Bathsheba, a Woman Misunderstood: Day 1 - North Coast Calvary ...

Bathsheba, a Woman Misunderstood: Day 1
The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her.
2 Samuel 11:4a
Focus: Read 2 Timothy 1:5. Take a moment to thank God for the godly heritage of
faith, as passed down in our family or starting with us that we might pass it down to
future generations.
Feed:
Read 2 Samuel 5:1-4 & 2 Samuel 11:1-6. David, anointed by God to be king and to
shepherd His people Israel, has taken up residence in Jerusalem in his palace high
above the city. It is springtime and he is walking on his rooftop when he sees our leading
lady, Bathsheba bathing in the courtyard of her house.
Little is known from scriptural accounts about Bathsheba’s life, belief in God and
character. However, we can glean a certain amount of information by looking at her
name, her family members and her heritage. Bathsheba’s birth name, Bathshua, means
“daughter of my prosperity” and reflects the feelings of her parents at the time of her
birth. As was a common practice among Israelites, her name was later changed to
Bathsheba, meaning “the daughter of an oath” as a reflection of her own character.
1. In 2 Samuel 11:3, who are the two family members mentioned and their relationship to
Bathsheba?
It is important to note that Uriah’s name contains the “iah” suffix for Jehovah and means
“the flame or light of Jehovah”. Although a Hittite, he was at least a second generation
Jew by religion.
2. Read 2 Samuel 23:8-39. To what elite group did Eliam and Uriah belong (verses
1,34&39) and by what merits do you think they were chosen?
3. Read 2 Samuel 16:23. Ahithophel, Eliam’s father and Bathsheba’s grandfather, was
also highly regarded. What is said about Ahithophel’s advice?
4. What clues can we gather from the above information about Bathsheba’s position in
society, her faith, and her values?
Follow:
5. What are some "family values" passed on to you that have helped shape your life?
Are there any negative or destructive patterns passed down that you are asking God to
change based on the truth of his Word? (See 2 Corinthians 5:17 & Romans 6:4)

Bathsheba – Day 1, Page 2
Further:
Just as we are recipients of a family inheritance, whether good or bad, whether material
goods, values, or the legacy of faith, when we receive Christ we actually receive an
eternal inheritance from God as his dearly loved children!
6. Read Romans 8:12-17. What are those led by the Spirit of God called(v.14)?
And what do they receive instead of the spirit of fear?
The underlying word for sonship is “adoption”. Abba, Aramaic for Father, speaks of an
especially close relationship to God. As God’s children, what also do we now become?
7. Ephesians 1:4-8 speaks further on our adoption as believers. What means the most
to you in these tender verses?
8. In Galatians 3:26-29 who are included as sons of God?
In verse 29, what is said of those who belong to Christ?
9. Read Matthew 25:31-34. An inheritance speaks of something to be received in the
future. What is this inheritance that we will receive?
10. Read Ephesians 1:13-14. Until that time, what has God done and what does it
guarantee?
11. If we know that we are to receive an inheritance from our family, we are no doubt
curious about what that will include! What can we learn about our eternal inheritance
from these verses:
1 Corinthians 2:9
2 Corinthians 5:1-4
Philippians 3:20
2 Timothy 4:18
James 2:5
1 Peter 1:3-5
12. With the promised inheritance, how are we to live our lives in the here and now?
Colossians 1:9-14
Colossians 3:23-24
I Peter 3:8-9
13. Who was the person who shared the gospel with you? As a result, who
are the people you’ve been able to impact for the kingdom of God?
14. Who are you still praying to impact for eternity by sharing this great inheritance that
Jesus has in store for them?
According to Jesus’ words in John 13:34-35, what will make the most powerful impact on
those around us?
Pray and ask God to invade your life with his love
and to use you to pass down this great legacy of faith in Christ!

