Consider Uriah

2 Samuel 11-12

I know this is not the Bible Scripture for today on the website, but it is on another Bible Study that I am doing.

Frequently when we hear the story of David, whether we read it or hear sermons about it, we hear mostly about David and Bathsheba. But consider Uriah. He is a faithful and loyal soldier in David’s army even though he was a resident alien in Judah. While he is fighting for David, David sees Bathsheba, sleeps with her, and she becomes pregnant. Now, even though David is a great man, it is obvious that he sins big time just like the rest of us do. There are many choices he could have made to resolve the issue. His choice, however, was designed to keep him looking good to his people. Now, Uriah did not have a choice in this situation. When David summoned him, he had to respond. David did not expect to meet a man who was as loyal to his troops as Uriah was. Most soldiers, when they have a little bit of leave, dash home. Uriah was not like most soldiers. David asked why he didn’t go home, and Uriah replied, “The Ark and the armies of Israel and Judah are living in tents, and Joab and his officers are camping in the open fields. How could I go home to wine and dine and sleep with my wife? I swear that I will never be guilty of acting like that.” It would have been a good idea if David had used Uriah as a role model for his own behavior. Even when Uriah drank, he would not go home because his army was not able to share the luxuries with him. Now, Uriah’s behavior caught David off guard. He would never have guessed that a soldier would behave in such an upright manner. David could have been just as upright himself if he had wanted to. Instead he took the coward’s way out of the situation. He sent Uriah back to battle, and David told Joab to put Uriah at the head of the charge so that he would be killed. And he was. And what did Uriah do that cost him his life? He was faithful, loyal, compassionate, and right. Because of these traits Uriah died. I don’t know about you, but I consider Uriah one of the heroes in the Bible. However, I have never known anyone to refer to him as a hero. I have heard him referred to as the man David duped in order to have Bathsheba. There is no honor in that. David was right to ask for forgiveness. I would have found it difficult to forgive him. Have you ever wondered whether Bathsheba knew the full story and forgave David? Carol
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