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A Man of Principle
In the biblical narrative, Bathsheba appears as a passive character, and the biblical author refrains from making any comments about her accountability or involvement. However, even though she appears to be passive in the entire account, she, too, will pay a high price. Her baby son will die. The only time that Bathsheba speaks is when she sends a message to David to tell him that she is pregnant (2 Sam. 11:5). David figures that if he can get Uriah home for even one evening, then it would appear that the baby was Uriah’s, and David’s sin would go undetected. And so David sends for Uriah, who has to make a tiring 40 mile (approximately 65 km) trip to Jerusalem. After making some small talk, David sends Uriah home with a veiled command that he go and sleep with his wife (2 Sam. 11:8). In an effort to appear generous, he even sends a gift to Uriah’s home, thinking that the situation is all taken care of. However, Uriah, being a man of principle, cannot be manipulated. The next morning David hears that Uriah spent the night in the gate with the servants of the king. The situation is quickly slipping out of David’s control. David sends for Uriah. He is becoming frustrated. Uriah is showing him up badly. David, who was once a man of integrity, now cannot seem to understand Uriah’s integrity.
What does 2 Samuel 11:10–13 tell us about Uriah’s motives? What other examples can we find in the Bible of those who acted with the same kind of integrity?
Uriah’s answer shows that he was not a nominal believer but had completely identified himself with the God of Israel and his comrades. Uriah believed that it was wrong to use his situation for personal comfort or advantage. The same David who once showed complete loyalty to King Saul (even though Saul was persecuting him) now cannot understand the loyalty and faithfulness of Uriah.
David resorts to a disgusting scheme. He deliberately gets Uriah drunk in an attempt to break down his principles. It is interesting to note that the same scheme was used by the two daughters of Lot, and it led to the origin of the Ammonites (Gen. 19:30–38)—the very people that the Israelite army is fighting. Despite his impaired reasoning, Uriah refuses to compromise his values and again spends the night among the king’s servants.
Read Psalm 51 in the context of 2 Samuel 11. What can we learn from it about the nature of sin, of repentance, and of God’s grace?
| THURSDAY | November 4 |
In the biblical narrative, Bathsheba appears as a passive character, and the biblical author refrains from making any comments about her accountability or involvement. However, even though she appears to be passive in the entire account, she, too, will pay a high price. Her baby son will die. The only time that Bathsheba speaks is when she sends a message to David to tell him that she is pregnant (2 Sam. 11:5). David figures that if he can get Uriah home for even one evening, then it would appear that the baby was Uriah’s, and David’s sin would go undetected. And so David sends for Uriah, who has to make a tiring 40 mile (approximately 65 km) trip to Jerusalem. After making some small talk, David sends Uriah home with a veiled command that he go and sleep with his wife (2 Sam. 11:8). In an effort to appear generous, he even sends a gift to Uriah’s home, thinking that the situation is all taken care of. However, Uriah, being a man of principle, cannot be manipulated. The next morning David hears that Uriah spent the night in the gate with the servants of the king. The situation is quickly slipping out of David’s control. David sends for Uriah. He is becoming frustrated. Uriah is showing him up badly. David, who was once a man of integrity, now cannot seem to understand Uriah’s integrity.
What does 2 Samuel 11:10–13 tell us about Uriah’s motives? What other examples can we find in the Bible of those who acted with the same kind of integrity?
Uriah’s answer shows that he was not a nominal believer but had completely identified himself with the God of Israel and his comrades. Uriah believed that it was wrong to use his situation for personal comfort or advantage. The same David who once showed complete loyalty to King Saul (even though Saul was persecuting him) now cannot understand the loyalty and faithfulness of Uriah.
David resorts to a disgusting scheme. He deliberately gets Uriah drunk in an attempt to break down his principles. It is interesting to note that the same scheme was used by the two daughters of Lot, and it led to the origin of the Ammonites (Gen. 19:30–38)—the very people that the Israelite army is fighting. Despite his impaired reasoning, Uriah refuses to compromise his values and again spends the night among the king’s servants.
Read Psalm 51 in the context of 2 Samuel 11. What can we learn from it about the nature of sin, of repentance, and of God’s grace?
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