What other biblical examples show the dangers of deceitful plans like in 2 Samuel 11:14?

Focus Verse: 2 Samuel 11:14

“So in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah.”

David’s secret letter set in motion a chain of betrayal that ended in bloodshed, heartbreak, and lasting family turmoil. Scripture repeatedly sounds the alarm against such hidden schemes.

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Patterns of Destructive Deceit

• The Serpent in Eden – Genesis 3:1–5. A crafty twist of God’s words led Adam and Eve into death and separation. Deceit birthed every other human sorrow.

• Jacob and Rebekah’s Disguise – Genesis 27:18–23. “So Jacob went to his father and said, ‘My father.’ ‘Here I am,’ he said, ‘Who are you, my son?’ ” (v. 18). The stolen blessing triggered decades of family fracture and Jacob’s own later sufferings under Laban’s trickery.

• Joseph’s Brothers – Genesis 37:31–35. They dipped Joseph’s coat in goat’s blood and broke their father’s heart; years of famine-driven fear followed until the truth surfaced.

• Achan’s Hidden Plunder – Joshua 7:20–26. One concealed theft stalled Israel’s advance and cost Achan—and his household—their lives.

• Delilah’s Persistent Plot – Judges 16:4–21. Samson’s strength fell not to force but to repeated, paid-for deception. “She lulled him to sleep on her lap” (v. 19) and Israel’s judge became a grinder in prison.

• Gehazi’s Greedy Lie – 2 Kings 5:20–27. “My master has sent me” (v. 22) he claimed; Naaman’s leprosy clung to him instead of silver and garments.

• Haman’s Royal Manipulation – Esther 3:8–11. A secret bribe and a sealed decree aimed at genocide, yet “the gallows Haman had prepared for Mordecai” (7:10) ended his own life.

• Absalom at the City Gate – 2 Samuel 15:1–6. Flattering promises stole Israel’s loyalty; civil war and Absalom’s death soon followed.

• Judas’s Concealed Bargain – Luke 22:3–6. “He promised to give him money” (v. 5). Betrayal purchased with coins brought eternal infamy and Judas’s own despairing end.

• Ananias and Sapphira – Acts 5:1–11. They “kept back part of the proceeds” (v. 2) while posing as generous givers; sudden judgment reminded the church that God sees every hidden motive.

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Lessons to Take Home

• Deceit invites divine exposure—“Be sure your sin will find you out” (Numbers 32:23).

• Secret sin rarely stays secret; it entangles families, communities, entire nations.

• The temporary gain of a plot never outweighs the lasting loss of integrity, peace, and life itself.

• God-given repentance and truth-telling break the deadly pattern and restore fellowship (Psalm 32:1–5; 1 John 1:9).