Bible 203: David and Bathsheba

2 Samuel 11:1-17

 CATCH UP

For those visiting for first time > welcome!

We’ve been “studying” the books of 1^st and 2^nd Samuel through the summer

      We’ve watched the Children of Israel as they moved from gov’t by judges to govt’ by kings

      We’ve learned from their mistakes along the way [hopefully!]

      And we’ve learned from their successes, too!

              Two weeks ago we learned the importance of getting “back to the Bible”

                     The Ark for Children of Israel was as central to their faith as Bible is to ours

                     After 20 years of neglecting the Ark

                     David brought it to Jerusalem with great celebration

              And then last week, when David wanted to build a Temple for God

                     We learned the importance of paying attention to God

Between last Sunday and this Sunday, time has passed (represented by 3-1/2 chapters)

      These chapters are either exciting or gruesome, depending on your interpretation of war

              If we were to make a movie of these stories > have to cast different actors

              Two weeks ago King David resembled dancer Gene Kelly or John Trivolta

              In these intervening chapters, David is more Arnold Schwartzenegger > The Terminator

                     Whosh > 22,000 Aramean soldiers killed

                     Whosh > seven hundred chariot teams dead

                     Whosh > forty thousand horsemen slaughtered

              Sandwiched in between stories of war > one gentle story of a crippled man

                     He was Mephibosheth, son of Jonathan, David’s soulmate and Saul’s son

                     And he was only one of Saul’s descendents still around

                        Couldn’t earn living because of his crippled condition

                        So King David ordered that he would always eat at David’s table

                        Very gracious act on David’s part

The image of David portrayed in these chapters is an image of perfection

      Whatever he does, he does well

      He and his household prosper

And then we come to Chapter 11 > Read 2 Samuel 11

 

INTERPRETATIONS OF THESE VERSES

This is a difficult story for us, no matter how you look at it

People have viewed this story from every possible angle over the years > tried to soften its impact

      Some scapegoat Bathsheba > she had her eye on David > he was her victim > all her fault

      Others rationalize his action > 1958 movie > Uriah was abusive husband > David rescued her

      Still others romanticize the whole thing > David fell in love with her from a distance

The text does not support any of these views

We must read this story carefully and literally (without above biases) to find what it does say

David made three serious mistakes

      First > You’ve heard phrase “Keep the main thing the main thing”?

                       David apparently had not heard it

Or, at least, if he had heard it he didn’t do it

              It was the time of year when kings led their people in battle > probably spring

                       The “main thing” in spring was for kings to lead their men to war

              But this year David stayed home

He didn’t keep the main thing the main thing

And that was his first mistake

      Second > David took what did not belong to him

              He knew Bathsheba was somebody else’s wife

              And he knew God intended each person to respect what belonged to another

                       David had been faithful and generous in the past

                       But this time he took what belonged to another

                       And that was his second mistake

      Third > David tried to cover up his first and second mistakes

              He called Uriah back from battle and gave him a short vacation

              David didn’t count on fact that Uriah was honorable

                       Not about to go enjoy comforts of home when other soldiers were at war

                       Two wrongs don’t make a right > that’s the third thing to remember

                       And that was his third mistake

By now it was out of hand > innocent people died in raid intended as death trap for Uriah

      Re-read verse 27                     

 

WHAT WE CAN LEARN FROM DAVID’S MISTAKES

Seems to me that this whole situation can be compressed into a target-practice allegory

Imagine this target is life > your life, my life

      And we are “aiming” for the best possible life

      The center of the target would represent God > paying attention to God

      The next ring on the target represent the Kingdom of God

Our best interests and others’ best interests

Shalom” the Israelites called it

health and wholeness

      The outermost ring represents our selfish interests

              Whatever gives us pleasure at the expense of someone else

              In David’s case > “lust”

              It could be any number of things

              You name it, we’re likely to do it > selfish interests are part of “life”

So, if this target was your life

      And if your aim was to get pleasure at the expense of another

              It would be fairly easy > big area > top, bottom, both sides

              But > You could miss the target altogether and hurt innocent bystander

      However, if your aim was to be as close to God and/or God’s realm

              It would take practice > lots of practice > regular > frequent practice

We have target practice right here every Sunday