2 Samuel 11-12, 1 Kings 3, 6-9, 11 Teaching Activities and Insights
- Benjamin Wilcox
- 1 day ago
- 39 min read
TEACHING ACTIVITIES
LESSON #1 DAVID’S REAL GOLIATH: COURSE CORRECTIONS (2 Samuel 11)
TRUTH:
Small wrong turns can become great falls when we fail to course correct.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
Something that gives me a fire in the bones for the David and Bathsheba story is that it helps us see how spiritual disasters usually happen. David doesn’t wake up one morning and decide to commit adultery and murder. Instead, we watch him drift one choice at a time. That’s what makes this story so valuable for our students. Most of us will not face David’s exact situation, but all of us know what it feels like to miss a spiritual turn, ignore a warning, stay somewhere too long, or let a thought go farther than it should. The goal of this lesson is to help students recognize those moments early and trust that God can help them course correct before small wrong turns become great falls.
OBJECT:
Cell phone with GPS app.
ICEBREAKER:
Bring up a navigation app on your phone and ask students if they've ever missed a turn while following GPS directions. What happens when you do? The app doesn't shame you, mock you, or tell you that your trip is ruined. It simply recalculates and gives you a new route. Explain that life works much the same way. We all know the destination we're trying to reach. The question is not whether we'll ever miss a turn. The question is whether we'll make course corrections when we do. Transition to the scriptures by telling them that in today’s lesson we're going to watch one of the greatest men in scripture take a series of wrong turns and sadly how many times David could have recalculated his route to get back on track but chose not to. In last week’s lesson we examined David as a good example, unfortunately, this week we have to look at him and learn from his bad example, of what not to do.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
So for the search activity I like to use the following handout to help my students visualize the pathway David took that gradually branched farther and farther away from a good destination. Before giving your own list of possible wrong turns, have your students read 2 Samuel 11:1-4 looking for the following:
1. David's wrong turn. THEN
2. The course correction he could have made. AND FINALLY
3. The lesson we learn from that moment.
And what this does is rather than focusing on David's final sins, this helps your students see the progression towards them. You can then continue the rest of the story together, doing some teacher summary if you’d like to move through that last portion of the story concerning Uriah a little quicker. But by the end of the reading you should have all the wrong turns and possible course corrections filled in.
Some possible wrong turns to discuss:
• Remaining in Jerusalem
• Tarrying in idleness
• Looking upon Bathsheba
• Inquiring after her
• Taking her
• Hiding the consequences
Remember that the goal is to help students discover that the greatest danger wasn't one decision. It was repeatedly ignoring opportunities to turn around.
In the insight video, you’ll find some commentary that should help prepare you to walk your students through some of the possible lessons this story can teach us.
Some of my recommended points would be:
Avoid places/situations you might be tempted
Be anxiously engaged in a good cause
Look away from inappropriate things
Don’t send and inquire after sinful things
Run away from temptation
And if you do go so far as to find yourself guilty of serious sin: Confess and forsake, not suppress and partake.
DISCUSSION QUESTION:
Which of David's course corrections would have been easiest to make?
Why is it often harder to change direction after several wrong choices?
What are some modern examples of "remaining in Jerusalem" when we should be elsewhere?
Why do you think being busy with good things can protect us from some temptations?
What’s the danger of trying to “hide” your sins?
TAKE IT TO HEART:
This would be a great time to have a Self-Reflection kind of “Take it to Heart” moment. No sharing here, just quiet pondering time. Ask:
Are there areas of your life where you feel you may be drifting from the strait and narrow path rather than deliberately moving toward God?
I WILL GO AND DO:
What would a course correction look like for you in that area?
Suggestions:
Replace a habit that is slowly leading you away from God with a better one.
Remove one temptation from your environment this week.
Add one uplifting activity to your daily routine.
Pray specifically to recognize course corrections before small mistakes become larger problems.
TAKEAWAY:
So our takeaway slide focuses on our main metaphor for this lesson. It features a GPS screen with the word “Recalculating” on it because we want our students to remember that every major spiritual disaster usually begins as a series of ignored course corrections. Conclude your lesson by saying something like: One of the things I love about a GPS is that it never wastes time telling you how foolish your last turn was. It simply helps you find the next right one. David's tragedy wasn't that he made a mistake. It was that he kept ignoring opportunities to turn around. Thankfully, our Heavenly Father is more interested in our destination than our detours. Whenever we're willing to listen, He can help us recalculate, change direction, and get back on the path that leads home.
OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:
VIDEO:
My video suggestion for you this week is not an official Church video, so it does lack some polish and professional quality, but it gets the message across. It highlights a story that President Uchtdorf told in the April 2008 General Conference. In that story, Elder Uchtdorf describes a passenger jet that crashes because the pilots were off course by only a few degrees. That small error didn’t seem significant at first, but over a long distance it placed the plane nearly 30 miles off course, and directly into the side of a mountain. The point of the story being that small miscalculations, compounded over time, without course correction, can eventually lead to devastating consequences. That ties in very well with the story of David and Bathsheba.
QUOTE:
A quote you might share. From C.S. Lewis:
Indeed, the safest road to Hell is the gradual one—the gentle slope, soft underfoot, without sudden turnings, without milestones, without signposts.
(The Screwtape Letters, ©1942 CS Lewis Pte Ltd.)
LESSON #2 THOU ART THE MAN: THE CONSEQUENCES OF LUST (2 Samuel 12)
Quick note. This time around, I’ve decided to divide the David and Bathsheba story into two separate lesson options. It’s such a significant story, and there are really two powerful teaching angles worth slowing down for. The first lesson focuses on the idea of course corrections—how David’s fall did not happen all at once, but through a series of ignored opportunities to turn back. The second lesson focuses more directly on the consequences of lust and Nathan’s powerful “Thou art the man” moment. You may choose to teach both, or simply select the one that best fits your class. Either way, my hope is that these lessons help students see both the danger of spiritual drift and the mercy of a God who lovingly calls us to repent before more is lost.