Page 3
Bathsheba, a Woman Misunderstood: Day 2
Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. 2 Samuel 11:4a
Focus: Read James 1:13-16. Take a moment to meditate on this scripture and to
consider the truth of its words from your own experience.
Feed: 1 Samuel 18:16. Up to this point, David has been Israel’s “golden boy”; highly
esteemed by the people as Israel’s singer of songs, and as their military and political
leader. Yet even David had a chink in his armor that led him to cross the line into sin and
cause untold consequences for both himself and many others, including our leading
lady.
1. Read 2 Samuel 11:1-14. In Verse 1, what two choices did David make which were out of
character for the king?
2. How do you think these choices contributed to the events that followed?
3. In v. 2-4, write down the rapid-fire progression of verbs that describe David’s
actions in spite of finding out that Bathsheba was married to Uriah, one of his mighty
men, and the granddaughter of his trusted counselor, Ahithophel.
4. Keeping in mind that Israel’s governmental system placed the king as its absolute
authority, what conflicting thoughts and emotions do you think Bathsheba experienced
when she received a summons to the palace?
5. As the driving force in this liaison, how would you describe David’s abuse of his royal
power?
6. In v. 5, we see the message Bathsheba sends to David. In keeping him accountable
for his actions, how might we see this as a means to her gaining back some dignity?
Follow:
7. Re-read the focus verse above. As with David, sin can start with little things that at
the time may seem innocent. Are you aware of any chinks in your armor that could be an
open door for the enemy to use in your life?
Won’t you confess your area of weakness to God today and ask him to strengthen you
and help you to avoid sinning against him (Ps. 51:4) and the pitfalls and consequences
that always accompany sin? ____________________________________________________
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Bathsheba – Day 2, Page 4
Further:
Note: Bathsheba’s late afternoon bathing on this particular day was in accordance with
the law (see Leviticus 15:19,28), as a ritual cleansing bath at the end of her monthly
period. It was not in a public place, but probably behind curtains of an enclosed
courtyard. It is not unreasonable to assume that the accepted code of behavior and
decency of the day included the understanding that it was inappropriate to look out
from one’s rooftop or upper story down into the courtyard of a neighbor’s property at
that time of day, which was the normal time for bathing. This unwritten code of ethics,
out of respect for privacy, remains true today in the Middle Eastern culture.
8. In I Corinthians 10:6&11-13 we are told that experiences from Israel’s history were
written down as examples and warnings for us. What is the clear warning in verse 12?
What are the promises in verse 13?
Warning
Promise
According to these scriptures, how might David have dealt differently with temptation
that could have changed his future and the lives of many others?
9. What a treasure we have in the Word of God, the Bible! Going back to Day 1’s focus
verse on Timothy’s heritage of faith, read Paul’s words to him in 2 Timothy 3:14-16.
According to verse 16, all scripture is_
. How may God
use it in our lives (verses 15-16)?
1) 2) 3)
4) 5) 6)
10. In Job 31:1-4, what is the covenant that Job made with his “eyes” and what was his
reasoning in making that covenant?
Sometimes it can be helpful to talk to ourselves and make similar proclamations! Just
hearing our words spoken out loud before the Lord can have a powerful effect. In
Psalm 42:5&11 & 43:5, David speaks to his soul telling it to put it’s hope in God. Is there
some issue in your life that might be helped by making a verbal proclamation before the
Lord? There’s no time like the present!
11. Read I Timothy 2:9-10. As women, we have such power to influence men, both in
good ways and bad. Believing scripture to be “God-breathed”, consider the
instructions in these verses. How would you describe dressing modestly?
Pray and ask God to give you wisdom in this area that the way you dress and act would
be “appropriate for (a woman) who professes to worship God”.

