The Murderous King
2 Samuel 11:1-27
Today, what David did would be considered premeditated murder.
Photo credit: https://patmcinerney.wordpress.com/2014/06/19/tomb-of-king-david/
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king's house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful. David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, "This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite." So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, "I am pregnant." So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going. Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house, and wash your feet." Uriah went out of the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king's house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house. When they told David, "Uriah did not go down to his house," David said to Uriah, "You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?" Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing." Then David said to Uriah, "Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day. On the next day, David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house. In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, "Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die." As Joab was besieging the city, he assigned Uriah to the place where he knew there were valiant warriors. The men of the city came out and fought with Joab; and some of the servants of David among the people fell. Uriah the Hittite was killed as well. Then Joab sent and told David all the news about the fighting; and he instructed the messenger, "When you have finished telling the king all the news about the fighting, then, if the king's anger rises, and if he says to you, 'Why did you go so near the city to fight? Did you not know that they would shoot from the wall? Who killed Abimelech son of Jerubbaal? Did not a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died at Thebez? Why did you go so near the wall?' then you shall say, 'Your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead too.'" So the messenger went, and came and told David all that Joab had sent him to tell. The messenger said to David, "The men gained an advantage over us, and came out against us in the field; but we drove them back to the entrance of the gate. Then the archers shot at your servants from the wall; some of the king's servants are dead; and your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead also." David said to the messenger, "Thus you shall say to Joab, 'Do not let this matter trouble you, for the sword devours now one and now another; press your attack on the city, and overthrow it.' And encourage him." When the wife of Uriah heard that her husband was dead, she made lamentation for him. When the mourning was over, David sent and brought her to his house, and she became his wife, and bore him a son. - 2 Samuel 11:1-27
It is said that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely.
Here is an excellent example of corruption at the highest level. David, the beloved king of the combined kingdoms of Israel and Judah, demonstrates that he is not immune to being corrupted by lust and desire. He took Bathsheba in his bed even though she was married to Uriah, got her pregnant, and then tried to cover up his deed.
We continue to hold him in high regard, despite his having plotted to kill Uriah and steal his wife.
Oh, yes, he did try to get Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba so that he wouldn't have to kill him, but then what? What was his plan for her and the baby?
Why is it so easy to forgive what he did?
We watched this young shepherd boy grow up, showing his cunning and skills against Goliath, and becoming a beloved leader.
He showed how human he was and the people loved it. His singing and dancing are perfect examples of the joy in his heart, but now, as king, he decides to stay home rather than fight, and look what it does to him.
There is no hiding what he did. He instructed Joab to position Uriah at the forefront of the battle, and he had Uriah bring the letter to Joab!
This is a cruel and evil thing to do, isn't it?
Yet, history paints a different picture of him.
When we were in Jerusalem, we visited David's tomb, and there was a long line of people there, men on one side and women on the other. That was back in 2012, but I doubt much has changed.
It seems that the years have not changed their views about women much.
I wonder how this story of David and Bathsheba plays out among women. Do they see this as a love story, a fabled romance, or something much more sinister and corrupt?
One aspect that distinguishes Christianity among the Abrahamic religions is the significant role women have played in shaping the faith. Women were viewed as equals to men in the early church, and not just equals, but benefactors and supporters of the faith.
One could argue that women played an important role in the Old Testament as well, but they were never treated as equals.
So, maybe that is one thing we can share with people who do not know Jesus. When God chose to come and be one of us, He brought us a new way of seeing one another.
There is still corruption and oppression in the world, but we Christians stand against it, men and women together.
How cool is that?
More to come...
Some great people have also done horrible things at one time. People do change, though. I'm a big admirer of the actor Charles Bronson but I know he met a friend's wife and told him that he was going to take his wife, and he did. He was a devoted husband to her, and he made some awesome movies but still. It wasn't exactly a noble act, either. Do I admire him any less? No, but if I had a wife, I wouldn't have her around him. Haha. Great post, Bill.