TRUTH:
Lust takes more than it promises and leaves us with less than we imagined.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
Something that gives me a fire in the bones for this part of David’s story is how honestly it shows the true cost of lust. Lust almost always advertises itself as something exciting, private, harmless, or satisfying. But David’s story pulls back the curtain and shows us what it can actually take. It takes his integrity. It takes Uriah’s life. It wounds Bathsheba. It damages David’s family. It distances him from God. And that is what makes this lesson so important. We don’t want students to leave feeling shamed or hopeless, but we do want them to leave spiritually awake. Lust is not a harmless visitor. It is a hungry traveler. And if we feed it, it can consume things we never intended to lose.
OBJECT:
For an object lesson, bring a fishing pole rigged with a lure, or simply bring in a fishing lure by itself. Ask students why a fish goes after a lure. It’s designed to look like something desirable, but hidden inside that attraction is danger. Lust often works the same way. It presents itself as pleasure, attention, curiosity, excitement, or escape, but it hides consequences that are far more painful than advertised. David’s story helps us see the hook behind the bait before we get caught by it ourselves.
ICEBREAKER:
For an icebreaker, you might show students a few simple pictures on the screen—things like a fishing lure (which ties in with the object lesson above), a slot machine, a vape, a credit card, and a private browser window, each advertising the supposed benefit of such items. For example, the fishing lure says, “Easy Meal”, the slot machine “Easy money,” for the vape “feel better instantly,” the credit card says, “Get what you want right now”, and the private browser window, “No one will ever know.” Then invite students to imagine what a warning label would look like for each of those items. What danger might be hidden behind the draw? The point is to help students see that temptation usually advertises the benefit but hides the cost. Then transition to the scriptures by explaining that David’s story shows us what can happen when a person focuses on the lure and ignores the warning label.
STORY CONTEXT:
Now, since some of you may not teach the Course Corrections lesson, I would be sure to first give a brief summary of 2 Samuel 11 before moving into Nathan’s parable.
You could say something like:
"Before we study 2 Samuel 12, we need to understand what has happened in 2 Samuel 11. David stays behind in Jerusalem while the rest of the men of the city go to battle. While there, he sees Bathsheba, desires her, sends for her, commits adultery with her, and then tries to hide the consequences when she becomes pregnant. When that attempt fails, David arranges for Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband, to be placed in the most dangerous part of the battle, where he is killed. David then takes Bathsheba as his wife. The chapter ends with one of the most sobering lines in the story: ‘But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.’"
Then you can move to 2 Samuel 12:
"So how does the Lord confront David? Interestingly, not first with thunder, lightning, or a direct accusation. He sends the prophet Nathan with a story."
VIDEO OPTION:
Another option would be to show the Church video “To Look Upon” before the scripture search. It connects David’s story to modern temptations, especially pornography, and can help students think carefully about the difference between accidentally seeing something and choosing to keep looking. If you use it, you might invite students to watch for this question: “What does this video help you understand about the danger of continuing to look?” Then transition into Nathan’s parable by saying, “Now let’s look at how the Lord helped David see what his choices had really done.”
SEARCH ACTIVITY/HANDOUT:
For the search activity, invite students to study Nathan’s parable in 2 Samuel 12:1–7. You could write the five main elements of the parable on the board or invite students to fill out a handout that lists those same elements. Either way, ask students to identify what they think each one might represent.
So we’ve got:
• The rich man =
• The poor man =
• The ewe lamb =
• The traveler =
• The taking of the lamb =
Then have students read 2 Samuel 12:1–7 and work through the symbolism.
Before offering possible answers, invite students to explain why they chose each symbol.
The way I understand it:
• The rich man = David
• The poor man = Uriah
• The ewe lamb = Bathsheba
• The traveler = lust
• The taking of the lamb = David feeding his lust by taking what was not his, Bathsheba.
And I feel the key insight here is the traveler. It came hungry. It demanded to be fed. And David chose to feed it with something that did not belong to him.
That becomes the heart of the lesson: Lust always arrives hungry, but we get to choose whether we will feed it or not.
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
Why do you think Nathan used a story instead of accusing David directly?
What does the traveler in the parable teach us about lust?
What did lust promise David?
What did it take from him and from others?
What are some ways lust disguises itself as harmless today?
How can a “Thou art the man” moment be a form of mercy?
TEACHER INSIGHT:
One insight that I might want to give my students with this lesson centers around the phrase, “Thou art the man.” That phrase is one of the most powerful moments in the story. It’s the moment that David finally sees himself and his sins clearly. We all need those moments sometimes. They may come through a scripture, a prompting, a consequence, a conversation, a lesson, or a sudden realization that something in our life is not right. Those moments can be painful, but they are also merciful. God does not reveal sin to shame us. He reveals it to save us. He loves us enough to help us stop pretending, stop hiding, and stop feeding what is hurting us.
And with a sensitive topic like this, I would be very careful to end with hope. Students need to understand that lust and pornography can do real damage, but they also need to know that the Savior is real, repentance is real, and help is available. No one who has struggled with sexual sin should leave this lesson feeling hopeless. The message is not “you are ruined.” The message is “wake up, turn to Christ, get help, and begin again.”
TAKE IT TO HEART:
The take it to heart and I will go and do questions are probably best approached as private reflection moments. No sharing necessary. So you could invite your students to ask themselves:
Is there anything in my life that I have been feeding that is beginning to consume my peace, my integrity, my view of others, or my relationship with God?
I WILL GO AND DO:
How might you apply today’s lesson to your own life?
Suggestions:
I will remove one source of lust, temptation, or inappropriate curiosity from my environment.