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Bathsheba, A Woman Misunderstood: Day 3
So David sent this word to Joab: “Send me Uriah the Hittite.”
And Joab sent him to David. 2 Samuel 11:6
Focus: Read Psalm 37:5-7. Take a moment to meditate on this scripture.
Feed: Read 2 Samuel 11:5-27.
1. With news of Bathsheba’s pregnancy, David’s tumble into deception results in
immediate plans to cover up his sin and avoid the consequences. He calls for Joab to
send Uriah home from the battlefield. Briefly describe David’s two attempts to get
Uriah to go to his house and sleep with his wife and Uriah’s responses.
2. What comes to light about the character of each man through this turn of events?
David:
Uriah:
What insight into Bathsheba might we gather by looking at Uriah’s character?
3. More than likely, Bathsheba was unaware of David’s cover-up scheme. List some of
the uncertainties and fears that must have been going through her mind as she waited:
How might the words of Psalm 37:5-7, ironically written by David, have encouraged
Bathsheba at this time?
4. When David’s cover-up scheme fails, what desperate action does he resort to and
what are the tragic results?
5. Read 2 Samuel 11:26& 27. Once again Bathsheba is sent into a tailspin as she hears
news that her husband is dead (possibly her worst fear realized). What do David’s next
actions in regards to Bathsheba tell us about his character?
Follow:
6. Has there been a time of great uncertainty in your life when circumstances caused
fear to grip your heart and mind? What encouragement were you able to find to calm
your fears?
____________________________________
In 2 Corinthians 1:3-4, we are called to comfort others with the same comfort God gives
us. If God gave you a specific scripture or word during that difficult time, would you
consider sharing it in your small group? It may be just the word that someone needs to
hear!

Bathsheba - Day 3, Page 6
Further:
7. In Proverbs 3:5&6, to what degree are we called to trust the LORD?
What do you think it means to “acknowledge him in all of our ways”? And what will be the
results?
8. Trusting God in the midst of a trying situation relating to grief, fear, despair,
frustration, anger, betrayal or any number of things, is a difficult thing to do. So often,
we just want to know “why” so that we can make some sense of it all. But God says that
what we really need to do is to trust him at those times. Read the following scriptures
and connect them with the promises of God that come as a result of trusting.
Psalm 32:10
You will have no fear of bad news
Psalm 62:8
He will save you
Psalm 112:6-7
The Lord’s unfailing love will surround you
Psalm 115:9-11
You will be blessed
Psalm 125:1
You will not be shaken
Proverbs 16:20
You may overflow with hope
Proverbs 29:25
He will be your refuge
Isaiah 25:8-9
He will be your help and shield
Romans 10:11
You will never be put to shame
Romans 15:13
You will be kept safe
Which promise means the most to you at this time in your life and why?
9. Read Philippians 4:6-7 . When we are not trusting God, anxious thoughts can be
overwhelming! What is the instruction and antidote for anxiousness?
What is the outstanding result if we implement the above?
10. Read Ephesians 6:10-18. Along with trusting God, how can we take a proactive
stance against the devil’s schemes?
Who are we really struggling against?
Explain how you would go about: (You may use the following scriptures as references.
John 14:6, Romans 3:21-24, I Peter 3:15, Gal. 2:20, Acts 4:12, Hebrews 4:12)
Buckling the belt of truth around your waist
Putting the breastplate of righteousness in place
Fitting your feet with readiness of the gospel
Taking up the shield of faith
Taking the helmet of salvation and the sword of the Spirit
What are Paul’s last words of instruction in verse 18?

