David and Bathsheba

[Paul not the apostle]

I don't have time to properly study this, but this did come up in our meeting.

If adultery was sin, punishable by stoning, then why did David not have to be stoned for committing adultery with Bathsheba? He certainly commited adultery with her because her husband was still alive.

I had made the point that if poly was the sin of adultery, then why were they not stoned. I know that I may be incorrect in my understanding.

thanks

 

[Mark C]

There may be many, but at least one is a bit similar to the reason that the woman "caught in adultery" and brought before Yeshua was not stoned.

Where are the two witnesses? (David, confronted with his sin, KNEW the answer, but it is clear from the story that no other witnesses testified against him. His story is in Psalm 51 as well.)

(In the case of the woman supposedly "caught" - the question is similar, but illustratively different: Where is the MAN? )

Blessings,

 

[Tlaloc]

Its a good question which even my Pastor has asked. It may be lack of witnesses as Mark said, or something else. The speculation I have heard that perhaps persons of title where able to get off with more in his time as they are in ours. Its not a very good guess, as respect of personals is defiantly wrong, but it is the only other conjecture I can add.

 

[DrRay777]

I prayed about this and asked God what is the answer. This is what I understand...

Both what Mark and Jair said are true in the natural. However, the deeper reasons for the stay of execution, or God’s pardon, were that God had spoken a prophecy over David’s life that had to be fulfilled and David really was not the type of person who would typically commit adultery. God had prophesied that it was to be David’s son who would build a temple for Him, (II Samuel chapter 7 and I Chronicles chapter 28). Also, David was a man after God’s own heart, (I Samuel 13:13 and Acts 13:22) and would be the type of person to repent and never repeat the same mistake. This gave God the opportunity to forever document how great His mercy is and how important it is that mercy trumps justice. This was an Old Testament example of the New Testament principle that Jesus outlined in Matthew chapter 5. My late pastor used to say that justice is getting what you deserve. Grace is not getting what you deserve. Mercy is getting what you do not deserve. It was God’s mercy that prevailed in this case as the son that God chose to carry on the promises of God to David was Solomon, the second son of David and Bathsheba. I believe that is why when David later did another stupid thing that he said the following in II Samuel 24:14 -

14And David said to Gad, “I am in great distress. Please let us fall into the hand of the LORD, for His mercies are great; but do not let me fall into the hand of man.”

I am currently working on a teaching which reviews some of the things that we need to overcome in this life in order to prepare for the next. One of those things is stupidity or ignorance. The lives of God’s people continue to be destroyed by the lack of God’s knowledge. It is the revelatory knowledge of God that came into the world through Jesus Christ. This glory of God or illumination will change us into what God wants us to be, (i.e., lead us into perfection, John 17:20-26). However, people love the darkness rather than the light of true life. Even when God reveals things to His true followers that will help others, most of the time, they refuse to listen. I have found this to be the case with many of the things that God has revealed to me when I have tried to teach them to others. The levels of fear, unbelief and resulting hardness of heart in the modern ‘Christian church’ is shocking to me. As a result of this, God will reject many so-called ‘Christians’, (Hosea 4:6). David did not have this problem. For the most part, he sought the will of God for his life. Overall, the good in his life outweighed the bad in God’s scales of justice, particularly because for the attitude of his heart. It is this quality of the desire to obey God that He is looking for in us, (Matthew chapter 5). When David was rebuked, he immediately repented, (II Samuel chapter 12). If we have that desire and are humble in our approach to life, as David was, then we too will receive grace and mercy when we deserve justice, (II Samuel 22:28, Psalm 9:12, 18:27, chapter 25, 147:6, 149:4, Proverbs 334, 29:23, Isaiah 57:15, James 4:6 and I Peter 5:5). Hope this helps.

Be blessed,

Dr. Ray