I will look away quickly when something inappropriate appears.
I will seek help from a trusted parent, leader, spouse, bishop, or friend if I need support.
I will respond humbly to a “Thou art the man” moment instead of defending or hiding.
TAKEAWAY:
The slide shows a hungry traveler at the door and is accompanied by the caption “Beware the hungry traveler” with the subtitle: “Lust Costs More Than It Promises.”
Then conclude by reminding them that Nathan’s parable helps us to see lust for what it really is. It’s not harmless and it’s not satisfied for long. David’s story shows us that if we feed it, it can consume things we never intended to lose—our peace, our integrity, our trust, our relationships, and our closeness to God. But the Lord’s purpose in saying, ‘Thou art the man,’ was not to destroy David. It was to wake him up. And if God gives us one of those moments, we don’t have to run from it. We can receive it as mercy. We can stop feeding what is hurting us. We can turn back to God. And through the Savior, we can begin again.
OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:
VIDEO:
Another video that you might want to consider showing, especially if you wish to emphasize the “avoiding pornography” angle is this one entitled. “What Should I Do When I See Pornography?” and does a good job of explaining why pornography is enticing to people and what to do when we encounter it and how to overcome it.
QUOTE:
From Jeffrey R. Holland:
“True love we are absolutely giddy about—as I am about Sister Holland; we shout it from the housetops. But lust is characterized by shame and stealth and is almost pathologically clandestine—the later and darker the hour the better, with a double-bolted door just in case. Love makes us instinctively reach out to God and other people. Lust, on the other hand, is anything but godly and celebrates self-indulgence. Love comes with open hands and open heart; lust comes with only an open appetite.”
(Conference Report, April 2010 “Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul”)
LESSON #3 SOLOMON-THE WISEST FOOL (1 Kings 3,11)
TRUTH:
True wisdom is not just knowing what is right; true wisdom is continuing to choose what is right.
FIRE IN THE BONES:
Something that gives me a fire in the bones for Solomon’s story is the contrast between how he begins and how he ends. In 1 Kings 3, Solomon is humble, sincere, and spiritually impressive. When God asks him what he wants, he doesn’t ask for riches, long life, or power over his enemies. He asks for wisdom so he can bless others. That is remarkable. But then, later in his life, this same Solomon allows his heart to be turned away from the Lord. And that’s what makes this lesson so important. Solomon’s problem was not that he lacked wisdom. His problem was that he stopped living by the wisdom he had. So this lesson can help students see that wisdom is not just what we know. Wisdom is what we keep choosing.
OBJECT:
For an object lesson that you could use almost anytime during the lesson, you could bring in a gift card. Hold it up and ask students what it is worth. Then ask, “But what if I never use it?” The card may have real value, but that value only blesses me if I actually use it. Then you can connect that idea to Solomon. God gave Solomon the gift of wisdom, and Solomon used it beautifully at first. But later, he stopped living by the wisdom God had given him. The same is true for us. God can give us light, truth, counsel, experience, scriptures, commandments, and spiritual impressions—but those blessings only change our lives if we choose to continue to live by them.
ICEBREAKER:
You could begin by asking students the following question: If you were given one wish, what would you wish for? And just let them have a little fun with it. If you want, you could mention the Aladdin rules: no wishing for more wishes, no killing anyone, no making someone fall in love with you, no bringing people back from the dead.
After that, transition by saying:
“That question can reveal a lot about our hearts. What we ask for often shows what we value most. Today we’re going to study a young king who was basically given that opportunity, and his answer is very instructive. Let’s see what HE wished for.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
Invite students to read 1 Kings 3:5–14 and be prepared to answer the following 4 questions:
1. What does Solomon ask for and what does his request reveal about his heart?
2. What could he have asked for instead?
3. How does the Lord respond to his request?
4. What do you feel this story teaches us?
After students share, help them notice Solomon’s humility. He says, “I am but a little child: I know not how to go out or come in.” He recognizes that he needs help from God in order to lead well. That is part of what makes his request so impressive. He doesn’t ask for something that will make his life easier. He asks for something that will help him bless others. So God gives him great wisdom, as well as all the other things you would imagine most people would ask for, money, power, and fame.
A possible principle from this section:
“When our desires are righteous and unselfish, God often gives us more than we ask for.”
TEACHER SUMMARY:
After that activity, you may want to briefly summarize the story in 1 Kings 3:16–28, where two women both claim to be the mother of the same child. Solomon’s unusual solution reveals the true mother because real love would rather give up the child than see him harmed. The story shows that Solomon really had received a remarkable gift. He could discern motives, see beneath the surface, and judge wisely. At this point, Solomon has asked for wisdom, received wisdom, and used wisdom. But that is not the end of his story—and this is where the lesson becomes especially sobering.
SEARCH ACTIVITY:
Then, invite students to read 1 Kings 11:1–11 and ask: What repeated word or idea do you notice?
And they should notice phrases like:
• “turn away your heart”
• “his wives turned away his heart”
• “his heart was not perfect with the Lord”
• “Solomon did evil”
• “went not fully after the Lord”
• “his heart was turned from the Lord”
That becomes the contrast of the lesson. Solomon had wisdom, but over time he allowed other influences to turn his heart away from God.
You might explain:
“The tragedy of Solomon’s life is not that he never knew better. He did know better. He had received wisdom from God. He had built the temple. He had seen the Lord’s blessings. But knowing what is right and continuing to choose what is right are not the same thing.”
DISCUSSION QUESTIONS:
How can someone know what is right and still stop choosing it?
What kinds of influences can gradually turn a person’s heart away from the Lord?
TAKE IT TO HEART:
Is there an area of my life where I know what is right, but I am struggling to keep choosing it?
What influence in my life is most likely to turn my heart away from the Lord if I am not careful?
