Welcome to the Bible in a Year for 2025. Intro to this series and resource links available here, plus here’s how I’m approaching this year.
Scriptures for Today:
Reflection:
David, Bathsheba, Uriah (11:1-27) - Here in one of the most famous passages in the Bible, David manages to break as many of the 10 Commandments as possible in a single episode. A few things are worth noting.
First, the spring as a time for kings to prosecute wars might not mean that David should have been going out to battle himself. However, by the end of chapter 12, he has joined his general on the battlefield. As it happened in this case, idle hands were the devil’s playground.
Second, nothing in the text suggests that Bathsheba was found to be with any fault. While modern readers might suspect her purification bathing for its visibility from the palace rooftop, the narrator does not name it. Further, there is no mention in any of the next two chapters or so that places any blame on Bathsheba. David is the focus of all culpability in the biblical text. Were any fault worthy of being shared between the two of them, it’s more than reasonable to assume that the biblical author would have signaled it more plainly as the story progressed, but there seems to be none.
Third, the contrast between David and Uriah is profound. Consider: David is an Israelite, Uriah is a Hittite (living in Israel and serving in the king’s army). David takes advantage of his position as king to take Bathsheba into his bed, Uriah refuses to sleep with his wife Bathsheba while on leave from battle lest he break ranks with his fellow soldiers. David schemes to get Uriah to let his honor and ethics slide, Uriah remains disciplined and honorable even when he’s had too much to drink. David dishonestly sends Uriah to the deadliest part of the fighting by his letter to Joab, Uriah’s honesty and integrity is reliable enough that David trusts placing the letter in Uriah’s hands to deliver to Joab. We already know it’s bad. When we stop to contrast it all, it’s really bad.
Who is Sending Whom? (12:1-10) - There’s a famous literary element in this story. Throughout chapter 11, the verb “sent” is used repeatedly. David does a lot of sending: for Bathsheba, for Uriah, a letter for Joab, etc. The story plays out and it appears that David will get away with all this sinful sending that he’s been doing. However, at the end of it all, the author of the story comments: “But the thing David had done displeased the Lord.” The very next line says: “The Lord sent Nathan to David…” (italics mine). Now God has sent His prophet to hold David to account.
Questions:
What do you make of the contrast between David and Uriah? What does that bring up for you?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, lead me not into temptation, but deliver me from evil. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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