| “In Defense of Bathsheba” (Part 1) (Copyright 2023) by David Antion (Pasadena, California) |
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| This is the kind of story Hollywood loves. It has romance, passion, forbidden desires, and ultimately a man “after God’s own heart” does the forbidden sin out of “love” or lust because she tempted him. A movie starring Gregory Peck and Susan Hayward was made in 1951. It was titillating — forbidden passionate desires of a man and a woman so strong that they would defy God’s law and commit sin! As a minister, I had talked a number of times about this story of forbidden love. I read the Bible and it said that David looked from his rooftop and saw a woman “bathing” and she was beautiful to look upon. He didn’t know who she was at that moment and asked his servants. They told him that she was Bathsheba, Uriah the Hittite’s wife. My reasoning was that if he could see her, she could see him and may have teased him by her nakedness. When his lust was aroused, he sent for her, and she came willingly to his castle — the king’s home. After she arrived, they slept together in passionate love and then she went home. I checked five different commentaries, and they all conclude that Bathsheba was the instigator of this adulterous affair in that she exposed herself where she could be seen and especially from the king’s roof. And that she very willingly went to King David. This is the position I have taken over the years. I am aware that reasonable minds can see things differently. We all know that David was called “a man after God’s own heart” (1 Samuel 13:14; Acts 13:22). But there are, like human situations, different sides to David and his behavior. For instance, after being continuously hunted by King Saul, David fled to the Philistines. He offered himself and his men to fight for them. But they were suspicious of his motives, and he proved himself by invading some Israelite towns and killing every man and every woman (read 1 Samuel 27:1-12). The lord of the Philistines accepted David because he made himself hated: KJV 1 Samuel 27:12 And Achish believed David, saying, He hath made his people Israel utterly to abhor him; therefore he shall be my servant forever. (KJV). NET 1 Samuel 27:12 So Achish trusted David, thinking to himself, “He is really hated among his own people in Israel! From now on he will be my servant.” (NET) David ran from Saul in fear. He had two opportunities to kill Saul. He refused saying that he would not kill the “Lord’s anointed” — meaning Saul. This was after Samuel brought God’s word that Saul had completely disqualified himself and that God had chosen David to replace him. See 1 Samuel 24 and 26. He wouldn’t kill Saul who was trying to murder him, but he killed innocent men and women in small towns in Israel. David’s men could not understand the position that David took regarding Saul. But it appears to be David’s own morality rather than being based on some commandment in the Law. The taking of innocent lives of men and women in Israel to show his loyalty to Achish seems to me to be upside down in moral values. BACKGROUND: The background of the story of David and Bathsheba is that Israel had the Ammonites on the run. In almost all of Israel’s battles, David was involved in the war by going into the field with his men. But because the Ammonites were on the run, he decided to remain in his home in Jerusalem. He was probably in his 50s about this time. It was springtime and David slept late on this particular day (2 Samuel 11:2). Getting up late in the afternoon he walked around his rooftop and saw a woman “bathing.” Almost all translations use the word “bathing.” The Hebrew reads: rachats Meaning: to wash, wash off or wash away, or bathe. She could have been washing something else besides herself but let’s assume she was washing herself which was probably doing the washing of purification (see verse 4 which indicates she was ending her monthly menstrual time and had to purify and wash after seven more days from the stopping of the period.) See Leviticus 15. He saw her whether partially clothed or partly naked and she was beautiful to view. David was so taken with her appearance that he asked his servants who she was. They told him her name and her father’s name and her husband’s name. Verse 3: “So David sent and inquired about the woman. And one said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” (NAU) “Wife of …” — now meant she was taken, not free to marry, not free to have sexual contact with any man but her husband! This should have been a large moral STOP sign for David. But, instead, we read in verse 4, “David sent messengers and took her…” The Hebrew reads: “And David sent messengers and he took her.” The Hebrew word translated “took” means “to take” and it is sometimes translated as “captured, or caught, or to “take a wife” it is sometimes translated as “married.” When a king “takes” a woman it is not an invitation with an RSVP! She has no choice but to be taken. Verse 4 continues with this brief statement: “And when she came to him, he lay with her.” But the Hebrew is very brief like “they took her she towards him, he lay with her.” The last part of verse 4 tells us: “(Now at that time she was in the process of purifying herself from her menstrual uncleanness.) Then she returned to her home.” (New English Translation). She didn’t stay, spend the night, or have dinner. David brought her to him by messengers, for one reason — to sleep with her. Then she went home. But being seven or more days away from the end of her menstruation she was fertile to conceive a child and that is exactly what happened (verse 5). It could have been another three or more weeks before she sent a communication to tell David, “I am pregnant.” David knew the law that both the adulterer and the adulteress should be stoned (Leviticus 20:10). In Old Testament times it was NOT adultery for a man to take another single woman. Adultery was when a married woman had sex with any man. And it was adultery for any man to have sex