What spiritual gift, truth, or counsel has God already given me that I need to actually use?
I WILL GO AND DO:
Invite students to choose one way to live by the wisdom they already have.
Suggestions:
I will act on one prompting I have been delaying.
I will obey one commandment more deliberately this week.
I will remove or limit one influence that is turning my heart away from God.
I will choose one small daily habit that helps keep my heart turned toward the Lord.
TAKEAWAY:
Our takeaway slide depicts King Solomon with the caption: The Wisest Fool. Then the subtitle: Wisdom is not what you know. Wisdom is what you keep choosing. Then conclude by saying something like the following: “Solomon’s story is sobering because he was not foolish from the beginning. He asked for wisdom. He received wisdom. He used wisdom. But later, he stopped living by the wisdom God had given him. That is why his story matters so much for us. Most of us already know more truth than we are currently living perfectly. We know things we should do. We know things we should avoid. We know what helps us feel close to God and what pulls our hearts away. So maybe wisdom is not just knowing one more thing. Maybe wisdom is choosing again today to live by the light we already have. Solomon’s life teaches us that the wisest person is not the one who merely knows what is right, but the one who keeps choosing what is right.”
OPTIONAL LESSON ENHANCEMENTS:
VIDEO:
An optional video you might show is this “Brain Games” conformity clip where people in a doctor’s office waiting room begin standing every time they hear a beep simply because everyone else is doing it. It’s a simple way to introduce the power of influence. After the video, you could ask, “What does this teach us about how easily people can be influenced?” Then connect it to Solomon by explaining that his tragedy was not that he lacked wisdom, but that he allowed other voices to turn his heart away from the Lord.
QUOTE:
A quote you could share is a cross reference this time. I love what Jacob said in Jacob 6:12.
“O be wise; what can I say more?”
HANDOUT:
A crossword puzzle to introduce your students to the character of King Solomon. I won’t go through all the answers here, but I’ll include the slides this week that reveal each of the answers.
GAME:
For an optional game, you could play a simple “Dig and Draw” activity. Have students read one of the scripture blocks, then close their scriptures. Randomly select students to answer recall questions from what they just read. If the selected student answers correctly, the whole class earns a point. If they don’t know, allow anyone in the class to answer for one point. For the drawing portion, randomly select a student to come forward and draw a word or phrase from the scripture block. If the class guesses it in 30 seconds or less, they earn two points; if they guess it in under a minute, they earn one point. The goal is for the class to earn at least 80% of the possible points. This keeps the game collaborative rather than competitive and encourages students to read carefully. I won’t go over all the questions and draw words but here are the slides that contain those ideas.
1 Kings 3:5-14
DIG QUESTIONS
1. What did God invite Solomon to do?
Answer: Ask what He should give him.
2. What does Solomon ask the Lord to give him?
Answer: An understanding heart (wisdom).
3. How did the Lord feel about Solomon’s request?
Answer: The speech pleased the Lord.
4. What additional blessings did God say He would give Solomon?
Answer: Riches and honor.
5.FILL IN THE BLANK: “And if thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my _________________, as thy father David did walk, then I will lengthen thy days.”
Answer: Commandments
POSSIBLE DRAW WORDS
1. DREAM
2. CHILD
3. JUDGE
4. RICHES
5. UNDERSTANDING
1 Kings 11:1-11
DIG QUESTIONS
1. What did Solomon love that became a spiritual problem?
Answer: Many strange/foreign women
2. What did Solomon’s wives turn away?
Answer: His heart
3. Name just one of the false Gods mentioned in this chapter
Answer: Ashtoreth, Milcom, Chemosh, or Molech.
4. What consequence did the Lord pronounce?
Answer: The kingdom would be rent/torn from him and given to his servant.
5. FILL IN THE BLANK: “His heart was not _________ with the Lord as David’s was. ”
Answer: Perfect
POSSIBLE DRAW WORDS
1. KING
2. WIFE
3. ANGRY
4. NATION
5. PERFECT
INSIGHTS
DAVID’S REAL GOLIATH
ICEBREAKER
As an icebreaker to this chapter I like to do the following simple object lesson. I pull out my cell phone and open up my navigation app and hold it up for all to see. Now, Have you ever used a navigation app on your phone to get somewhere? And I’m sure most of you have. It’s so convenient. Back in the old days, we had to use paper maps or atlases to get anywhere. Now you can just push the button and Siri will tell you each and every turn to make and how to get right to your destination. However, even with that guidance, how many of you have still missed your turn or exit? Have you failed to follow the guidance for whatever reason? More than likely you have. And what happens? Does your phone start making fun of you? Does it say, “All right you idiot, you missed your turn, you might as well give up, good luck getting to your destination now.” No? What does it do? It calculates a new route and gives you a new set of directions on how to still arrive at your destination. You’ll just have to take a different road or pathway. It’s capable of giving you course corrections if you go wrong. It’s the final destination that matters most. The route you take to get there can change depending on the choices you make. Granted that it may take you longer or be more difficult to get there.
TRANSITION
Well life can be a lot like that as well. We all know our desired final destination, right? We all want to make it back to the presence of our Heavenly Father. That’s the purpose of the plan of salvation. But do we sometimes take some wrong turns? Do we ever veer away from the strait and narrow path? Sure. But what should we do when we make a wrong turn? We make a course correction and get try to get back to the right path. We’re going to use that little analogy to examine this episode from the life of King David. Now we know that King David is an amazing man isn’t he. He’s a very righteous king. I mean, this is the man who had the courage and the faith to take on a Goliath with a slingshot. Yet, in 2 Samuel chapter 11 David is going to take series of wrong turns which are going to lead him to a place I’m sure he never imagined he would be. Each wrong turn leads to another set of choices, and another, and another. And sadly, by the end of the chapter, David will have broken the 6th, 7th, 9th, and 10th commandments. But every turn did have a way back. There was a course correction available at each turn. It didn’t have to get as bad as it did. And it’s in those possible course corrections that I believe the real lessons for us are concealed.
