How does 2 Samuel 11:3 connect with the commandment against coveting? Setting the Scene: David’s First Step Toward Sin - 2 Samuel 11:3: “So David sent someone to inquire about the woman, and he was told, ‘This is Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite.’” - The verse records David’s conscious decision to learn more about a woman who was not his wife. - By asking about her after already seeing her, David moves from innocent sight to intentional desire, setting the stage for breaking the tenth commandment. The Tenth Commandment Clearly Stated - Exodus 20:17: “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house. You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, or his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” - Coveting is an inner attitude—an unlawful, consuming desire for something or someone God has given to another person. - Unlike theft or adultery, coveting happens in the heart first, but it often leads to outward sin. Direct Connections Between the Verse and the Commandment - Bathsheba is explicitly identified as “the wife of Uriah”; the narrative centers on another man’s wife, matching the precise example the command forbids. - David’s inquiry (“sent someone to inquire”) mirrors the mental act of coveting: it is desire seeking satisfaction. - The commandment places “wife” before material possessions, emphasizing the gravity of desiring someone else’s spouse—exactly the desire David entertains. The Heart Progression From Coveting to Further Sin - Desire (Coveting) → Action (Adultery) → Cover-Up (Deception, Murder). - James 1:14-15 explains the sequence: “Each one is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desires. Then desire, when it has conceived, gives birth to sin…” - David’s experience embodies this chain—beginning with a covetous gaze and ending in murder (2 Samuel 11:15-17). Wider Biblical Witness on Coveting and the Eyes - Matthew 5:27-28: Jesus equates lustful looking with adultery in the heart, reinforcing that internal coveting violates God’s standard. - 1 John 2:16: “the lust of the eyes” is listed among worldly enticements opposed to the Father’s will. - Proverbs 4:23: “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow the springs of life.” Coveting is primarily a heart issue. Takeaways for Today - Recognize that temptation often begins with the eyes—what we permit ourselves to dwell on can ignite covetous desire. - Understand that the tenth commandment is not merely a legal restriction but a safeguard for the heart, preventing the destructive spiral seen in David’s life. - Cultivate contentment (Hebrews 13:5) and redirect wandering desires toward God’s provision, nipping coveting at its source. |
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