January 14, 2024 – 2 Samuel 11

Lesson Date: January 14, 2023

Focal Scripture Passage: 2 Samuel 11:1-18, 26-27

AIM: To lead students to discover and identify the costs of David’s lust, and to memorize some scripture verses and adopt a three-step plan to defend themselves against the terrible costs of lust.

Before class: Read the notes on 2 Samuel 11 found in the Sunday School Teacher Book.  Bring some candy, cookies, or doughnuts to class.  Get enough copies of the handout for your anticipated attendance.  Write the following questions on the board:

“What is Lust?”

“What are Some Costs of Lust?”

“What Can We Do About Lust?”

INTRODUCTION (Create Learning Readiness): Direct the students’ attention to the candy, cookies, or doughnuts you have brought to class.  Pass the goodies around so everyone has an opportunity to enjoy some.

After giving everyone a moment to enjoy their candy, cookie, or doughnut, ask: “When I offered these goodies to you, why did you decide to eat one?” (because they like them).

Explain that when we are offered a sweet treat, we have a desire to eat it because it looks appealing and we know from experience that we will enjoy it.  Ask: “Is it wrong for you to eat when your body desires food?” (no).  State that God gives us the natural desire for food and blesses us with food to satisfy that desire.

Tell the class the same is not true of all the money in the bank vault or the gold at Fort Knox.  Ask: “Would it be wrong for you to take money or other valuables that don’t belong to you?” (yes).  Explain that such riches might be desirable to meet our financial needs and give us things we want, but it would be illegal and immoral to take them.

Read the first question written on the board (“What is Lust?”) and ask the students how they would answer that question.  Tell the class that in its most basic sense, lust simply means desire; but as it is used in the Bible and in everyday conversation, lust is a strong desire for something we cannot morally or legally have.

Remind the class of the sweet treats you brought.  Tell them God gives us a desire for food and we are free to satisfy that desire.  Explain that our desire for food is NOT lust, because it is not legally, morally, or ethically wrong for us to eat food.  Remind them of the money in the bank and the gold at Fort Knox.  State that a desire for those riches IS lust because we cannot legally have them.

Read the other two questions written on the board.  Tell the class we will discover answers to those questions this morning.  Tell them the title of today’s lesson is Costs of Lust.

HEART OF THE LESSON (Bible Study):

1. Review.
   • Remind the class that we are studying the Old Testament book of 2 Samuel.
   • Ask: “What was last week’s lesson about?” (Promises; we learned about promises God made to David and a promise David made to a friend).
   • Ask if any volunteer would recite last week’s memory verse (Rom. 10:13).
2. David’s Lust.
   • Read 2 Samuel 11:1-2.
   • Ask: “What did kings usually do at this time of year?” (go out to war).
   • Ask: “According to verse 1, what did David do?” (stayed home, sending Joab to fight his battles).
   • Explain the following:
     • David got up from bed one evening and walked on the rooftop patio of his palace.
     • It was common in those days for flat rooftops to be used as additional living spaces.
   • Ask: “What did David see from his rooftop?” (a woman bathing).
   • Ask: “What did he notice as he looked at this woman?” (that she was very beautiful).
   • Tell the class these verses describe David’s lust: he saw the woman and desired her, but he could not legally, morally, or ethically satisfy that desire.
   • Ask the following rhetorical questions: “What was the source of David’s lust? Did this woman have some kind of magnetic force field that drew David’s eyes, thoughts, and interests? Was David helpless against the drawing power of the woman?”
   • Ask everyone to hold their place in 2 Samuel 11, while turning to James 1.
   • Ask a volunteer to read James 1:14-15.
   • Explain the following:
     • The Bible makes it clear that lust comes from within.
     • Remind everyone of the sweet treats you brought to class.
     • There is nothing in those treats that mysteriously draws us to eat them; we eat them because we want them.
     • The same was true of David’s lust and of all lust: it comes from within.
   • Ask: “According to verse 15, what does lust lead to?” (sin, which eventually results in death).
   • Ask: “What should David have done when he saw the beautiful woman bathing?” (immediately turned his eyes away and gone back inside his palace).
   • Tell the class David should have resisted, rather than indulging his lust.
   • Summarize: King David saw a beautiful woman and entertained lustful thoughts of her.
3. What David’s Lust Cost Bathsheba.
   • Ask everyone to turn back to 2 Samuel 11.
   • Tell them we know what David should have done, but the next verses reveal what he actually did.
   • Read 2 Samuel 11:3.
   • Ask: “Did David turn his eyes away and go inside?” (no).
   • Ask: “What did he do?” (asked who the woman was).
   • Ask: “What did he learn?” (that she was the wife of one of his most trusted military leaders: one of his “mighty men;” see 2 Sam. 23:39).
   • Ask a volunteer to read 2 Samuel 11:4-5.
   • Tell the class David acted upon his lust: he took the woman, had sex with her, and then sent her home.
   • Ask: “What happened as a result of David and Bathsheba’s immoral union?” (she became pregnant with David’s child).
   • Tell the class David’s lust led him to violate three of God’s Ten Commandments:
     • He coveted his neighbor’s wife (Ex. 20:17).
     • He stole her from her husband (Ex. 20:15).
     • He and Bathsheba both committed adultery (Ex. 20:14).
   • Stress the fact that unbridled lust can cause us to do terrible things.
   • Summarize: David’s lust cost Bathsheba her honor, making her an immoral woman.
4. What David’s Lust Cost Uriah.
   • Tell the class that David had created a problem and wanted to cover his sin.
   • Read 2 Samuel 11:6-8.
   • Ask: “Why did David bring Uriah back from battle?” (he hoped Uriah would go home to his wife, and later assume the child she was carrying was his).
   • Read 2 Samuel 11:9-13.
   • Ask: “Why didn’t David’s plan to cover up his sin work?” (Uriah was an honorable man; he refused to go home to his wife while his comrades in arms were camped out in the open fields fighting battles).
   • Explain the following:
     • David tried everything to get Uriah to go home to Bathsheba, but nothing worked.
     • Time was running out; soon everyone would learn about David’s lust and adultery.
     • David’s lust led him to commit several sins.
     • He was in a very awkward situation and wanted to find a way out.
   • Ask a volunteer to read 2 Samuel 11:14-18.
   • Ask: “What did David do next?” (had Uriah deliver a letter to Joab directing him to orchestrate Uriah’s death in battle).
   • Ask: “Did Joab obey his king’s instructions?” (yes).
   • Ask: “According to verse 17, who died?” (Uriah and some other soldiers).
   • Tell the class that David’s lust caused him to violate two more of God’s commandments:
     • He lied (Ex. 20:16).
     • He committed murder (Ex. 20:13).
   • Summarize: David’s lust cost Uriah his wife and his life.
5. What David’s Lust Cost David.
   • Tell the class that at this point David probably thought his problem was solved.
   • Ask a volunteer to read 2 Samuel 11:26-27.
   • Ask: “What did David do after Bathsheba’s time of mourning was completed?” (took her to be another one of his many wives).
   • Tell the students that Bathsheba bore David a son.
   • Tell them by the world’s standards, David “got away with” his sin; but his biggest problem is revealed in the last sentence of verse 27.
   • Ask: “How did the Lord feel about David’s actions?” (He was very displeased).
   • Summarize: David’s lust cost him the pleasure and close fellowship of the Lord.

