Failed Leadership 2 Samuel 11:4

This post concerns the consequences of failed leadership.

Failed leadership often leads to sin. God gave King David the responsibility of leading the nation. Likewise, as the head of his family, he served as an example to his sons. However, one evening he saw an unclad woman, Bathsheba – the wife of Uriah— bathing and then committed adultery with her, 2 Samuel 11:4.

“So, David sent messengers and took her, and she came to him, and he lay with her.”

Then, this horrible sin led to other sins because of Bathsheba’s pregnancy. David called Uriah home from a battle so the baby would appear to be Uriah’s. When that failed, he had Uriah killed during the battle. Then, he married Bathsheba. But others knew about the affair.

The prophet Nathan confronted David with a parable about a rich man taking the only lamb of a poor man. A livid David said the rich man deserved death. Then, Nathan said to David, 2 Samuel 12:7, 9. “You … the man! …Why have you despised the word of the Lord, to do what is evil in his sight?”

Thus, David ignored God’s command, Exodus 20:14, to not commit adultery. God characterized such disobedience as despising his name.

But when David repented, God said, “the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised me.” 2 Samuel 12:10.

David’s sin did not lead his sons to be obedient to God. Amnon raped his half-sister. Absalom then killed Amnon. But Absalom died trying to steal the throne from his father. Later, Solomon killed a brother, Adonijah.

And, when Solomon became the next king, he allowed his sexual appetites to lead him away from God, 1 Kings 11:4-5. “… when Solomon … his wives turned away his heart after other gods… Solomon went after Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites.”

Note, what David did shows that sin lasts longer than we imagined, costs more than we intended to pay, and affects more people than we thought. We must lead carefully.

So, what did we learn?

1.Good leadership always involves obeying God’s law.

2.Failed obedience to God can cause one’s children to also turn away from God.

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#David’sSons #AbsalomStealKingdom #SolomonWorshippedIdols