11:1 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.
11:2 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.
11:3 David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported,
"This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the
Hittite."
11:4 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.
11:5 The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, "I am
pregnant."
11:6 So David sent word to Joab, "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And
Joab sent Uriah to David.
11:7 When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people
fared, and how the war was going.
11:8 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.
11:9 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.
11:10 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?"
11:11 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."
11:12 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,
11:13 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.
11:14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by
the hand of Uriah.
11:15 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."
Comments:
Someone in my lectionary study group suggested that a good
first-person sermon could be done from Joab's point of view. How
often is someone ordered to do something that may be unethical, but
they have to tow the "company line," or stay in the graces of their
friends? A first-person portrayal could bring out the inner conflict
he was facing. Perhaps the story could even be stretched a little
bit to have Joab back at the palace when Nathan later tells that
parable to David. Maybe Joab was listening at the door. How did he
feel when he found out WHY he had been ordered to make sure Uriah
died?
Right now, though, I'm trying to decide why the lectionary editors
ended it at verse 15. The messages we get in the rest of the story
are apparently not the point they had in mind . . .? MTSOfan
But David remained at Jerusalem. David doesn't go out to battle as
kings are to do but stays home--and look at the trouble that
follows. David ignored his calling and only trouble flowed from
that. Is this the lesson for us here? I'm really struck because this
is the second time in as many days that I have come across this text
in some way. Vicar Terry
Fred Craddock says that evil is good out of place: Angel - created
by God to be good - is living in hell. Good out of place. King David
is on the balconey watching his neighbor's wife bathe at the time of
the year when the men go to war. Good out of place. Stay - at - home
Christians who do not respond to the Great Commission? Good out of
place.
Fred Craddock says that evil is good out of place: Angel - created
by God to be good - is living in hell. Good out of place. King David
is on the balconey watching his neighbor's wife bathe at the time of
the year when the men go to war. Good out of place. Stay - at - home
Christians who do not respond to the Great Commission? Good out of
place.
When the Diocesan Response Team for Sexual Misconduct runs a Bible
Study, this is one of the texts we use to open up the topic...I
think the directive from King David to Uriah is interesting...it is
"Go down to your house and wash your feet". I have come acoss in the
call of Isaiah, the term "feet" (for the seraph) used as a discreet
way of refering to genitals. Does anyone know if this is a similar
use..eg in our culture it would mean "Go and sleep with your wife"?
I'll do some looking and if I find out I'll let you know. Deborah,
from Canada
Yes...."wash your feet" equals..."go sleep with" And of course..the
loyalty of Uriah (to his buddies in the field) confounds the
disloyalty of KIng David. Deborah from Canada
David's actions are classic. It is hard to say how he got into his
sin. Perhaps the initial temptation was unintentional, but the rest
of it was calculated and willful on his part. There were
opportunities along the way that he could have used to go another
direction, but he did not take advantage of them. When he saw
Bathsheba he could have gone back inside and played some solitaire
on the computer. When he found out that she was married he could
have taken one of his wives out to dinner and a movie. Instead, he
sent for Bathsheba and committed adultery with her. Murphy said if
anything could go wrong it would, and this was true for David and
Bathsheba. She gets pregnant and then the real scheming starts.
David sends for Uriah and tries two times to get him to go spend the
night with Bathsheba so that he would not be suspicious when the
baby arrived. Uriah is probably the only man in the world who would
not take the bait and spend the night with his wife. He had too much
character and integrity to do the natural thing, or he might have
just been too simpleminded. Anyway, David has to face the music and
own up to his sin. But wait. Why not send Uriah back into battle and
arrange it so that he will be killed? Sounds like a plan to me! How
ironic that simpleminded Uriah delivers the letter that seals his
own fate! David had it made because DNA testing would not come into
play until much later. (I wonder if Bathsheba had a blue dress.) And
we thought Watergate and the Iran Contra Affair, etc. were scandals.
Human nature hasn't changed much over the milennia. The reality is
that no matter how sophisticated we become and how much technology
we develop, there is no way to cover up our sins. In the end we will
be found out. It was true for David and it is true for us.
Creature Wayne.
