2 Samuel 11:9-13
Verse 11 Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my commander Joab and my lord’s men are camped in the open country. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and make love to my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!”
David’s sly plan seems to be backfiring on him. The husband of Bathsheba is showing his loyalty to the king and yet disobeying him to do so. It seems Uriah, who was not Jewish by birth, is showing himself more righteous than the king of God’s people. He also reminds the king where he should be without coming right out and telling him.
It was common for the Ark of the Covenant to make the trip out to war with the armies of God’s people. Since God had told His people to take it with them in battles in the time of Moses and Joshua they saw it as a way of taking God to battle with them, not as a good luck charm, but as a sign that they were trusting God. David’s allowing his men to go to war without him and taking the Ark of the Lord with them, showed a lack of personal commitment to his men and a lack of commitment to the nation God had placed in his rule.
Uriah showed his commitment to not only the king, the Ark of the Lord and his fellow soldiers, Uriah was honoring God but not allowing himself to be distracted by his beautiful wife. There is no doubt he would have enjoyed a visit home to see his wife but he knew that if he did it would be unfair to those who had stayed in the battle and were missing their own loved ones. If he took advantage of this offer he would be showing less than full allegiance to the work God had given him to do.
By day three of Uriah’s being in Jerusalem David was getting desperate so he invites the war hero in for a king’s dinner and gets him drunk hoping that he will then go home. But Uriah maintained his resolve for chastity during war time and stayed one more night with the rest of the servants at the palace entrance.
To remain so firm in his decision shows the type of man Uriah was. He was trustworthy, a man of integrity and loyal no matter what. He stayed true to what he knew was right no matter how tempting it may have been to give in just once. This is the man which Bathsheba had cheated on with the king.
Making It Personal
How strong is your resolve to do what you know you are supposed to do even though you may want to do something you would enjoy more? Why could it be important to put it aside for a time? Where does that need to be applied in your life today?
Making It Personal Kids
Do you have times when you know you should do one thing but would rather do something more fun? Why may it be important to not choose the fun thing? Did Jesus choose only what would be fun?
Closing Prayer
Father, we know there are times when we cannot make a decision on what would make us happiest, You didn’t. Give us the wisdom we need to choose the right and faithful thing to do every time and to repent quickly when we don’t make the correct choice. In Jesus’ name, amen.