Article by Michael Dewar, Author
November 10th 2026
Introduction
David was the second king over ancient Israel. Saul, his predecessor, was an arrogant whom God could not work with, and for that reason was disqualified. God said that David was a man after His own heart (1 Samuel 13:14 ). That was the most admirable commendation for the young king. God was saying that here is a man with whom I can work. But what does the expression, “a man after my own heart,” really mean?
First, God is not a man; therefore, the expression must be a figure of speech, meaning that David consistently thinks God’s thoughts after Him, that David, like God, has a compassionated disposition toward people.
Mercy and compassion are synonymous; they are moral qualities or attributes of God (Exodus 32). They are qualities that God is not only drawn to in humans; He requires them (Micah 5:8). Jesus said, “Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy” (Matthew 5:7). The story of the Good Samaritan teaches, the practice of mercy in human life, a quality God requires. David reflected such qualities in life, where as Saul was a proud, arrogant, and selfish men.
Second, despite such lofty commendation, David was not a perfect man; he had feet of clay like all of us. He was guilty of terrible things that would cause the worst of sinners to blush. The Bathsheba scandal was the worst sin of his life. People would say, It was god awful! David committed adultery with the wife of one of his soldiers who was away serving the nation in war time. You will have to read the full biblical account in the references given to get the sordid details ( 2 Samuel 11:15 ). This article gives you the Cliff’s Notes version.
The Lustful Look
Uriah, the soldier, was married to this stunningly beautiful woman named Bathsheba. Her house was a stone’s throw from the king’s palace. But neither she nor her husband nor where they lived were personally known to the king. It just happened that while her husband was away at war, King David took a strolling on the roof of his palace, to meditate. While strolling on the roof, he was captivated by the scene of this drop-dead beautiful woman bathing a few houses away. He had no idea who she was, but he could not resist having her. He sent for her and lay with her (2 Samuels 11:1-5).
He later learned who she was and that she was pregnant from the encounter with her. The king got involved with a soldier’s wife while the soldier was away at war! That was an awful scandal. But his attempt to cover it up made the coverup worse than the initial scandal itself.
The Clever Coverup
When King David learned that the woman was pregnant, he concocted a wickedly clever coverup. He sent a messenger to the commander of the army to have Uriah, the woman’s husband, report to him at the palace at once (verses 4-10).
Undoubtedly, this was a surprise to Uriah.” The king called for me at the palace, what could this be? He asked himself. “Perhaps a promotion,” ne mumbled to himself. “No, that couldn’t be, I haven’t done anything extraordinary to deserve a promotion; there are more deserving fighters than me,” he muttered to himself.
Finally, Uriah arrived at the palace and ushered in to see the king. He was treated with such great honor as if he had won some great prize, but he kept wondering what all this meant. The king questioned him about the war, and how things were going. But even that was strange, because it was not how the king usually received updates on the war. Official intelligence was a seal report from the Commander delivered by a special currier to the king. Uriah sensed that something was not right, but he could not figure it out.
The session with the king ended with the king telling him to go down to his house, rest, and report back to him at the palaces the next day. The King calculated that Uriah would welcome the time home to rest and frolic with his wife and that would serve as the coverup. In this case, it would look like the pregnancy was the husband’s doing. But the coverup backfired because it did not go exactly as the king planned it.
The Coverup Backfired
Uriah being a loyal soldier thought it was not proper for him to go down to his house and lie with his wife in a warm bed while his fellow soldiers were fighting, sleeping, and dying in the open field, so he slept outside on the steps of the palace instead of going home (verses 11-13).
The next morning, it was told to the king that Uriah did not go down to his house but slept on the palace steps. The King called for Uriah and questioned him as to why he did not go home and rest. Uriah told him it was not an ethical thing to do while his fellow-soldiers were sleeping in the open field. David found himself in a conundrum, and his way out of it will forever complicate his life. As a military man himself, the king could strategize his way out of any situation, and he will with this one, but it will take him to a very dark place that will explode in his face for the whole world to see.
The king drafted an official letter to the Commander of the army and sealed it. He placed the document in the hand of the soldier Uriah, not a special courrier, to be delivered to the commander as Uriah returned to duty. The content of the letter reads, “Set Uriah in the hottest part of the battle that he may die” (verses 14-27 ). Uriah was carrying his own death sentence and did not know it.
The Commander received the document from Uriah and followed the king’s order. Uriah was placed at the hottest part of the battle where he died. The Commander sent a report to the king confirming that Uriah is dead. Uriah’s widow was also informed that her husband was dead, and she wept bitterly. The king brought her to the palace to comfort her. But that is not the end of the story.
God Responded
God sent Nathan, the prophet, with a message to the palace for King David. The prophet told the king a clever story of injustice which has nothing to do with what the king had done. The in the story was so powerful that it kindled the wrath of the king to point of saying, “The man that did this shall surely be put to death!” (2 Samuel 12:1-6)- The king unwittingly pronounced judgment upon himself.
Nathan said to the king,” You are that man!” Thus says the Lord God of Israel: I anointed you king over Israel, and I delivered you from the hand of Saul. I gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your keeping; I gave you the house of Israel and the house of Judah. And if that had been too little, I also would have given you much more. Why have you despised the commandment of the Lord, to do this evil in His sight?” (verses 7-9).
Next, Nathan said to King David, “Now therefore, the sword shall not depart from your house, because you have despised Me, and have taken the wife of Uriah, the Hittite to be your wife. Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up an adversary against you from your own house, and I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in broad day-light. For you do it secretly, but I will do it before all Israel in broad day-light ‘” (2 Samuel 12:10-13).
The King’s Response to God’s Judgment
Now you will see why God said, David was a man after His own heart. First, when confronted with his sins, he did not arrogantly beat his breast and said to God’s prophet, Do you know who I am? I am king, who dear you come to my palace and accuse me lie that!” That was what Saul did and lost his throne and his life. Instead, “David said to Nathan, I have sinned against the LORD” (V.13).
Second, You can read David’s full confession in Psalm 51 where he poured out his heart in penitence before God. He acknowledged his transgression and pleaded with God for mercy. The king had a softy heart before God and God admires that. God resists the proud but gives grace to the humble. Don’t hide your sins, don’t cover them up. Instead, acknowledge them before God and ask for His forgiveness. God hears sincere prayers and He forgives the penitent person.
Third, note what Nathan said to David after he acknowledge and confessed his sins to God. “The Lord also has put away your sin; you shall not die. However, because of this deed, you have given great occasion to the enemies of the LORD to blaspheme, the child also who is born to you shall surely die” (verses 13-15). David did marry Bathsheba but the child that was conceived in that first encounter died (see verses 13-23).
Fourth, God does not hold grudges, when He forgives. He certainly forgives. Later Bathsheba conceived and bore David a son named Solomon (See verses 24-25). He became king after David. He built the first Temple of God in Israel. When you study David’s life you can see that he was truly a man after God’s own heart. If you have a humble heart, God feels the same about you. Please like this article. and share it with someone.