David's actions are classic. It is hard to say how he got into his
sin. Perhaps the initial temptation was unintentional, but the rest
of it was calculated and willful on his part. There were
opportunities along the way that he could have used to go another
direction, but he did not take advantage of them. When he saw
Bathsheba he could have gone back inside and played some solitaire
on the computer. When he found out that she was married he could
have taken one of his wives out to dinner and a movie. Instead, he
sent for Bathsheba and committed adultery with her. Murphy said if
anything could go wrong it would, and this was true for David and
Bathsheba. She gets pregnant and then the real scheming starts.
David sends for Uriah and tries two times to get him to go spend the
night with Bathsheba so that he would not be suspicious when the
baby arrived. Uriah is probably the only man in the world who would
not take the bait and spend the night with his wife. He had too much
character and integrity to do the natural thing, or he might have
just been too simpleminded. Anyway, David has to face the music and
own up to his sin. But wait. Why not send Uriah back into battle and
arrange it so that he will be killed? Sounds like a plan to me! How
ironic that simpleminded Uriah delivers the letter that seals his
own fate! David had it made because DNA testing would not come into
play until much later. I wonder if Bathsheba had a blue dress. And
we thought Watergate and the Iran Contra Affair, etc. were scandals.
Human nature hasn't changed much over the millennia. The reality is
that no matter how sophisticated we become and how much technology
we develop, there is no way to cover up our sins. In the end we will
be found out. It was true for David and it is true for us.
Creature Wayne
Deborah, Yes -- I've found the same thing about feet. It's the same
in the book of Ruth, when Naomi tells her to go and uncover her
future husband's "feet" and he'll know what to do. It's the same in
the story of Noah. We have two services, and two very different
audiences. I feel confident that I could even explain that to the
congregation in the contemporary service, but definitely not the
traditional people! LOL MTSOfan
Is there some suggestion of a mid life crisis for David: "In the
Spring when kings go to war" David is instead at home lying on the
coach. A coach potato, who has lost his early vitality, and whose
mind begins to wander for something to help him regain his youthful
vigor. An affair with a younger woman. Jeff in NJ
Hello folks. Enjoying the posts this week. MTSOfan, I thought your
Joab first person idea was very creative. Personally, I would
probably a little trouble going too far with his inner conflict.
Throughout the Davidic story, we are given pretty good evidence that
Joab might not have a problem with killing. True, he was a good and
loyal general, but he often opted for bloody violence when other
solutions would have done just as well, even to the point of
personally killing David’s son Absolom after being ordered to spare
his life.
Of course, the Absolom incident was after this one. Could Joab have
been repaying David for all the dirty work he had been ordered to do
over the years? Just some thoughts.
My sermon title this week is “When Kings go off to War…” If David
had done that, perhaps he wouldn’t have got into such a mess.
However, with such willful disobedience of God’s laws in his heart,
he would probably have found another way.
Rich in Bama
I'm struck by the interplay of the lectionary texts this week. We
begin with this account of David sinning with Bathsheba. The
response of Psalm 14 is a lament about the "corrupt" actions of
people who act the "fool" because they say "There is no God." (all
quotes NIV). Then we read the account of Jesus feeding the 5000 and
subsequently walking on water as recorded in John's Gospel. John
says that Jesus "already had in mind what he was going to do" in
regards to the needs of the hungry people even as He asked Philip
what should be done. So we have a man (David) who has everything and
knows that God has provided it all, suddenly, inexplicably acting as
if he believes "there is no God". He becomes just like any other
"corrupt" person who does evil for his or her own gain. God is the
source of every provision made for David (or us for that matter),
yet he chucks it all in order to grasp at something he wants (not
needs). In contrast we have the message of the feeding of the 5000
where we see that God already knows what we need and has decided in
advance what He will do about it, to our benefit, as we expect a
loving Father would. We don't need to worry for our needs, but our
wants can be the source of real problems for us. In terms of a
contemporary view, it is interesting that David doesn't develop his
want of Bathsheba untill he sees her. These days we are all
innundated with images and ideas of things we could, and are told we
should, want. These wants are always presented as attainable, but
inevitably there may be compromises necessary if we reach for them.