SEARCH
So this is how we’re going to study this story. We’ll use this handout to visualize what happens here. Start by reading 2 Samuel 11:1-5 and identify any places you think David took a wrong turn or made a mistake.
Where did David go wrong? That’s what we’ll write in these spaces here going upwards and away from the strait and narrow path. Then, we also want to write in a possible course correction David could have taken at each of these turning points. Then finally, in this section here, we’re going to list all the lessons we’re learning on how to avoid being led away from God’s path. Here we go.
Are there any wrong turns here in verse 1. Now I don’t think we’re going to find any “sins” per se in these first couple of verses. There’s no way David is just going to go out and do terrible things from one moment to the next. There were some initial missteps that led to the conditions being ripe for sin to occur. What were they?
I think the very first misstep comes in the phase: At the time when kings go forth to battle. The author of 2 Samuel is offering us a hint as to where he felt David started to go wrong. Before this time, in the interceding chapters that we haven’t studied, David lead the Israelites into many battles, and we always see him out at the front of his armies leading the charge. But for some reason, this time, he remains in Jerusalem. What’s the problem with that? Well, think about it. If all the men of the city are out at battle, Jerusalem like? He’s in a city full of women. All the women’s husbands are away, and there’s David. He’s put himself in a tempting environment. David should have been in battle as well that day. So what’s the course correction here? What should David do? Go to battle. Get into the fight. Leave that situation and get to where he should have been in the first place.
What’s the lesson for us if we wish to avoid sin and consequence? Avoid places where you might be tempted. Sitting alone in the dark with someone you are mutually attracted to. Being alone with unfiltered access to the internet. Finding yourself in a serious relationship too young and pushing the boundaries of physical intimacy with them. Spending time with people whose influence you know is detrimental to your spirit. Don’t place yourself into situations where you are more likely to fall.
There’s another phrase in 11:1 that I like to highlight. It’s “But David tarried still at Jerusalem.” I like to focus my attention on the word “tarried” here. He’s just relaxing in the city with not much to do. What’s the course correction? Get to work. He should have engaged himself in meaningful activity. Sin is much more likely to strike us when we are tarrying. When we don’t have something good to do. So what’s the lesson for us if we wish to avoid David’s fate. I’ll draw a phrase from the Doctrine and Covenants here. We should always be anxiously engaged in a good cause. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop but an object in motion tends to remain in motion. If David had been out, engaged in the battle against evil, we wouldn’t even be talking about the problems that come to him next.
In 11:2 we learn that David saw a woman washing herself and the woman was very beautiful to look upon.
Now personally, I don’t think David is doing anything wrong here. He has come upon something unintentionally. He wasn’t out there searching for something inappropriate to look at. It just happened. Another point I want to make here, I know that traditionally we interpret this to mean that Bathsheba is bathing, and that David is seeing her unclothed. Though possible, I feel that that scenario is highly unlikely. This was a very modest society, and for a woman to be bathing herself, naked, in a public place where she could be seen is not very probable. In fact, the Hebrew word for “washing” in this passage is most often used to mean the washing of the hands, feet, or face. But still, based on what eventually happens, David is not looking at her in this moment with pure intents or thoughts. He is looking with lust in his heart. Now I’m pretty sure we will all see or come upon things that we didn’t intend to. There is no sin in that. It’s what we do next that matters. I think the problem came not when David “saw” her, but when he took the time to “look upon her”, notice how beautiful she was and let his thoughts turn lustful. We all see things that we would rather not, but do we look upon them? What should he have done when he saw her? Instead of looking upon, he should have looked away. He should have left it at that and not allowed his thoughts to dwell on her. This is good advice for us as well. What should we do if we come upon something pornographic, immoral, or that inspires lust? Look away, walk away, put it out of our minds.
In 11:3 David takes another step in the wrong direction. He’s so smitten that he goes to enquire after her. He wants to learn more about her. Now we could give David the benefit of the doubt here and still say that him seeing her, finding her beautiful, and inquiring after her is still not necessarily a sin. This is in the day of sanctioned polygamy and there was nothing wrong in David being interested in marrying another wife. But what do his servants discover about this woman after he inquires after her? She’s married. This is Uriah’s wife. Now what should David have done then? THAT should have been the end of it, for sure. Oh, ok, she’s already married. End of story, move on David. She’s taken. The lesson for us, when we come upon something of a sinful nature, don’t send and enquire after it. Don’t research it. Don’t dwell on it. Don’t familiarize yourself with the world that surrounds it. Forget about it. Get back to being anxiously engaged in a good cause and move on.
Sadly, that’s not what David decides to do. Let’s go to our next wrong turn, and it’s a doozy. 11:4. He took her, and he lay with her. Well, now, it’s serious. No longer are we in the territory of foolishness and misstep. Now David has broken the 7th commandment and committed adultery. Serious sexual sin. Now we don’t know how much responsibility Bathsheba bears for this adulterous relationship. It’s clear that the writer of 2 Samuel clearly places the weight of this sin squarely on David’s shoulders. I mean, can you imagine the pressure of that situation on her. This is the king whose asking you do something. And not just any king. A king that is held up as a national hero. A “seemingly” righteous, faithful man. A man in a position of great power and influence. So I tend to go way easy on Bathsheba here. And it’s clear from later in the story that she truly loved her husband Uriah. When he dies, she mourns him. David’s lust shatters not only his own life, but hers as well. What should David have done instead? He should have pulled a Joseph of Egypt and fled from the situation. He should have turned and “got him out.” Which is perhaps the lesson for us in this one. When confronted with temptation, we should flee from it.
