The story of King David is probably one of the most tragic in scripture. David goes from being highly favored of the Lord to losing it all over a moment of weakness. He went from shepard to war hero almost over night after he defeated Goliath. He was spared from Saul's many attempts to kill him, from throwing spears to putting him in battle so the Philistines would kill him. All the while, David remained humble and obedient. Even when Saul stumbled into the cave where David was hiding, David merely cut off part of Saul's robe (and felt guilty about it afterwards). God even referred to David as "a man after his own heart" (1 Sam. 13:14). For those keeping track, that's a pretty big endorsement which isn't handed out lightly. In fact, aside from this reference to David, I can only find one other instance in the scriptures where the Lord refers to someone's heart (Doct. and Cov. 124:15 where the Lord loves Hyrum Smith "because of the integrity of his heart").
This week's lesson comes from 2 Samuel 11-12. This story, while tragic, has a few lessons we can apply in order to keep us from falling.
1. Do Your Duty
This whole sordid affair would never have happened if David had been where he was supposed to be. This was a time of war, and the kings were supposed to be in battle, "But David tarried still at Jerusalem" (2 Samuel 11:1). It doesn't say why he stayed behind, but it is clear that he wasn't where he needed to be.
President Heber J. Grant said: "There is but one path of safety to the Latter-day Saints, and that is the path of duty. It is ... the keeping of the commandments of God, the living the life of a Latter-day Saint." (“The President Speaks,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1936, 659.)
The army of Gideon, though only 300 in number against the vast hosts of the Midianites, "stood every man in his place" (Judges 7:21) and were victorious. If David had "stood ... in his place", he would never have been in the position to be tempted like this.
"Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved..." (Doct. and Cov. 87:8).
2. "...let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly..." (Doct. and Cov. 121:45)
Dave stays home, but the story still could've had a positive ending. He's out walking on the roof of his house and sees a woman washing herself (2 Samuel 11:2). If he walks away now, nothing happens and we still have a happy ending. But no, he wants to find out who she is. Why does he want to know that? What difference does it make what her name is?
He sends messengers, who should've just told her to buy a shower curtain or close the windows. Instead, they bring her back to David, dinner may or may not have been involved, "Hey babe, what's your tribe?" and boom, the doctor tells them they're in love.
A man with virtuous thoughts would have turned away on the roof and not watched. He wouldn't have pondered on it and tried to find out more about her. He wouldn't have invited her to the castle, and she wouldn't have ended up pregnant.
"...whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt 5:8).
David's physical actions were only the fulfillment of the actions he had already taken in his heart.
3. It Takes Two to Tango
Let's not forget here that it still takes two to end up with the 9-month flu. Sure, it might be hard to tell the king, "no thanks, I'm married" (you can almost hear Dave say, "that's okay, so am I"), but I find it hard to believe it would have happened without her consent. When do our standards really count? When it's easy, or when times get hard? Maybe if she had the courage to be true to her covenants it would've given David the strength he needed to be true to his.
Would it have been harder for Bathsheba to turn down Dave's advances, or for Esther to reveal her nationality when being a Jew meant certain death? Was it easy for Shad, Rack, and Benny (VeggieTales flashback) to face the fiery furnace rather than worship Nebuchadnezzar's idol (see Daniel 3)? It may seem a little harsh, but I'm not inclined to cut Bathsheba much slack here. Have I done dumb things? Most definitely. But I've also been given the strength I needed to keep from doing other dumb things and I have no doubt that at some point along the line, the Spirit was telling Dave that what he was doing was wrong. Unfortunately a prompting from the Spirit is much like the desire to exercise; if you ignore it long enough, it'll go away.
Peer pressure is a powerful force. I often wonder how my life would have been different without the influence of some truly great friends in high school. I suspect David wouldn't have been in this mess if Jonathan had still been alive to "[strengthen] his hand in God" (1 Samuel 23:16).
4. Trying to hide your mistake only leads to more (and bigger) mistakes
Even if David had admitted his fault, he would've been in an eternally better position than the result of his actions to follow. Instead, he calls Uriah home from the battle and tries to get him to spend some time at home. Faithful Uriah instead spends the night sleeping on the king's doorstep. The only solution David can see is to have Uriah killed in battle and quickly marry Bathsheba (although I'm sure people even back then could tell it hadn't been 9 months between wedding and baby). Sending someone into battle to have them killed is the same tactic Saul had used on David, unsuccessfully, years earlier.