PERSONAL APPLICATION: Direct the students’ attention once again to the three questions written on the board.  Tell them we answered the first question (“What is Lust?”) at the beginning of class (lust is a strong desire for something we cannot morally or legally have).  Tell the class that David’s sin began with lust: if he had properly dealt with his lust, he would not have committed this terrible sin.  Stress the fact that the same is true for us: our sins begin with lust.

Read the second question (“What are Some Costs of Lust?”).  Ask: “What were some of the costs of David’s lust?”  They should name some of the following:

1. Bathsheba lost her honor and became an immoral woman.
2. Uriah lost his wife. He was a faithful, devoted warrior, but his king – his commander in chief – stole his wife away from him.
3. Uriah lost his life. David callously ordered Uriah’s murder.  What a betrayal of trust!
4. Other soldiers died (verses 17 and 24) to help cover David’s sin.
5. David became an adulterer and a murderer.
6. God was displeased with David. As bad as the other costs were, this was the highest cost of all.

Tell the class these were costs of David’s lust, but our lust carries a high price tag, too.  Give everyone a copy of the handout, and read James 1:14-15 once again.  Stress the fact that lust brings forth sin and sin results in death; since lust is so dangerous, we must learn how to deal with it.

Read the third question written on the board (“What Can We Do About Lust?”).  Suggest the following three-step plan to defend against lust (refer to the words at the bottom of the handout):

1. First, ask God to help you Recognize lustful thoughts.
2. Second, ask God to help you Resist lustful desires.
3. Third, Replace lustful thoughts with godly ones by quoting scripture or singing a Christian song.

Refer to the handout again and tell the students the Bible sums it up this way: “Walk in the Spirit, and ye shall not fulfill the lust of the flesh” (Galatians 5:16).

Ask: “Do you want to have victory over lust, or would you rather pay the high costs of indulging your lust?”  Tell the students if they want victory over lust, they should memorize the scripture verses on the handout, as well as the three-step plan to deal with lust.

Ask everyone to bow their head and close their eyes.  Tell them if they are serious about gaining victory over lust, they should tell God right now.  Allow a moment for silent prayer, and then voice a closing prayer.

CONCLUSION: Ask everyone to put the handout somewhere they will see it often this week.  Encourage them to memorize James 1:14-15 and Galatians 5:16, along with the three words.  Tell them to ask God every day to give them victory over lust.