Well, what does this illicit affair lead to? Consequences. David learns that Bathsheba is pregnant. Now this is no longer a matter of a secret affair. In nine months, anyone who can do the math is going to realize that Uriah was not around at the time she would have conceived. So David has an issue here. What’s he going to do about this situation? What should David do in your mind? I have a suggestion: confess and repent. David still isn’t condemned here. He hasn’t lost his exaltation yet. But David does what a lot of people do when their sins start to bear consequences. What is it that he does. I’ll summarize this next part. He calls Uriah back from the battle, gives him food and drink and sends him to go back home for the night, hoping that he will spend the night with his wife and the problem will be solved. David could get away with it without being discovered. So now what sin is he adding to his repertoire. Lying. He’s engaging in an attempt to deceive. Alas, though. Uriah refuses to go back home. And why? Look at his reasons.
11 And Uriah said unto David, The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? as thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.
Ah. You see. Uriah is the real hero of this story. He says what David should have said. David is the one that should be saying that. I should also be out encamped in the open fields, rather than staying in his own house, eating, and drinking and lying with someone else’s wife. He should have been strong enough to say, “As my soul liveth, I will not do this thing”.
What’s David trying to do? He’s trying to hide his sin. Hiding our sins is never the way to go. When we seek to hide our sins, we actually make matters worse and compound the problem. It is always best to not make a bad situation worse by lying or seeking to hide it. Eventually, all the truth will come out. Even if it’s not until the next life. The lesson for us: When we sin, we should confess and forsake, not suppress, and partake.
But David tries once again to get Uriah to go home, but to no avail. So now how is he going to cover this thing up? Lying hasn’t worked. So then David gets an idea. An awful idea. Uriah is at war. Hmmm. He decides to send a letter back to Joab, his war captain by the hand of Uriah. Little does Uriah know that he is carrying his own death sentence. David encourages Joab to place Uriah at the forefront of the battle, into (get this) into a place where valiant men are. How ironic. Uriah was a valiant man, and therefore dies fighting for the king who has betrayed him deeply. Therefore: 26-27
26 And when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead, she mourned for her husband.
27 And when the mourning was past, David sent and fetched her to his house, and she became his wife, and bare him a son. But the thing that David had done displeased the Lord.
Maybe another personal lesson we could add here: Seeking to hide our sins will only draw us deeper and deeper into more sin. So, by looking at this visual we’ve created, can you see how a good and righteous person can end up straying so far from the strait and narrow? Little by little. By the yard it’s hard, by the inch it’s a cinch. But it doesn’t have to be that way. When we notice that we’re straying, take the escape routes! Use the course corrections as soon as you can. Don’t allow things keep getting worse. There’s a way back. Get there!
THE FALLOUT
Now even at this point, David could have sought to make amends. Repented. Gone to the prophet Nathan and confessed and tried to make things right. But that’s not what David does. He thinks he’s gotten away with it and doesn’t seem to have any intention of making it known or trying to fix it. It’s the Lord and the prophet that have to confront him. And that’s what comes in the next chapter. And the Lord confronts David in a very intriguing way. He confronts him with a parable. Nathan comes to David and says, “David, I’d like to tell you a story.”
Let’s see if you can figure out the meaning of the parable. I’ve gone ahead and listed out the elements of the parable, and you see if you can figure out the interpretation. So you have:
The Rich Man=
The Poor Man=
The Ewe Lamb =
The Traveler=
The killing of the poor man’s lamb=
And here’s the parable:
And the Lord sent Nathan unto David. And he came unto him, and said unto him, There were two men in one city; the one rich, and the other poor.
2 The rich man had exceeding many flocks and herds:
3 But the poor man had nothing, save one little ewe lamb, which he had bought and nourished up: and it grew up together with him, and with his children; it did eat of his own meat, and drank of his own cup, and lay in his bosom, and was unto him as a daughter.
4 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 took the poor man's lamb, and dressed it for the man that was come to him.
All right, can you interpret the parable?
Who is the rich man in the story? David is the rich man who has been given so much.
Who is the poor man in the story? Uriah is the poor man who has nothing near what David has. But he does have one great blessing in his life. What or who?
His little ewe lamb that he has brought up and that he loves dearly. Who is the ewe lamb? Bathsheba.
However, one day, a traveler appears, hungry. Who is the traveler? The traveler is lust. David’s lust. A power that can often visit unexpectedly but always comes hungry, demanding to be fed. And so what does David give that lust? The poor man’s ewe lamb. He takes Bathsheba to feed his lust. And I suppose that Nathan could have made the parable even worse by saying that the rich man also decides to kill the poor man so that he can’t tell anyone that the rich man took his ewe lamb. That would have been accurate as well.
Now this parable is a really brilliant strategy from the Lord when you think about it. He’s going to allow David to judge himself. Rather than rebuking him. Rather than openly cursing him, the Lord allows David to see things from Uriah’s perspective. And how does David react? Verses 5 and 6
5 And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the Lord liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die:
6 And he shall restore the lamb fourfold, because he did this thing, and because he had no pity.
David is angry at this action and demands that the rich man be punished for this ungrateful and unmerciful act. Now, can you imagine how David must have felt as Nathan looked him squarely in the eye and shouted out, “Thou art the man”. David, you are the rich man in the story. After which Nathan goes on to explain to him that because he has done this thing, great negative consequences will befall him and his household. On top of that, the child that was to come of the relationship will die. And that is exactly what happens. The rest of the book of 2 Samuel chronicles the fallout of this decision. David’s sons, for the most part, are a real mess and many of them also struggle with sexual sin.
TRUTH
Well there are a lot of lessons this story has taught us about sin and straying from the path. Perhaps the overall message: When we stray from the path of righteousness, we should “course correct” as soon as possible. When we don’t, we will be led to “thou art the man” moments and painful consequences.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
Are there any roads you are traveling down that are leading to “Thou art the man” moments?
