The Cover-Up, Part 2

Whose position of the Army would've known the family of David chief counsel will Bathsheba was his granddaughter Joe Abbott probably wondered why David called drive back to Jerusalem to be camped on your bed is likely heard of David is lavished praise on your eye recommending he spent several nights on long. That's not a character that's strange and now comes Uriah back to the battlefield carrying a letter from the King takes about two seconds to figure it out is often one of our first thoughts when we sent. How can I keep this. Sometimes we think we've gotten away with it when there are no immediate consequences.

That's exactly what King David thought in our passage today. He committed adultery and then committed murder to cover up the adultery and he thought he was in the clear. But we can never hide our sin from the person who matters most.

God, God told us exactly what to do whenever we said we don't cover-up we confess and that's our theme today here on wisdom for the heart here Stephen Davey with today's message is that want to stay calm. That didn't work will cost up to apply pressure notice when he does verse 12 David said Uriah will remain here today also tomorrow. I'll send you back, so Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next.

David is doing two things here for us to observe.

First, he's giving Uriah the same tempting offer. Only now it's another full day and another evening, maybe even were not told by now Bathsheba knows he's intent is coming personally invited little keep in mind David assumes Uriah is going to act just like him, you know, I'm just gonna swing this carrot in front of him for this next full day and another nights. Shirley is going to go down to his house, but Uriah won't bite.

So the second he does is he uses the only drug he is available to try to get Uriah to lower his inhibitions and set aside his nobility conviction loyalty to his troops. Look at verse 13 and David invited him and he ate in his presence and drank so much that he David made him Uriah drunk porn on your I hear another police drunk in the evening went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go to his house. In other words, he stays in battle gear camps back out on the front porch with the other guards anything. What's this guy made of.

Even when he's drunk you will capitulate. One author wrote this thought-provoking statement.

He said that Uriah had more character when he was drunk than David had when he was sober. Now David is completely panicked.

He knows at this point he has exhausted his his options any further attempt to keep Uriah home from the battlefield any further suggestion wanted to go, why, why did you go home go home again. Will keep you another day or night. None that would come dangerously close to his hand. In fact there were some Hebrew commentators who believe that by now Uriah would be suspicious that something is wrong something is out of character. Why am I given roast duck.

Why am I brought home on furlough. Why does he keep telling me go home and be with your wife. The narrative is ambiguous. It doesn't tell us what Uriah is thinking about this, but it would be a strange furlough. He would've been wondering now about the showering attention. The repeated offers to go home but it is very likely at this point the David in his panic assumes that Uriah is suspicious. He's going to put two and two together and nine months from now he's going to ask some question David can take any chances, was going to take another step in. In this step is going to take. Actually one very big chance forgive me that 70 verse 14 in the morning. David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah in the letter he wrote set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting then all of you draw back from him that his retreat leave him there alone that he may be struck down and die. We stayed, then work. Applied pressure every which way we could. That didn't work.

So now simply step number three conspired to kill dead men tell no tales. Imagine how far David is falling vector uses his faithful comrade to deliver his own death warrant to Joab his commander don't miss the fact that the only way this cover-up. At this point is even going to get off the launching pad is for Uriah to remain a man of character. What if he opened the letter. What if he decided to find out what the King in order. What if he decided to try to figure out what this was all a and this is strange. I think I'll just break the seal and and take a look and then heat the wax back up and no one will be the wiser. One author said had he done that on the way back.

The whole course of Israel's empire might've changed in an hour in the white heat of his flaming anger.

Philip Keller writes Uriah might easily have returned to Russia, the king and uses valiant sword this several the royal head would not be the first time a monarch was murdered in revenge and he had a cause.

David's very life. Get this in the entire future of his reign dangled on the slim thread of Uriah's unwavering character, he will remain honest and loyal.

He will be an innocent bystander caught up in the cruelty and the cardinality of this cover-up is another principle that comes to mind here in this text is worth pausing to add to the record when someone becomes Sure willing Lee sidetracked ensnared by sin and this ensuing cover-up. They rarely if ever stop to think here is sin has a way of hurting the most those who trust you the most and here's one of David's mighty men, faithful, loyal, honest, committed and passionate soldier who is now carrying in his own hand and order from his cane that will end his life. Joab realizes that David's plan is full of holes. In fact, if you carefully study this and I'll try to point out a couple of points here he changes David's plan because he knows it is way too obvious to put Uriah in the front end and suddenly for everybody to retreat, leaving Uriah there, but that's you might as well, you know, put on a billboard. David what Uriah dead as you work to notice what he does. Instead, verse 16 as Joab was besieging the city.

He assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant men. In other words, these are the best enemy soldiers.

This is the hottest one of the hottest places we find note in the men of that city's enemy soldiers came out and fought against not Uriah notice who Joab and some of the servants of David. You'll notice for 17 among the people fell Uriah the Hittite also died. By the way, don't overlook the fact that Uriah isn't the only one who dies in order to improvise in order to make this look as realistic as possible. Joab is going to risk his own life to lose several men in this battle.

