Did David Only Sin One Time?

"Because David did [that which was] right in the eyes of the LORD, and turned not aside from any [thing] that he commanded him all the days of his life, save only in the matter of Uriah the Hittite" (I Kings 15:5 KJV).

First, in the matter of Uriah the Hittite, David thought about covering up his sin. He knew he was sinning but “turned aside” from God’s command determinedly. It was high-handed and intentional. In other sins, he was just not thinking, but in this one, he intentionally turned from God’s commandment and tried to cover up with dishonesty. Thus, this is the only sin of this kind we can make note of. It is not his only sin, but it is the only sin of this kind, of a high-handed and intentional nature.

Secondly, David knew of “transgressions” (plural) in his life, and he confessed them (Psalms 51). Thus, David himself would never agree that there was only one sin he ever committed. So, the matter of Uriah the Hittite involved intentionally turning aside, whereas other sins were not premeditated and intentionally planned in the manner of this sin. The sin with Bathsheba was that of getting caught up and overpowered by lust. But this cover-up effort took a lot of premeditation and became “the matter” most noteworthy.

I remember an incident at home when I was about nine years old. I should not have been climbing into the attic of our house, but I stepped through the tile in the ceiling. I knew I was in big trouble for this great error, and I panicked and made up a lie to cover my misdeed. I told my mother that I was looking at the ceiling when, all of a sudden, the tiles just fell from the ceiling. I know it was a long shot, but I couldn’t think of just telling the truth and taking my punishment. I hoped Mother would believe me, but the lie was worse than the deed. She gave me a belt whipping I would never forget, and the focus was on the lie I told. She said she was not punishing me for playing in the attic and knocking a hole in the ceiling but for lying about it. Only the “matter of the lie” was her focus. Does this mean it was my only sin? No! But it was the only one that was noteworthy to her because it was of a different nature. It was a premeditated cover-up effort with an effort to deceive others, especially of being willing to break the trust between me and my mother for selfish gain. This sin rose above others. She often spoke of what a good boy I was, “except in the matter of that cover-up attempt.”

David knew he had many transgressions throughout his life, but this one was the one that stood out as a premeditated breach of his usual tendency to come clean from his sins. When David sinned in the matter of the ox-cart, there was no cover-up effort once he realized his mistake. He came clean and corrected the matter, which was his usual way, but in the matter of Uriah, he tried to deceive Uriah. When all other cover-up attempts failed, David had Uriah go to the front line so that he would be killed, all to cover up the lies that David knew were lies of premeditated coverup. Generally, David was a good and honorable man “except in the matter of Uriah the Hittite.”