It happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. 2 Samuel 11: 1, NKJV.
Merciful God, Your Word reminds us that there is a time and a season for everything under the sun. Please help us to be mindful of the seasons in our life. We pray in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
As we continue to feast on these marvelous Sabbath School lessons, we come to a most interesting Bible story; one that is filled with all the trimmings of a soap opera – the triangle of David, Uriah and Bathsheba. The order of the names show the amount of power each person wields in the drama. We will look at the two latter personalities – Uriah and Bathsheba.
Our lesson for this week is about Uriah, the lawful husband of Bathsheba. He was from one of the tribes who inhabited Canaan. From a tribe of pagans, but by no means a pagan in practice. He had adopted Judaism as his religion, and YHWH as his God, wholeheartedly. I have read this story so often, and have always sympathized with Uriah. However, during this week, my reaction has not been only one of sympathy, but more so – one of admiration! What an extraordinary human being! Formerly of the tribe of the Hittites (I say formerly, because unless the Bible writer had mentioned the fact that Uriah was a Hittite, his behavior would never have revealed that fact), he was faithful to YHWH and to His cause “until death.” He lost his life – but not the battle of life. Therefore, “a crown of life” awaits him (Revelation 2: 10b).
Poor Bathsheba! Just a woman in a man’s world. I have heard all kinds of suppositions regarding her part in the tragic triangle. According to Scripture and sacred history, I find no fault in her. According to the Eastern culture it was a custom to take a bath on top of the roof. Add to that, the fact that the Bible says “it was evening” (2 Samuel 11: 2). It is quite likely she thought that no one would have seen her. The Bible also says that when she heard that her husband was dead she “mourned for her husband” (26). When her time of mourning was over, she did not ask David to take her in. He sent for her, just as he had done before. How sad that women were not commented more in sacred history. I would have loved to read her story – her thoughts, her regrets, the resistance she probably voiced, to no avail.
At the time “when kings go out to battle . . . David remained at Jerusalem” with what results! We tend to forget that life is lived in seasons. Jesus declared, while weeping over Jerusalem: ” ‘ “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace . . . [but all of this will befall you] because you did not know the time of your visitation” ‘ ” (Luke 19: 42a, 44)! Emphasis provided. I am almost sure that if David had been reading the times and the seasons, he would have “gone” to war, instead of “sending” his men. The Bible informs us that, those who went to war, “destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah.” In other words, they conquered! David stayed at home, and David was defeated. In the process, he destroyed many lives!
May God help us to pay attention to the seasons in our lives, so that we will be, where we should be, at the right time!