While his mind’s eye still held images of this beautiful woman, David summoned a servant, pointed to the object of his desire, and inquired after her. Moments later the servant returned with the information. This woman was Bathsheba, the daughter of one of David’s soldiers and the wife of one of his mighty men. David would have also deduced from this information that she was the granddaughter of one of his best counselors. Chances are, David had met Bathsheba at some political occasion or banquet in the past. But there, she would have been at her husband’s side, and beautiful or not, David would have ignored any attraction between them. I say that based on his past experience with his third wife, Abigial.
Abigail’s beauty once caught David’s attention too, but not in the way Bathsheba was doing now. Abigial approached David as a subject to a future king and he accepted her gift and sent her home. Only when God stepped in and removed her wicked husband from the picture, did David ask her to become his wife.
Now however, David is attracted to a beautiful woman, whom he has just observed in an intimate way, whose husband is not around to interfere. He asked about her because he longed to fulfill the lust of his imaginations with her. But she belonged to another man. A mighty warrior who is out fighting David’s battle.
At this point, David has a choice to make. Accept the fact that she is off limits and repent of mistake/sin number two. Or move on to sin number three.
He chose to send for her to come to him at the palace.
He was free-falling toward disaster.
(To be continued…)
