2 Samuel 11:1-15 is part of the larger story of David’s sin. This story does not gloss over anything. It dramatizes David’s humanness in an unforgettable way. It also reminds us that in accomplishing His purpose God is always forced to use fallible people. It warns against presumption upon position and status, that all people are vulnerable, and that no one is above God’s law.  

The more likely reason for the inclusion of this story, which shows David in such a bad light, is to explain the events that come in the succeeding chapters as a result of God’s judgment upon David. The repercussions of David’s sins do not end with the death of his and Bathsheba’s son but seem to lay the foundation for a whole series of tragic events-rape, murder, and insurrection. The shock waves that began in a lustful heart on a rooftop were still being felt when David lay dying and was being pressured to make Solomon his successor on the throne.