Easy credit, extra time at work instead of with family, choosing
personal satisfaction rather than sharing with others, all done as
if there was no God watching, yearning for us to choose the loving
way rather than the selfish one. The pit we can fall into is deep
indeed, as David's example shows us. And once we start down that
path it can seem like we lose the options to choose a way out as our
pride and fear constrict us. Yet the image of the secong miracle
recounted in the Gospel passage in this week's selections offers us
hope. When the consequences of our actions have brought us into
stormy waters and all seems lost, we see Christ walking on the
stormy waters towards us , defying the powers that be, risking
everything, bringing salvation, restoration and peace. Will we
repent, turn and embrace Him? Even David did so eventually, but the
consequences of his sin were still borne by himself and those around
him. The consequences of my sin nailed Christ to the Cross, yet He
still comes to me in my self-made, stormy seas to rescue me with
costly grace. Pastor B in Saskatchewan
The story of David's adulterous and ultimately murderous actions in
regard to Bathsheba and her husband Uriah is one of the most
infamous of the Old Testament
Sermon for Sunday: FRIENDLY FIRE. Joab was to make sure Uriah buys
the battle field. Friendly fire. When Jesus knew that "they were
about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew
again to the mountain by himself." Friendly fire.
Happy Homiletics,
Oklahoma Irishman
Of course the issue here is David's will to power. Isn't Bathsheba
an object, a plaything for the king? I read the other day that U'dai
Hussein was feared by the women in Bagdad, because he was known to
see a woman on the street and have her brought to him for his
pleasure. Fundamenatally, this is the same thing David did--abused
his power. Granted we can't take the analogy too far, because
Hussein was a psychopath, but isn't that what sin causes us to do,
stoop the basest level? I also wonder: Is David's decision to stay
away from the battlefield his first sin, compounded by his taking of
Bathsheba, and compounded again by his ruse to have Uriah sleep with
her to cover his tracks, then finally having the Hittite murdered?
Where would it have gone without the prophet? The irony of Uriah
carrying his own death warrant is pretty good too. Finally, this
pericope ends with absolutely no good news. To preach it we have to
either preach the next several verses, or preach the text next week,
with the assurance that "this isn't the end of the story, neither
for David, nor for us... This is my first time to post, but I come
here often. Thought I'd share some of my thoughts this time, since
you all have been so helpful to me in the past. Shalom, Fro
Of course the issue here is David's will to power. Isn't Bathsheba
an object, a plaything for the king? I read the other day that U'dai
Hussein was feared by the women in Bagdad, because he was known to
see a woman on the street and have her brought to him for his
pleasure. Fundamenatally, this is the same thing David did--abused
his power. Granted we can't take the analogy too far, because
Hussein was a psychopath, but isn't that what sin causes us to do,
stoop the basest level? I also wonder: Is David's decision to stay
away from the battlefield his first sin, compounded by his taking of
Bathsheba, and compounded again by his ruse to have Uriah sleep with
her to cover his tracks, then finally having the Hittite murdered?
Where would it have gone without the prophet? The irony of Uriah
carrying his own death warrant is pretty good too. Finally, this
pericope ends with absolutely no good news. To preach it we have to
either preach the next several verses, or preach the text next week,
with the assurance that "this isn't the end of the story, neither
for David, nor for us... This is my first time to post, but I come
here often. Thought I'd share some of my thoughts this time, since
you all have been so helpful to me in the past. Shalom, Fro
Cascades of sin...David remained...David sent, he lay,...David sent
[again]...David said...David invited...and invited again...David
wrote...David [murdered]. They have all gone astray...there is no
one who does good, no not one. (Psa 14:4 We, like David, are in a
hospital for sinners. Sometimes even good people do bad things when
we seperate ourselves from God's love. May Christ dwell in your
hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love
(Eph 3:17b) MTSOfan's former roomate, Dale
Isn't it interesting that Uriah drunk had more character than the
king sober. How often we sober up when in hot water. How we will
slay our character rather than admit a sin. Lay pastor Paula
It is interesting that in both cases, the principal sends an
intermediary to execute a distasteful chore; in the 1st case, David
sends the letter to Joab, sealing Uriah's fate. In the second case,
Joab sends a messenger to relate Uriah's death to David. While David
does not mince words (2 Sam. 11:15), Joab is quite circumspect with
the messenger (2 Sam. 11:19), allowing plausible deniability. This
application of third parties allows these conspirators to objectify
the murder and remove themselves from the immediacy of the treachery
to objectify the victim- in effect, killing as remotely as though
done with a push-button, anonymously. However, anonymity from a
human perspective does not absolve David and indeed The Lord can not
be deceived (2 Sam. 11:27).
