F-260 2 Samuel 11 David and Bathsheba In what ways do you agree or disagree with the adage “Power corrupts”? Whom have you ever known who seemed so loyal and honest as to be “too good to be true”? Where was David while the Israelite army was engaged in battle against the Ammonites? (11:1) What did David observe one night from the roof of the palace? (11:2) How did David misuse his authority as king in relation to the woman he observed? (11:3-5) After David found out Bathsheba was pregnant, what did he do next? (11:6) What was David’s pretext for sending for Uriah from the battlefront? (11:7) Where did David send Uriah after he spoke with him? (11:8) Why didn’t Uriah take David up on the invitation to go to his own home? (11:9-11) What ploy did David try to get Uriah to go home to his wife? (11:13) When Uriah did not go home, what message did David send back with him to Joab? (11:14-15) What steps did Joab take to fulfill the king’s wishes? (11:16-17) What special instructions did Joab give to the messenger in case David grew angry at the losses taken by the Israelites? (11:18-21) How did David receive the news of the battle when he realized that his purposes had been accomplished with regard to Uriah? (11:25) How did Bathsheba react to the death of Uriah the Hittite? (11:26) How did David treat Bathsheba once her husband was out of the way? (11:27) How did God feel about what David had done? (11:27) Why did David try everything within his power to get Uriah to sleep with his wife while he was home from the wars? How did one sin lead to another and another in David’s case? What was the immediate human cost of David’s lust and selfishness? Why do you suppose Joab put a whole group of men in peril instead of following David’s suggestion about abandoning Uriah? If he had been thinking like a responsible leader, how should David have reacted to the losses Joab reported from the battle? Why does one sin often lead to other sins? How does a position of authority exaggerate the human tendency to take what we want? How can you break the cycle the next time you find yourself committing one sin to cover up another? What can you do to maintain respect for people in the way you use power and authority? In what area of your life would you like to develop an unwavering loyalty like Uriah’s?