Posted on 09/02/2017 3:56:52 PM PDT by nickcarraway
Everything you ever wanted to know about your favourite Torah characters, and the ones youve never heard of
Urriah the Hittite was an outstanding soldier in Davids army. While away fighting, David noticed Uriahs wife Bathsheba bathing on a roof. He asked about her and invited her to his palace. David was apparently reassured that she had bathed from her menstruation.
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Our rabbis teach that the ancient Israelite practice was that husbands officially divorced their wives before leaving for war in case they went missing, so that their wives would not become chained women. Therefore, David technically did not commit adultery.
Nonetheless, Uriah was understandably in love with his wife-in-waiting. David slept with Bathsheba, who subsequently sent news that she was pregnant.
Nervous, David recalled Uriah from the war and required him to go home and act conjugally, in the hope that the indiscretion would not be discovered.
Uriah, possibly suspicious of the Kings request, refused to go, saying that it would be dishonourable to indulge himself in wartime.
David sent Uriah back to the battlefront, unwittingly carrying his own death warrant it was an order to Joab, the military chief of staff, to place Uriah in the thick of the battle, thereby exposing him to fatal danger. Uriah was subsequently killed.
Davids attempt to hide his indefensible actions were laid bare by Nathan the prophet, who told the king about a poor man, who had been ruthlessly robbed by a rich neighbour.
When David reacted with indignation, Nathan openly accused him of Uriahs death, as accessory to stealing his wife.
Nathan prophesied the death of the child of that union. He later had another son with Bathsheba, the future wise king Solomon.
The Bible eulogises David as having been a righteous man, except for the matter of Uriah the Hittite.
David dedicated Psalm 51 to repentance for his conduct; broken of spirit, he begged of God to purge him of his sin.
Rabbi Ariel Abel is Padre to HM Armed Forces and Rabbi of the Liverpool Old Hebrew Congregation
If anyone knows the Major General, maybe they could send this to him.
Ping
There were consequences. God did not hold Bathsheba accountable for any of it. She was innocent. The Lord,God was not happy with him. Among other things, David broke the commandment,”Thou shalt not covet”. David won every battle until Bathsheba. After that he never did win another battle and his first child,born out of wedlock died. David’s son tried to take his kingdom,etc.
There were consequences. God did not hold Bathsheba accountable for any of it. She was innocent. The Lord,God was not happy with him. Among other things, David broke the commandment,”Thou shalt not covet”. David won every battle until Bathsheba. After that he never did win another battle and his first child,born out of wedlock died. David’s son tried to take his kingdom,etc.
A few other observations:
(1) David had begun this backsliding episode by “staying home” rather than joining his troops as was his custom. This was a neglect of his duties. (In the spring when kings go off to war, David sent Joab)
In the conflicts which followed David scrupulously attended to the point where he was a concern to his troops.
(2) Upon David’s death Uriah was mentioned in the King’s list of valiant warriors (I Chronicles 11). Further underscoring what a great soldier he was.
(3) Nathan showed great courage in speaking “truth to power” and could have been summarily executed. Yet David appreciated the prophet’s reprimand and named one of his sons Nathan. Nathan was critical in Solomon’s rise.
(4) Joab had this secret (Uriah’s battlefield murder) to hold over David’s head. Later, David let Solomon know that Joab was a true weasel.
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