What could you do right now to get off that road? Do you need to recalculate your route? Now, to do that,
you may have to take a different road. You may need to take a walk down sorrow street, repentance row, or humility heights. But you can get back. The sooner the better.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, David was really great at fighting giant warriors and armies, but he struggled to fight the natural man lurking within his own heart. Last week we spoke about having our own Goliaths. Well what was David’s real goliath? Lust. Lust was his real Goliath. And he lost that battle, which was a far more critical one in the long run. I pray that we can learn from David’s mistakes in this story. We too are going to find ourselves veering from the path, but instead of going deeper and deeper into sin, we can course correct, we can recalculate our route. And through God’s mercy and grace, we can still arrive at our eternal destination.
MOVIE
Before we move on, one other teaching suggestion. You could show the David and Bathsheba movie. It does a very good job of relating this story to the sin of pornography which is such a problem these days. If you’re interested in this little film, I’ll place a link to it in the video description. (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/media/video/2011-03-0020-to-look-upon?lang=eng)
SOLOMON-MAN OF WISDOM, MAN OF FOOLISHNESS
ICEBREAKER
Moving on to the next king of Israel. David’s son, Solomon. For the icebreaker here, one question for your students to consider. If you only had one wish, what would you wish for? Now for fun you could tell them that they have to abide by the Aladdin rules, and do they remember what those were. You can’t wish for more wishes. You can’t kill anyone, you can’t make anyone fall in love with you, you can’t bring anyone back from the dead. Then just allow your students to have some fun with that and share the things that they would wish for.
TRANSITION
Interestingly enough, there was someone In the scriptures who was actually given that very opportunity by God. His name, was Solomon. Up to that point in his life, Solomon had lived a very righteous life, dedicated to God. Therefore, God approaches him in a dream and basically says: Solomon, “Make a wish”. You’ll find that in 1 Kings 3:5.
5 In Gibeon the Lord appeared to Solomon in a dream by night: and God said, Ask what I shall give thee.
SEARCH
Now read 1 Kings 3:6-15 and be prepared to answer the following questions:
1. What does Solomon wish for?
2. How does the Lord feel about Solomon’s desire?
3. The gift that Solomon asks for is better than what other possible things he could have wished for?
4. What truth do you feel verses 13-14 is teaching us?
1. What does Solomon wish for?
In verse 9, Solomon wishes for an understanding heart. As the king, he knows that he will have to make decisions and issue judgments on the people, and he doesn’t feel prepared for it. He says “I am but a little child, I know not how to go out or come in.” So he’s very humble in his desire. He recognizes his own limitations and wishes for God to bless him with this special gift. In the Church today, we might refer to this as the gift of discernment. The ability to discern truth, honesty, and integrity. And his motivation behind this desire is so that he can be a good king. He wants to be a good leader and to judge the people in righteousness. So just as with Saul and David, when you first meet them, it’s really hard not to be impressed with these men. Each of them were extraordinary youths with remarkable gifts.
2. How does the Lord feel about Solomon’s desire?
He’s pleased with it. There are so many other things that he could have asked for. Just think about how you imagined you would answer that question. Did you wish for something that would only benefit yourself, or did you wish for something that benefited and was focused on blessing others? I imagine most of us would wish for something a little more self-focused. But not Solomon. No wonder God was pleased.
3. The gift that Solomon asks for is better than what other possible things he could have wished for?
Just look at this list of other things that God mentions he could have wished for. He says he could have asked for a long life, riches, or the life of his enemies. What does that teach us about wisdom or the gift of discernment. Wisdom is better than riches, it’s better than power, it’s better than a long life. Discernment is something to be desired and cultivated.
4.What truth do you feel verses 13-14 is teaching us?
Do you see a principle in verses 13-14? Here’s what I see. God tells Solomon that not only will he bless him with the wisdom he asks for, but all the other things too! The things that you would expect him to ask for. He says he will give him riches, and power over his enemies and a long life too. As long as he’s willing to continue keeping God’s statutes and commandments. The principle here. When our desires are sincere, righteous, and non-demanding, God usually gives us more than we ask for. You see this principle in a number of places in the scriptures. The Brother of Jared went to the mountaintop to ask for the 16 stones to light the Jaredite’s way, but comes away with a vision of Jehovah himself. Nephi prayed to understand his father’s dream of the tree of life but came back with a vision of the entire future of the Americas. And Joseph Smith, he walked into the sacred grove only wanting to know which church was true, and just think of what he came out with? A whole lot more. Apparently, God is a very generous and gracious giver. If you ask for the right things, he often gives you more than you ask! And all these blessings do come to pass in the life of Solomon. He will rule over the golden age of Israel where the kingdom reaches its highest level of status and influence. People will come from all over the ancient world to honor and pay their respects to Solomon the wise.
SOLOMON’S WISDOM
Now the purpose of the little story that follows Solomon’s dream is to give an example of Solomon’s wisdom. And if I were teaching, I would probably just summarize it for my students. And most of you are probably familiar with this story. There are two harlots that come to Solomon both claiming to the be the mother of a certain child. Now both of them had given birth to children, but one of the harlots had fallen asleep with her baby and inadvertently rolled on top of the child in the night, smothering it. Upon waking and realizing her error, she decided to switch her dead baby with the live baby of the other mother while they slept. So when the other mother woke up, the baby she held in her arms was no longer alive. But then she realized, wait a minute, this isn’t even my son. But the other woman claims, “Oh yes, the dead baby is your son, this one is mine”. So without access to a DNA test, what is Solomon to do?
