Observation

This was a popular and straight forward question. The candidates were able to do justice to it and as a result, scored good marks in it. Candidates were familiar with this story and they answered it with ease. However, some candidates wasted valuable times by starting their stories from when David saw Bathsheba bathing. They wrote a long story of what transpired from the outcome of David’ affairs with Bathsheba to the period of Uriah’s death rather than concentrating their efforts on the death of the small child which resulted from the adulterous affairs David had with Bathsheba.
Candidates were expected to go directly to the point and state the following points after the visit of Prophet Nathan to David.

1. After Nathan had confronted David, he confessed his sins with Bathsheba and repented.
2. However Nathan the prophet revealed that the child to be born would surely die.
3. Hence just after the child was born he was struck with a severe illness.
4. David fervently prayed and fasted for the child’s healing but unfortunately the child died after seven days.
5. David’s servants feared he might harm himself if he got to know of the child’s death.
6. David later perceived that the child was dead and enquired from the servants.
7. The servants told David that the child was really dead.
8. David then rose, washed and worshipped the Lord, and ate food.
9. David made them aware that once the child was dead there was no way he could bring him back to life and that he would rather go to him in future.
10. David understood that it was God’s will that the child should die so he submitted to him.

In the B part, candidates performed well because they were able to identify the benefits of submitting to God’s will. e.g, it brings divine protection, it pleases God, one is accepted by God etc.