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Bathsheba, A Woman Misunderstood: Day 4
But the thing David had done displeased the LORD. 2 Samuel 11:26
Focus: Read Psalm 32:1-5. Take a moment to meditate on this powerful scripture.
Feed: Read 2 Samuel 11:26 & 12:1-23.
1. List the traumatic events that Bathsheba has been through within a matter of
months.
2. As David’s cover-up scheme with Uriah had failed, so does his attempt to hide his
sin from God. In the last sentence in chapter 11 we finally see God’s “take” on all that
David has done. What are those disturbing words?
3. With unconfessed sin hanging over his head like a black cloud, no doubt all of palace
life was greatly affected. What consequences do you think were immediately noticeable
in David’s closest relationships? Bathsheba
The LORD
Other wives & children
4. With several months having passed, God sends Nathan, the prophet and David’s
trusted confidant, to confront him with a compelling parable. In the parable, who is the
rich man? The poor man? The ewe lamb?
What, tragically, can we learn about Uriah’s feelings for his wife from this parable?
5. Briefly describe the consequences of David’s sin that will impact Bathsheba and the
whole family? v. 10
v. 11 v. 14
6. In verses 15-23 what actions does David take and how does he explain them?
7. As David comes face-to-face with his sin and the terrible consequences begin, we
see the “man after God’s own heart” begin to emerge once again. What do you think
David’s prayer may have been as he went into the house of the Lord (verse 20)?
Follow:
Can you think back to a time when you may have tried a cover-up scheme with God?
_
Have you experienced the wonderful freedom that confession brings as expressed in
Psalm 32:1-2, 5-6? Blessed can be translated “Oh how happy!” Write a prayer of
confession to the Lord and/or a prayer of thanksgiving for the absolute beauty and joy
of being forgiven for our sins: ___________________________________________________
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Bathsheba - Day 4, Page 8
Further:
When we face a crossroads in our lives, as Bathsheba now faced, we have some very
significant choices to make. We may have cried out to God, “But, Lord, this wasn’t my
plan!” or maybe, “But, Lord, it’s just not fair!” or the classic, “Why me, Lord?” At this
point, we either have to make the choice to move on with our life and with the Lord, or
allow our circumstances to rule our actions and our emotions. The most productive thing
we can do at a time like this is to lay down our desires and allow our all-sufficient God to
carry us into new territory!
One choice Bathsheba had to make as she was catapulted from her comfortable home
to palace life with David’s other wives, concubines and children was whether to blame
God for her losses of her husband, her home, her family, and everything that was
familiar and dear to her.
7. Read Deuteronomy 32:4, 2 Chronicles 19:7, Job 34:10 , & Psalm 58:11 What do these
verses tell us about God’s character that would have been important for her to know?
What are the beautiful promises in Lamentations 3:19-23 & 31-33?
8. Read Job 1:6-22 & Job 2:10. What was unique about Job and what was his response
to losing everything he had?
How does he respond to his wife’s less-than-godly advice to “..curse God and die!”
What do verses 10.b and 22 tell us?
How do Job’s responses speak to you?
Bathsheba also needed to choose to forgive David for turning her life upside down to
meet his own lustful desires. Extending forgiveness can free us from roots of bitterness
that wrap around our hearts and squeeze the life right of us. From scriptures that we
will study tomorrow, it seems as if Bathsheba made that choice to forgive David.
9. Is there a person whose name pops into your mind when the words “forgive” or
“bitterness” come up? Are you ready today to release that stranglehold on your heart
and allow God to set you free by extending forgiveness? Read Colossians 3:13. What is
the compelling reason we are called to forgive?
10. Read Matthew 6:14-15 & Ephesians 4:31-32. What are the dire consequences if we do
not extend forgiveness?
Pray today to change your life
and discover the freedom that comes from obedience in this area!

