Bible in a Year April 10 - 2 Sam 11-12; 1 Chron 20:1-3; Ps 51

 

April 10 - 2 Sam 11-12; 1 Chron 20:1-3; Ps 51

Today’s story is so well known that it is almost as easy to tell it as it is to read. But there are a few background things that hopefully will make it a bit fresh.

We know that kings typically went to war with their troops in the spring, and that David chose not to go. There really was no legal requirement for him to be there, but with his military history it was unusual for him to stay home. We can apply all kinds of judgement, but we really don’t know the true reason. However, if there was a legitimate reason we probably would have been told.

We also know that Bathsheba was taking a ritual cleansing bath (called a mikveh) in what was likely a communal tub on the roof filled with rain water. This would indicate that she had just finished her monthly menstrual cycle and was following Jewish law of purification (see Lev 15:19-33). We don’t know her age, but we can presume she is relatively young because she doesn’t appear to have any children yet. There are some who will charge her with promiscuity, but there really isn’t any evidence of that – it’s much more an issue of probably not being allowed to refuse the king.

Once David hears that she’s pregnant (probably a couple of months), he sends for Uriah in an attempt to hide his sin. Uriah of course refused to sleep in his home while his companions were sleeping in tents. But it if you go back to 1 Samuel 21:4-5, we see that David himself actually required his troops to avoid sexual relations while a battle was in progress. Some suggest that the process of washing his feet (ritualistically) would have released him from this prohibition, but Uriah wouldn’t have it.

At this point, David could have been killed under Jewish law for adultery (and of course, Bathsheba would have been, too). Instead he chooses to kill Uriah. It seems that Joab may have realized something was up, because he revised David’s order to abandon Uriah and as a result several men are killed. By not singling Uriah out, he eliminated the picture of retribution on David’s part.

I’m getting too long here, and you know the story, but there was one other interesting point I saw – 2 Sam13-14 indicates that God has already taken away David’s sin, but not the consequences. Why do you think He was willing to remove David’s sin, but not Saul’s? And why do you think the Chronicler didn’t report this story?

TOMORROW’S TEXT: 2 Sam 13-14