with the wife of another man. So, David sent and asked Joab (his commander or general over the troops) to send Uriah the Hittite to him. Under the pretense of wanting to know about the war, David questioned him about how the war was going. When the brief interview was over David suggested that he wash up and go and visit with his wife. David even sent a gift of food from his table with Uriah. The next morning David’s men said that Uriah did not go down to his house but slept in front of David’s castle. So, David called him in and asked why he didn’t go down to his own house and be with his wife. He answers, “Uriah said to David, ‘The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in temporary shelters, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? By your life and the life of your soul, I will not do this thing.'” (2 Samuel 11:11 NAU). Men in the service know how soldiers form a bond during war times and some will even jump on a grenade to save their brothers in arms. Now David knew Uriah would not consciously go to his own house. So, David asked him to stay one more day and have dinner with David. During the dinner, David got Uriah drunk thinking that he just might be willing then to visit his beautiful wife. But no. Again, he would not go to his wife. Of course, had he gone to his wife and had relations with her, he would have thought that the child was his. But Uriah hadn’t been with his wife for the week of her period and for the seven days of purification following and maybe longer. Uriah was a dedicated soldier whose concern for his fellow brothers in the war would not allow him to please himself while they were in hardship. So, David embarked on another plan — and sin grows from what looks like rape or forced sex upon her to the murder of him! After drunken Uriah would not go down to his own house to be with his wife, we read: “Now in the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah.” (2 Samuel 11:14 NAU) Faithful Uriah is now carrying his death sentence. David knew that Uriah had enough integrity that he would never try to open the letter or look into its contents. The letter told Joab what to do. He was to place Uriah in the front of the battle by the city walls and withdraw troop support, “so that he may be struck down and die.” (2 Samuel 11:15 NAU) Murder! What an irony. The man who is so dedicated to his fellow soldiers is now to be abandoned by them on orders of the King. As it turned out this plan not only cost the life of Uriah but the lives of other men. Joab sent messengers to David to tell him about the casualties and the state of the war. They explained that the strong warriors of the Ammonites came out against them. “Moreover, the archers shot at your servants from the wall; so some of the king’s servants are dead, and your servant Uriah the Hittite is also dead.” (2 Samuel 11:24 NAU) When David heard that he pretended that he wanted to console the commander, Joab. So, he told the men, “Thus you shall say to Joab, ‘Do not let this thing displease you, for the sword devours one as well as another; make your battle against the city stronger and overthrow it; and so encourage him.” (2 Samuel 11:25 NAU) The plot was clever and only Joab and David knew it was murder. When Bathsheba heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. After she finished mourning for Uriah, David brought her to his house, and “she became his wife then bore him a son” (2 Samuel 11:27 NAU). David got away with murder except “But the thing that David had done was evil in the sight of the LORD” (2 Samuel 11:27 NAU). In part two, we will examine just how the Scripture talks about Bathsheba and whether she was blamed for this adulterous affair. We also need to know why David was a man after God’s own heart. —————————————————————————————————– See David Antion’s other articles at: Antion, David – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Guardian Ministries http://daveantion.com/ —————————————————————————————————– |
| “In Defense of Bathsheba” (Part 2) (Copyright 2023) by David Antion (Pasadena, California) |
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| What David did was hidden from humans but not from God. God sent His prophet, Nathan, to David with a story about a man who had a huge number of sheep but when a stranger came in, he took the lamb raised as a pet by a poor man and sacrificed that lamb instead of one of his own. Upon hearing that story David was outraged that the man had no mercy and thought the fictitious man worthy of death. Then Nathan hit him with these words, “You are the man.” “Thus says the LORD God of Israel, ‘It is I who anointed you king over Israel and it is I who delivered you from the hand of Saul. ‘I also gave you your master’s house and your master’s wives into your care, and I gave you the house of Israel and Judah; and if that had been too little, I would have added to you many more things like these! ‘Why have you despised the word of the LORD by doing evil in His sight? You have struck down Uriah the Hittite with the sword, have taken his wife to be your wife, and have killed him with the sword of the sons of Ammon. ‘Now therefore, the sword shall never depart from your house, because you have despised Me and have taken the wife of Uriah the Hittite to be your wife.’ “Thus says the LORD, ‘Behold, I will raise up evil against you from your own household; I will even take your wives before your eyes and give them to your companion (someone else), and he will lie with your wives in broad daylight. “Indeed you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel, and under the sun.'” (2 Samuel 12:7-12). We know the story of how one of David’s sons raped his daughter by another of David’s wives. Then her biological brother waited and then slew the one who had raped his (Absalom’s) sister. After that, Absalom fled away from David fearing that he would be arrested and perhaps tried for murder. David wanted him back but didn’t know how to do it. Finally, Joab who was David’s commander (and at times David’s confidant) set up a scheme so that David did send for Absalom. But upon Absalom’s return, David virtually ignored him: “Now Absalom lived two full years in Jerusalem and did not see the king’s face” (2 Samuel 14:28 NAU). After getting Joab’s attention, Absalom asked why he was even brought to the capital if he couldn’t even see his father. Finally, Joab arranged the meetings and we read this: “So when Joab came to the king and told him, he called for Absalom. Thus he came to the king and prostrated himself on his face to the ground before the king, and the king kissed Absalom (2 Samuel 14:33 NAU). After that meeting, Absalom ” provided for himself a chariot and horses and fifty men as runners before him” (2 Samuel 15:1 NAU). Absalom got up early each morning and stood by the gate and greeted the common people and those who had grievances telling them that he wished he could be in a position of power so that he could help them. “Moreover, Absalom would say, ‘Oh that one would appoint me to judge in the land, then every man who has any suit or cause could come to me and I would give him justice.’ “And when a man came near to prostrate himself before him, he would put out his hand and take hold of him and kiss him. In this manner Absalom dealt with all Israel who came to the king for judgment; so Absalom stole away the hearts of the men of Israel” (2 Samuel 15:4-6 NAU). Absalom continued until he had enough of the top people in David’s government to support him and then they declared Absalom king and David and his loyal servants had to flee for their lives. But because Absalom did not have the wisdom to know good advice when he heard it from Ahithophel, he went into battle himself and Joab (always loyal to David) ended up killing him and putting the end to the rebellion. As David neared the end of his life, his son Adonijah assumed that he would be king in David’s place as he was older and spoiled by a lack of discipline (1 Kings 1:6). A number of the prominent people in David’s government went along with Adonijah’s claim he would be the next king. But Nathan, the prophet whom God sent to David about his affair with Bathsheba, knew that David had promised Bathsheba that Solomon would be the next king and would take over his throne and would build the temple or house for God (1 Chronicles 22:6-13). So, Nathan went to Bathsheba, and we read: “Then Nathan spoke to Bathsheba the mother of Solomon, saying, “Have you not heard that Adonijah the son of Haggith has become king, and David our lord does not know it? “So now come, please let me give you counsel and save your life and the life of your son Solomon. “Go at once to King David and say to him, ‘Have you not, my lord, O king, sworn to your maidservant, saying, “Surely Solomon your son shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne “? Why then has Adonijah become king?’ “Behold, while you are still there speaking with the king, I will come in after you and confirm your words” (1 Kings 1:11-14 NAU). Notice the tone of Nathan’s words to Bathsheba. They are not scornful but sympathetic, respectful, and protective. Compared to the words Nathan delivered to King David these words had no rebuke or blame. Nathan treats her with deference and care. There is no blame or rebuke in these words. Rather Nathan is seeking Bathsheba’s help in getting David to choose Solomon over Adonijah. Immediately she is cooperative and the two work together to get David to announce publicly that Solomon will sit on his throne when he dies. David was aware of what he vowed to Bathsheba: “Surely as I vowed to you by the LORD the God of Israel, saying, ‘Your son Solomon shall be king after me, and he shall sit on my throne in my place’; I will indeed do so this day” (1 Kings 1:30-31 NAU). Adonijah feared that Solomon would kill him but was told that if he were a worthy and good man, he would be safe (See 1 Kings 1:52-53). In 1 Kings 2, we read that Adonijah came up with another scheme. He enlisted Bathsheba to help him with this scheme. He went to her and said that he knew her son, Solomon, would never refuse her request. So, he asked her to ask Solomon if he might have Abishag as his wife. Bathsheba said she would ask. Evidently, Bathsheba was a nice, caring, and friendly woman. But women in those days didn’t have much power. Notice that there was no consideration as to whom Abishag might want as a husband. It was, “Can I have her?” If the answer was “yes” then the matter was settled and Abishag would have no say at all. She couldn’t say, “I don’t love you and don’t want to marry you.” She was a possession as was Bathsheba when David sent and “took her” and when he “took her” to be his wife. Nowhere is Bathsheba blamed for the adulterous affair between David and her. Many people including some commentators/scholars want to make Bathsheba partly or wholly responsible with the old idea that since she was “bathing” or “washing” she might have tempted David. And we all know that men tempted cannot resist!! Right? This is a false assumption. We all have to resist the temptation to sin. Joseph did it with Potiphar’s wife who was inviting him to lay with her. Even insisting he does so. Since the Greek is a very short and terse sentence that says that David begat Solomon “by her of Uriah;” several have jumped to the conclusion that because this sentence did not mention her name that she was guilty. That conclusion doesn’t make sense since the same passage mentions David’s name who the Old Testament passage show to be the guilty and responsible party. What Matthew 1:6 is saying is that he had Solomon by the woman who belonged to Uriah and in a sense still belonged to Uriah who was murdered as the only way she could have been taken from Uriah. —————————————————————————————————– See David Antion’s other articles at: Antion, David – Church of God, Bismarck (church-of-god-bismarck.org) Reprinted with permission from: Guardian Ministries http://daveantion.com/ —————————————————————————————————– |
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