As a result of David's plot "he hath fallen from his exaltation" (Doct. and Cov. 132:39). That's not a good thing. That's actually the opposite of good. His eternal inheritance was lost over a moment of indiscretion.
It would have been interesting to ask David as he stood on his roof watching Bathsheba if he thought what he was planning in his heart was worth the cost he'd end up paying.
This week's lesson comes from 2 Samuel 11-12. This story, while tragic, has a few lessons we can apply in order to keep us from falling.
1. Do Your Duty
This whole sordid affair would never have happened if David had been where he was supposed to be. This was a time of war, and the kings were supposed to be in battle, "But David tarried still at Jerusalem" (2 Samuel 11:1). It doesn't say why he stayed behind, but it is clear that he wasn't where he needed to be.
President Heber J. Grant said: "There is but one path of safety to the Latter-day Saints, and that is the path of duty. It is ... the keeping of the commandments of God, the living the life of a Latter-day Saint." (“The President Speaks,” Improvement Era, Nov. 1936, 659.)
The army of Gideon, though only 300 in number against the vast hosts of the Midianites, "stood every man in his place" (Judges 7:21) and were victorious. If David had "stood ... in his place", he would never have been in the position to be tempted like this.
"Wherefore, stand ye in holy places, and be not moved..." (Doct. and Cov. 87:8).
2. "...let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly..." (Doct. and Cov. 121:45)
Dave stays home, but the story still could've had a positive ending. He's out walking on the roof of his house and sees a woman washing herself (2 Samuel 11:2). If he walks away now, nothing happens and we still have a happy ending. But no, he wants to find out who she is. Why does he want to know that? What difference does it make what her name is?
He sends messengers, who should've just told her to buy a shower curtain or close the windows. Instead, they bring her back to David, dinner may or may not have been involved, "Hey babe, what's your tribe?" and boom, the doctor tells them they're in love.
A man with virtuous thoughts would have turned away on the roof and not watched. He wouldn't have pondered on it and tried to find out more about her. He wouldn't have invited her to the castle, and she wouldn't have ended up pregnant.
"...whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart" (Matt 5:8).
David's physical actions were only the fulfillment of the actions he had already taken in his heart.
3. It Takes Two to Tango
Let's not forget here that it still takes two to end up with the 9-month flu. Sure, it might be hard to tell the king, "no thanks, I'm married" (you can almost hear Dave say, "that's okay, so am I"), but I find it hard to believe it would have happened without her consent. When do our standards really count? When it's easy, or when times get hard? Maybe if she had the courage to be true to her covenants it would've given David the strength he needed to be true to his.
Would it have been harder for Bathsheba to turn down Dave's advances, or for Esther to reveal her nationality when being a Jew meant certain death? Was it easy for Shad, Rack, and Benny (VeggieTales flashback) to face the fiery furnace rather than worship Nebuchadnezzar's idol (see Daniel 3)? It may seem a little harsh, but I'm not inclined to cut Bathsheba much slack here. Have I done dumb things? Most definitely. But I've also been given the strength I needed to keep from doing other dumb things and I have no doubt that at some point along the line, the Spirit was telling Dave that what he was doing was wrong. Unfortunately a prompting from the Spirit is much like the desire to exercise; if you ignore it long enough, it'll go away.
Peer pressure is a powerful force. I often wonder how my life would have been different without the influence of some truly great friends in high school. I suspect David wouldn't have been in this mess if Jonathan had still been alive to "[strengthen] his hand in God" (1 Samuel 23:16).
4. Trying to hide your mistake only leads to more (and bigger) mistakes
Even if David had admitted his fault, he would've been in an eternally better position than the result of his actions to follow. Instead, he calls Uriah home from the battle and tries to get him to spend some time at home. Faithful Uriah instead spends the night sleeping on the king's doorstep. The only solution David can see is to have Uriah killed in battle and quickly marry Bathsheba (although I'm sure people even back then could tell it hadn't been 9 months between wedding and baby). Sending someone into battle to have them killed is the same tactic Saul had used on David, unsuccessfully, years earlier.
As a result of David's plot "he hath fallen from his exaltation" (Doct. and Cov. 132:39). That's not a good thing. That's actually the opposite of good. His eternal inheritance was lost over a moment of indiscretion.
It would have been interesting to ask David as he stood on his roof watching Bathsheba if he thought what he was planning in his heart was worth the cost he'd end up paying.