Page 9
Bathsheba, A Woman Misunderstood: Day 5
Then David comforted his wife Bathsheba, and he went to her and lay with her. She gave birth
to a son, and they named him Solomon. 2 Samuel 12:24
Focus: Read Isaiah 65:17-20, which speaks of the new heavens and new earth that are
to come. Spend a few moments seeking the heart of God as expressed in these verses.
Feed: 2 Samuel 12:24-25
While David fasts and prays to God for his sick son in full view of the elders and servants
in the palace, Bathsheba’s grieving is done in private.
1. How do you think news of David’s deep grieving before the Lord for their son might
have affected Bathsheba and her feelings for David?
How do we see God’s mercy extended to both of them? Note: Jedidiah means “loved by
the Lord”.
2. Read 1 Kings 1:5-31. As we fast-forward many years, David is “old and well advanced
in years” when important news reaches Bathsheba, through Nathan the prophet. What
is the news and what does Nathan advise her to do? Why?
3. As she goes before the king, what does she remind him of?
What reasons does she give for her request in verses 20 and 21?
4. What oath does the king then make before Bathsheba?
What does this tell us about Bathsheba’s influence and her relationship with David?
5. As Solomon’s mother and one of the few individuals who remained faithful to David
in the royal court, what do you think her emotions were in response to hearing the oath?
What were her words to David and how do they reflect what was in her heart?
6. Read 1 Kings 2:13-21. In verses 17-20 what insight do we gain into King Solomon’s
feelings towards his mother? (To find out what Adonijah’s untimely request cost him,
read verses 22-25!)
Finish:
7. Read Psalm 139:15-16, 33:11 & Numbers 23:19. As true in Bathsheba’s day as it is in ours,
what promise can we as believers hold on to? ______________________________________

Bathsheba – Day 5, Page 10
Further:
8. Read 1 Chronicles 17:1-15. In verses 11-14, what is the promise God gives to David
through Nathan the prophet before the birth of Solomon?
9. Read David’s prayer of response in 1 Chronicles 17:16-26. In verses 25-27 he
acknowledges God’s promise. Not knowing which son would be successor to his throne
and the recipient of God’s promise, what do think his thoughts and fears were when his
first son with Bathsheba lay dying?
10. Read 1 Chronicles 22:6-10 for more details. Why was David not allowed to build a
house for the Lord?
Who would build it?
What would be the hallmark of Solomon’s
reign as king?
What is the promise God gave to David that he passes onto Solomon?
Read 1 Chronicles 22:11-13. What is David’s blessing to Solomon and the condition of the
blessing?
11. When David and Bathsheba named their second son, Solomon, which means
“peaceful”, it was obviously in line with God’s directive and promise in 1 Chronicles 17.
What do you think David’s thoughts were when he was born in relation to the promise?
What do you think they thought when Nathan came to them with another name from the
Lord, “Jedidiah”?
14. In 1 Kings 8:14-21 we hear how God’s promise was fulfilled in the life of Solomon as he
stands before the temple and speaks to the whole assembly of Israel. How do David’s
words (from 1 Chronicles 17:16-26) and Solomon’s testimonies of faith speak to you? !
15. Is there a promise you believe God has given you that you are still waiting to see
answered? If so, what is it?
Read Isaiah 40:30-31. What promise do we have in the midst of our waiting?
Putting feet to your faith, pray and ask God to give you the gift of faith to believe that
he will indeed renew your strength as you commit to keep running the race while you wait
and hope upon him!

Finish:
Bathsheba, A Woman Misunderstood
"Yet the LORD longs to be gracious to you; he rises to show you compassion.
For the LORD is a God of justice. Blessed are all who wait for him! " Isaiah 30:18
1. Looking back over each day of homework, write a brief description of God’s
graciousness in Bathsheba’s life from the following questions:
Day 1, Question 4
Day 2, Question 6
Day 3, Question 5
Day 4, Question4b
Day 5, Question 5 & 7
What is the main lesson I have learned from Bathsheba's life? _______________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
2. What was the most meaningful statement or scripture you read this week? Why?
3. We all have a story to tell, including highs and lows, victories and failures, faith and
fear, health and sickness, joy and sadness, friendships and loneliness, gains and losses,
times of plenty and times of need. In keeping with the approaching Thanksgiving
season"!write a prayer or a poem thanking God for his redemptive hand in your life over
the years!
4. After completing this study on Bathsheba, how has your perception of her
character changed from when you started?
5. If you were to describe her as something other than “a woman misunderstood”, what
would that be?
6. What would you consider your personal “takeaway” from studying Bathsheba’s
story? In other words, what does God want you to do in response to what you’ve
learned from her life?
_
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