan, came to
him and recited a story to which the king listened attentively: "There were two men in one city; the one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds, but the poor man had nothing save one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished up. It grew up together with him and with his children. It did eat of his own morsel, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter. 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 he took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him."This story made David very angry and he cried out in his wrath and said, "As Jehovah liveth, the man that hath done this is worthy to die. He shall restore the lamb fourfold because he did this thing, and because he had no pity."But Nathan, pointing his accusing finger at David, said, "Thou art the man!" he tol
d David how Jehovah had given him the kingship and all manner of power and wealth and many wives, yet he had stolen Uriah's wife and caused Uriah to die. Then Nathan pronounced the curse of Jehovah upon David. He told him that he would be harassed by wars for the remainder of his life, that his wives would be taken by his enemies, and the child whom Bath-sheba was carrying would die.When Bath-sheba's child was born it grew healthily for a time but soon became ill and lay near to death. Each day David fasted and prayed for the child's life, but Jehovah would not listen and at last the child died as Nathan had predicted. The punishment of Jehovah had been visited upon the father through the child.Later Bath-sheba bore David another child, and they called his name Solomon.

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