Daily Archives: June 6, 2009

This is Part 3 of a series on Bathsheba and David. Click here to read Part 1: The Introduction and here to read Part 2: Who Started it?

It’s often easy to get something started. Stopping it is another issue.

Regardless of who initiated their rendezvous, David and Bathsheba made a bad choice. And just like a snowball heading downhill, the problem grew out of control. The bad choices multiplied.

Consequences and Cover-up

Bathsheba found out she was pregnant. She sent David a note to let him know, then waited patiently for his response. He didn’t respond to her. At least not to our knowledge. It’s possible he sent her a message of reassurance to let her know he was trying to make things right, but Scripture doesn’t say as much. Scripture does, however, tell us what else the king did. He brought Uriah back from battle. The plan was to cover up the adultery by getting Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba. If the plan was successful, the child would appear legitimate, the son of Bathsheba’s husband rather than that of another man. The plan didn’t work. Uriah refused to go home. David got him drunk and tried to send him home again. It still didn’t work.

What’s wrong with Uriah?

Let me interrupt our avalanche for a minute. Why didn’t Uriah go home? Any man who is away from his wife for an extended time is eager to return to her bed. Instead of enjoying the evening with his gorgeous bride, Uriah slept on the steps of the palace with David’s servants. He slept outside. On the ground. With a bunch of slaves. Why?

Some claim he did this because of a law encouraging warriors to abstain from distracting pleasures during battle. This included heavy drinking and sex. Israel’s army was to remain pure, focused. Uriah upheld this. He told David he could not go home when the army and the ark of the covenant were still at war. How could he enjoy the pleasures of his wife knowing that his fellow troops were still fighting? Doing so would not only break a tradition of God’s law, but exhibit disloyalty to his comrades. Uriah was willing to disobey his king in favor of preserving his honor and devotion to God. This theory shows great contrast between Read the rest of this entry →