Wiersbe points out that once Bathsheba tells David that she is pregnant; David did what he had done his whole life- set a goal and then work the tactics to see it through. But this time it was soaked in sin, so the processes just kept spiraling. First he tried just bringing the man home, then making a feast for he and his wife, then just outright suggested he go get it n with his wife.
Apparently, Leviticus 15:16-18 was the basis for a rule that fighting men during war didn't have intercourse with their wives, so Uriah was probably confused and offended that David would press the issue. David even got Uriah drunk and he still wouldn't cave to the warrior code.
So, David decided if he didn't marry Bathsheba soon, the whole cover up would burn down. So he decided he needed Uriah dead for that to happen.
Joab couldn't send his men to the wall without creating suspicion because they knew how deadly it could be in battle to be close enough to have things thrown down. SO he had to create a pretense.
It really hadn't occurred to me, but Joab had to send several men, "the king's servants" (probably David's own body guards!) to die to cover up his roll in the sack with his neighbor's wife.
How hard-hearted we get when we want something. THIS is why idols are so dangerous. Non-believers always ask why God's so vain that He emphasizes idols so much...but this is why. When men (and women) set their hearts onto something other than God, we lose our ever-loving minds!
Wiersbe says that Bathsheba's grief was undoubtedly sincere and then throws out, from what I can tell, I completely misogynistic, crass, and unfounded accusation that her grief was mitigated by the fact she was going to live in a palace. That's disgusting. Without proof, he called her a hard-hearted gold digger at best and a giant villain whore at worse. What kind of woman would be the least bit comforted by the murder or loss of her husband by getting to move into a fancy new house.
In my mind, there's still a chance this happened without her complete consent, but that's ok...because she gets to live in a shiny palace?
I sincerely hope it isn't Wiersbe writing this one; because he just doesn't have the same tone and feel.
What a gross thing to say.
Wiersbe closes out the section by restating that 8 is the number of renewal, and Bathsheba became David's 8th wife. This does begin a new phase in David's life, but not before dealing with the sin.