He says: I know the solution. If both women are claiming the baby, well, just split it down the middle and give each woman half. There, everyone’s happy. It’s like he’s using the ol’ break in half the last cookie so that everyone’s happy tactic, but with a baby. And we say: Solomon, the wise??? I mean that sounds terrible. But, it turns out, that this really was a wise tactic. Because Solomon just sits back and watches the reaction of the two mothers. The one says, “Oh no, no. Let her have it. Don’t slay the child. I’ll go home empty handed just as long as the baby lives.” The other mother however says, “Fine with me, let the child be divided. I guess that’s fair.” And Solomon says, “Ah, now we know who the real mother is. Give it to her who pleaded for the child’s life. Only a real mother’s love would be strong enough to make that kind of sacrifice for the life of her child.” And isn’t that true? A mother’s love can truly save a child. Solomon the wise.
TRUTH
Wisdom is greater than riches, power, or long life. God can give us wisdom if we unselfishly seek it.
LIKEN THE SCRIPTURES
How can you cultivate the gift of wisdom more in your own life?
A couple of possible suggestions. Seek it through experience, through education, through scripture study, by learning from the mistakes and successes of others, and most importantly, by asking God directly for it. If any of you lack wisdom, let them ask of God. All of these efforts can yield a greater understanding and sense of discernment.
MAN OF FOOLISHNESS
Now I wish we could just end the story of Solomon with a “And they all lived happily ever after”. Unfortunately, we can’t. Solomon does go on to judge Israel with great wisdom and he enjoys great wealth, power, and prestige. He goes on to build the temple that his father David had envisioned. In 1 Kings 8 we see Solomon dedicate the temple to God. So everything seems to be going great for this new king. However, then we reach 1 Kings 11 where things change. Just like with David 2 Samuel chapter 11. How does the latter part of Solomon’s life go?
But (ohhh, tragic word. I hate it when I see that word in the scriptures.) king Solomon loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonians, and Hittites:
2 Of the nations concerning which the Lord said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall not go into them, neither shall they come in unto you: for surely they will turn away your heart after their gods: Solomon clave unto these in love.
3 And he had seven hundred wives, princesses, and three hundred concubines: and his wives turned away his heart.
4 For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father.
5 For Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Zidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.
6 And Solomon did evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord, as did David his father.
7 Then did Solomon build an high place for Chemosh, the abomination of Moab, in the hill that is before Jerusalem, and for Molech, the abomination of the children of Ammon.
8 And likewise did he for all his strange wives, which burnt incense and sacrificed unto their gods.
9 And the Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart was turned from the Lord God of Israel, which had appeared unto him twice,
10 And had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods: but he kept not that which the Lord commanded.
11 Wherefore the Lord said unto Solomon, Forasmuch as this is done of thee, and thou hast not kept my covenant and my statutes, which I have commanded thee, I will surely rend the kingdom from thee, and will give it to thy servant.
Now we actually do have cause to question Solomon’s wisdom, don’t we. Where does he go wrong? Maybe even more than the fact that he married women outside the covenant, it was what he allowed them to do to his heart that was the biggest problem, in my opinion. Now these were the days of God sanctioned polygamy so I’m not so sure the number of his wives is what is more concerning to God, but it does seem as if he went a little overboard. These marriages were probably more of an effort to create alliances between kingdoms, but he allowed these wives from other countries to convince him to allow idolatry in the kingdom. His wives turned his heart away from fully worshipping God. This is another warning for all of us to be careful of whose influence we allow into our lives. Choose your friends (and spouses) carefully. Choose to be with people that will help you to keep your heart fully turned towards the Lord and not turn away from it.
CONCLUSION
So was Solomon the wisest man that ever lived or the most foolish. His later life would seem to prove the latter. Though he did many great things in his life, including building a beautiful temple to house the ark of the Lord, he didn’t endure to the end in righteousness. Therefore we could be considered wiser than the wisest man in the Bible if we simply keep ourselves free from the influence of the world around us and keep ourselves fully committed to God. Wisdom is obedience. Foolishness is caving to the pressures of the world around us. In the words of Jacob: O be wise, what can I say more! (Jacob 6:12)
WE THREE KINGS
One final brief thought. We’ve now studied the lives of the first three and most well-known kings of Israel. Saul, David, and Solomon. Each one began with such a promising future. Saul was the most humble man we’d ever seen, David the most faithful and courageous, and Solomon the most wise. Now, if the most humble, and the most faithful, and the most wise can fall, then certainly any of us could. Perhaps the big picture message of the first three kings is to always stay on your guard. None of us is immune to temptation. None of us is beyond spiritual catastrophe. Perhaps that thought can keep us all humble and wary of the adversary. Don’t get complacent or overconfident in your discipleship. The stories of the first three kings of Israel remind me of Peter’s fateful words when the Savior told the apostles that they would all abandon him that night. Peter indignantly exclaimed, “Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet will I never be offended.” Peter had great confidence in his ability to resist temptation. Yet, by that very next morning, Peter would discover that he was not as strong as he thought he was as he heard the cock crow. I wonder if Saul, David, or Solomon ever felt the same way. If you met Saul the day after he was crowned king, and told him that one day he would try to murder an innocent man out of jealousy and turn to witchcraft, what do you imagine he would have said to you? Not I. I would never. If you told David the day after he killed Goliath that one day, he would commit adultery with one his most faithful servants wives and then have him killed to hide the sin, what would he have said to you? No, no, not I. I would never. If you told Solomon the day after he was blessed with great wisdom that one day he would allow idolatry and child sacrifice in his kingdom, what do you imagine he would have said to you? Not I. I would never. And yet, each of these men did what they never would have fathomed doing before. Hopefully this thought keeps all of us humble and vigilant. If a Saul, or a David, or a Solomon can fall, then a Brother Wilcox most certainly could. That thought should help to keep me away from tempting places and diligent in doing all those simple things that are meant to keep me strong and faithful.
