David's Rebellion

Introduction

If David were to have a book written about his life, it might be titled: The Rise and Fall of King David. After a meteoric rise to power, King David made a disastrous decision. He broke the commandments of God and demonstrated the destructive power of sin and temptation.

Questions

1. Many of us have a scar from crashing and burning at some point in our lives. Describe the biggest physical fall you have ever experienced. From a roof? Cliff? Ladder? Down a hill?

2. Not only did David experience a rise in power and fame, he also experienced a great fall. Read verses 11:1-5. How did David fail morally? What contributed to his downfall?

3. Read verses 11:6-24. How did David compound his sin in his attempt to cover it up? How was Uriah used in the story to contrast David’s wickedness?

4. David’s sin echoes the sin of Adam and Eve in Genesis chapter 3: they saw, they desired, they took. How does this pattern play out in our temptation/sin?

5. How could David have avoided falling into sin? How can we do the same? What is your strategy for resisting temptation?