Well, well, well … King David finally flubbed up. To this point, we’re thinking David is pretty perfect, but he does have a weakness … women. We learned in past chapters that he was married to several women and had children by most of them. And we see in this chapter that David sees what he wants and gets it. I know that I’ve had my opinions about this chapter from previous readings. My opinion was that David was kind of a dirty dog when it comes to lust, and I always felt sorry for Uriah, feeling that he didn’t deserve to die the way he did. However, I do see something different this time; I see several things differently actually. First, the passage in no way indicates that Bathsheba was not willing to sleep with David. Ok, ok, you might be saying, “Well, what choice did she have? The king wanted to sleep with her, so if she refused, she may have been putting her life in danger.” But I’m certain the text would have told us if that were the case. Second, why didn’t Uriah want to go home? He was more faithful to the Israelite army than to his family. From this, I can see why maybe Bathsheba was willing to sleep with another man: her husband didn’t want to go home to her! That’s no excuse, I know, but it is a human reaction that none of us can deny happens and has been happening in marriages for centuries (obvi). Third, David had a choice to make: he could let Bathsheba be shamed for being pregnant, or he could handle the situation. Had Uriah not died, he would have eventually found out that his wife was pregnant, and since he was so dedicated to serving the army rather than his family, he certainly would have known the baby was not his. Bathsheba’s life and the baby’s life would have been in grave danger. Did David do the right thing? Well, God wasn’t happy about it, for sure. The last sentence of the chapter tells us that straight up. Did David do what was right in order to save Bathsheba? Again, I can’t answer that, but I do understand his motives. I also understand that David probably justified Uriah’s death due to the fact that he was more committed to the army than his wife. I can see David’s logic. I can understand God’s anger. None of my understanding makes David’s actions ok, but I can wrap my head around it because I’m human, and I’ve definitely made my fair share of bad choices. This is one of those times we have to stand on faith that God makes good out of all things. And Bathsheba seems willing to go live with David. She did her obligatory mourning session and made a beeline for the palace. As I read this chapter for the umpteenth time, I see that Bathsheba and Uriah’s marriage might not have been a match made in Heaven to begin with. I’m in no way saying that anyone’s actions in this chapter are acceptable. I’m just saying … oh, how I can relate!
Writing prompt: love and marriage
What are your thoughts about unhappy marriages? This is a broad topic that can go a thousand directions. You can go your own way … go your own wayayyayyy … with it. Enjoy.
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