Bathsheba is not the only widow made by David's sin is my point.

Joab's response in the way he adapts the way he improves upon David's command to make sure it's realistic imply other authors bring at this point that he knew exactly with David was covering up. He knew Uriah his position in the Army would've known the family of David's chief counselor is the felon Bathsheba was his granddaughter probably knew her personally. He certainly knew Uriah Joab and probably wondered why David called Uriah back to Jerusalem before he camped out here gives the enemy to take one of the mighty men, one of the first three guys off the court is likely heard of David is lavished praise on your eye recommending he spent several nights on furlough character that's strange. And now here comes Uriah back to the battlefield carrying a letter from the king and takes about two seconds to figure it out.

This ruthless battle hardened character lasts general. By the way tore open this letter handed to him by Uriah without blinking in disbelief when author wrote without showing a single emotion of revulsion without a moments hesitation evidently crumpled that letter up in his hand and orders Uriah and a group of men to follow him to the hottest place in the battle what's Joab have to gain you might wonder.

I think FB Meyer, a wonderful expositor of more than 100 years ago, pastored in England in his commentary on this text, which I have enjoyed. In fact, I compared his comment back to what I know will happen later in this biography and I'll show you more of that later. I think he's right. He wrote this Joab probably laughed to himself when he read the letter. This master of mind can sing psalms with the best, but when he wants a piece of dirty work done comes to me well I'll help him to it and I shall be able to do in the future.

Whatever I want and he will he will become unaccountable to King David.

He will later kill and then kill again with his own hand arrival to the throne without any recourse from David David remain silent factors going to be a coming day that will see together in our study, the Joab will openly defy a command of the King and Shoaib will take his spear and stabbed through Absalom King's son no recourse.

Joab will effectively blackmail David for the rest of his life, David has enlisted the help of a brutal and godly man. He will live with consequences far greater than he ever bargained well.

Joab carries out his orders. Verse 24 tells us that he sends back the messenger to tell David the part that David is really listening for, and that is this mission accomplished. Uriah is dead. That's time for step four in the cover-up to polish up what remains. The first step. Stay calm and work next step. Apply pressure that didn't work. The next step conspired to kill. I worked now will call this final step, and it's the final step in every cover-up will call this keep up appearances on the first attempt to keep up appearances is ironically to Joab himself effectively. If you look at verse 25. David sends a messenger back with a message to Joab. Obviously, in between the lines. This is Joab. Please keep the secret with me guy what he does say that was still crass and cruel. He says do not let this matter trouble you make a note of that verb, you could translate it displease you or even more would leak. Don't let this be evil in your eyes to see that verb a little later. Why for the sword devours now one and now another. In other words, this is war. Joab and we think about. He probably would've died anyway. This is the nature of battle. Innocent people get caught in the crossfire. You know what's done is done. Joab and David will keep their secret for nearly a year. Even efforts exposed. Joab is given a free pass for the rest of his military career.

In the meantime there's going to be a state funeral can only imagine the text that inform us that this is one of the mighty man is going to be accolades there will be speeches David about the life and career of this faithful comrade and how much he misses him and all that you imagine Field Marshal Erwin Rommel was the brilliant German commander, World War II, nicknamed the desert fox reading one biography that that includes how crafty and brilliant.

He was technically Churchill just couldn't pin them down and he just created havoc on British and their allies. Rommel was regarded as a discipline soldier and humane man as well. In fact, after the war. None of his troops will be accused of of any war crimes enemy soldiers captured during his Africa campaign were reported to be treated humanely, kindly truly interesting in his biography is that orders to kill Jewish soldiers and Jewish citizens that he captured along the way.

He consistently lowered fused to carry them out late in the war. Rommel joined others in an attempt to assassinate battle of Hitler was caught implicated in the conspiracy was true because of his hero status and the damage it would do to German morale. Hitler offered Rommel the opportunity to take his own life. He promised to make take care of the family.

There would be any embarrassment out of this there be a pension. All he had to do was drive off with two generals to cyanide pill. She did 15 minutes after he drove away a hospital called his wife and informed her that her husband just died from battle wounds Hitler and keeping up appearances wired Rommel's wife asking her to and I quote accept my sincerest sympathy for the heavy loss you have just suffered Herman, garnering another man in this public appearances stage of cover-up headed up the German Luftwaffe. The Air Force joined in with his writing to the widow, and I quote the fact that your husband has died a hero's death as the result of his wounds is deeply touched me. We might expect such a sham from Nazi's and 100 other regimes but this is Israel. This is David this is David getting up and delivering a speech that his death has touched this faithful warrior. By the way there's another person involved in this cover-up. Verse 26 when the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah her husband was dead. She lamented over her husband at the way the author of Scripture reminds us in one sentence, three different times that she was married. He then wanted to forget it. When the wife of Uriah heard that Uriah, her husband was dead that she lamented over her husband, no doubt to me there would be tears of genuine sadness. They were mixed with this tragic guilt in the secret she's unwilling to yield. That would agree with Old Testament scholars.

