Stroll through Scripture for Sunday October 25, 2026

Based on 2 Samuel 11:1–5, 26–27; 12:1–9; Psalm 51:1–9

I didn’t even it make past the first verse, which reads, “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle…” The verse continues from there telling the situation around battles and David remaining in Jerusalem. Essentially what we are reading is that David got himself in trouble because he didn’t go into battle. There’s a lot just in that first verse and it’s not good.

What we hear is that war is a regular feature of life. The set up is that David has too much free time on his hands. There’s a battle going on, but he’s busying himself with other “activities” and getting himself into trouble. It’s a story that could have easily been written in any age in human history, unfortunately, including our own time.

And let’s be upfront about what happens in this story. David doesn’t just commit adultery with Bathsheba. There is a power dynamic at play. Bathsheba doesn’t have a real say in what happens. David is abusing his power. And on top of that, he then is responsible for murder of Bathsheba’s husband.

This episode is the culmination of what has been building up to this point for David — David giving in to the ends justify the means mentality. Earlier in David’s story we hear him reject opportunities to overthrow Saul through assassination. And then there are minor cracks in David’s ethical outlook. David lies to get food and weapons. He defects to the Philistines, wiping out an…