Hollow Crown

David is already failing as king before he takes Bathsheba. Instead of being on the field with his men, he’s lazing around back home. His men have taken vows to refrain from sex with their wives; David not only enjoys his own wives, but takes another man’s, one of the men who is out at the battle.

After David’s adultery, his failures accumulate. He sends one of his mighty men to his death. He no longer fights to win the battle; he uses the war to cover up his adultery and Bathsheba’s pregnancy. He’s not upset that the battle is going badly, as long as one of his best fighting men dies on the field. 

Like the kings of the nations that Samuel warned about (1 Samuel), David begins to take, take take – takes another man’s wife, takes the man’s life, takes what he pleases. And then uses his position to cover his sin. We can imagine that he spun Bathsheba’s move into the palace as an act of royal magnanimity: “I am sorry to lose Uriah, but I take care of my soldiers. I’m going to take care of his widow, and she can even live in the palace.”

David’s adultery is no private sin. It’s an abuse of power, and it twists his way of ruling. Instead of seeking to serve his people, he manipulates and controls so they serve his desires and cover his guilt. That’s not kingship; in and after his adultery, David becomes a tyrant.