The Sins of David

The story begins with David committing the first sin: he did not fulfill his duty as king. Instead of going to war with his army, he remained in Jerusalem, while his soldiers fought. In this context, we find David peacefully resting on his bed, while he should have led his people into battle. His inactive behavior led him to fall further into temptation.

One evening, while walking on the roof of his palace, he saw Bathsheba, a very beautiful woman bathing. David, struck by the desire to possess her, did not stop at the fact that she was married. He gave in to his desire, ordering her to be brought to him. So he lay with her, committing adultery. Bathsheba became pregnant, and this put David in a difficult situation: he had to find a way to cover up his sin.

The king then tried to remedy the situation as best he could by calling Uriah from the battlefield, hoping that he would spend the night with his wife. Thus the whole affair would be hidden. However, Uriah refused to do so, thinking it unfair to enjoy the comfort of home and wife while his companions were at war. David, in desperation, made another attempt: he got Uriah drunk, in the hope that, under the influence of alcohol, he would go to sleep with Bathsheba.

This plan also failed, as Uriah once again showed integrity in his commitment to his comrades in arms. Despite his attempts, David was unable to convince him. At this point, David made an extreme decision: he ordered Uriah's death. He wrote a letter to Joab, the commander of the army, in which he asked to put Uriah on the front lines, the most dangerous point of the battle, so that he would die.

The letter with the death sentence was delivered by Uriah, unaware of its contents. Uriah died, as David had wanted, and the king took Bathsheba as his wife. However, this sin brought serious consequences, including the blasphemy of God's Name by Israel's enemies, who saw in these actions a moral fall.