The there is the implication here and what happens next that she knows what will happen next is a pension in her future from the silence of Chapter 11 and the confrontation will see later in chapter 12.

She willingly sits through the funeral.

Smiling, she she listens to the speeches and she accepts all the hogs of visitors who talk about her faithful husband and her faithful wife and she puts on the appearance. Yes, she has been all the while the EN secret there's a baby growing in her womb. She never whispers a word that were never allowed into her thoughts fact that the focus of Scripture is on the sin of David. What we are told.

However, in verse 27 is this and it would be odd although I think they could probably get away with it is the did for a while. It says this as soon as the traditional time of morning was over, David sent for her and she became his wife. I mean the clock struck midnight. That's the end of morning, take off the black clothes and let's go down the aisle.

They waste no time. Frankly, they can't afford to waste time. Everybody could count to nine months, though Mrs. she didn't say no to David the first time and she doesn't say no here either.

She ought to be so angry and so crushed and so bitter and so resentful that the last thing she would ever do is become one of his wives not on your life that now is the time to come out with the secret married you your covering up. Here's what really happened, you say well the way the second. This is Israel and and and they didn't do that kind of thing all – D told the king to take a hike. She lost her throne crown.

She said no to when Esther said yes to every right to say the truth is and it isn't pretty. Bathsheba is joining David in keeping up appearances and keeping their secret and they're going to keep it for almost an entire year until godly man comes along and points his finger in the meantime David's marriage to Bathsheba would have been interpreted as kindness on his part is wonderful that the king would bring Bathsheba into his home and care for her.

Aren't they so photogenic. The handsome King the beautiful wife and this is perfectly just write the end they lived happily ever after on this fairytale.

The end though is not been written in fact I haven't even read the last statement of the chapter look there. But the thing that David had done displeased. There's that verb, it was evil in the sight of the Lord, that so far God hasn't said anything so far God has enacted God hasn't intervened.

God hasn't asserted himself, but he is present. You can never cover-up with God, the person who knows God personally. Through faith in Christ, the son of God cover-up is as foolish as an ostrich sticking her head in the same thing all is well. We are living on borrowed time, God will have the last word. So if you're taking mental notes.

Mark this the silence of God is not indicate the absence of God. I could say it another way, the patience of God does not imply the approval of God. Even though the nation the kingdom. David's royal entourage. What is said that one is a firm price that the bride and groom that David is going to endure what he will write about later in one of his songs and I think we may take an additional week much. Who write about his confession and say, up until the time when I was exposed and I truly repented. Talk about losing weight. He will talk about physical illnesses. He will talk about high fever will talk about is haunted memories. He will talk about his sleepless nights. He will talk about his agony, guilt every step downward. David had two choices confess or cover-up when he receives the news, I'm pregnant, confess or cover-up a minute cover-up. That didn't work with them to cover-up rather than confess that didn't work well. I could confess. But no, I'm now going to take a man's life and now I'm to keep up appearances on this woman to my retinue of wives is the lesson is rather obvious in the don't choose to cover up sin of your covering it up today.

Maybe there's some things some person some activity you shoved under the rug and Eve assume the ones found out yet the end. Choose to confess and ask God for the grace and the goodness of God that brings us to genuine repentance. We need that daily going no matter how embarrassing.

No matter how painful the matter how disturbing matter how alarming heard the story. Just this week in my research of a of a man who had stolen a From a university student that they were playing ball against and 50 years later he was so up with that he couldn't find that student to return. I think the place to start is calling sin what it is we do that is faithful and just to forgive us our sin and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. He forgives confession of sin, not excuses, and he will not forgive, cover fillets learn to sing with the hymn writer who wrote it so well to grace how great a debtor daily constraint being let thy grace now like to fetter by my wondering arts. The new member never too old to sing the stanza prone to wander, Lord, I what I feel it trying to leave God I love. Here's my heart Lord take and seal it, bring it back wrap it up seal it for thy courts deal with my heart daily design prone to cover a Winston confess David isn't the only one who tendons is to want to cover-up sin instead of, confess sin. All of us have sin in our life. We can't fully escape it, but we can learn to deal with our sin properly and I hope Stephen's message has helped you today. You're listening to wisdom from the heart with Stephen Devi this message was called the cover-up, it comes from our series, through the life of King David called the singer how would your life change if you set aside one year to study God's word experience authentic community growing discipleship take a study trip to Israel and earn your Masters degree in theological studies all in one year. Stephen is the president of shepherd's theological seminary.

That school offers a special program called shepherds Institute where you can experience all that I just described this unique one year program offers a life-changing opportunity to all believers no matter your vocation. We had men and women join us right out of college and before entering their career they spend one year in God's word earn their master's degree and then enter the workforce better equipped to serve God in their church and community. We've also had men join us who believe they were called to be a pastor. They did this program and then jumped into the Master of Divinity program.

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Visit wisdom online.that's all for today. I'm Scott Wiley and on behalf of Stephen and the entire wisdom team. Thanks for listening. Have a great weekend and then join us next time. For more wisdom for the heart