This Sundays’ story of David taking Bathsheba, wife of Uriah, disturbs us. The once beautiful eyes of the ruddy, down to earth shepherd boy darken. He sees, lusts and takes. The ideal king “after God’s own heart” has fallen; with terrible consequences for himself, his family and his nation[1].
The story disturbs us because it exposes our own appetite for sin, abuse of power and deceitful cover-ups. It disturbs us because it doesn’t take much imagination to see parallels with our own president’s moral failings – he took the daughter of a good friend and has been taking ever since, ably assisted by hatchet men like Joab. It disturbs us because the most faithful man, Uriah, is rewarded with death. Many who worship Sunday by Sunday around the world are faithful – yet ignored, abused, despised and killed. Can Uriah and those like him pray with the Psalmist “all your faithful shall bless you” (Ps 145:10b)?
There is a glimmer of hope. David will be confronted with the truth (2 Sam 11:26ff). Bathsheba will become mother of a king (Solomon). And Uriah? Uriah features in Matthew’s genealogy of Christ (“David was father of Solomon by the wife of Uriah”, Mt 1:6) – the Spirit’s reminder that Uriah has a place in the ancestry of the Way of Christ, the way of the cross, where the faithful are rewarded not with earthy pleasures but with resurrection. God sees, God knows, God blesses.
Sean.
[1] “David’s double sin (adultery plus murder) is the point from which his other failures begin to emerge, leading to Absalom’s rebellion, public humiliation, civil war, the decimation of his family, and squabbles over succession” Wright, N. T. (2002). Twelve Months of Sundays: Reflections on Bible Readings, Year B (p. 91). London: Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge.