October 26, 2019: Day 42 – II Samuel 11

We find ourselves in the chapter that is probably best known in II Samuel.  David rapes Bathsheba.  We find that she is the grandaughter of Ahithophel, one of David’s most trusted advisers.  She is married to one of his best soldiers, Uriah, who served under Joab who comes up constantly as the leader of David’s army.  I would think that when David commands Joab to basically kill Uriah (draw away from him in battle), that he would not have been pleased at all.  I can’t imagine that happening to a  commander today.  He probably would have had something to say about it.  But Joab’s loyalty is without question.

Apparently also is Uriah’s loyalty as he refused to spend time with his wife while the rest of his men are on the battle field sleeping out in the open.  David’s plan doesn’t materialize and so he is left with not only the rape of Bathsheba, but also with the murder of her husband.  She joins David’s household once her time of mourning was completed.  She was, after all, pregnant with the king’s child. 

Notice that what puts David into action is her message that she was pregnant.  She knew that if Uriah came home and there was a baby it would have been obvious that the baby was not his.  But why would David care as king?  Bathsheba could have dealt with that issue on her own.  There are two ways to think about this: 1 ) David was afraid of Uriah and was concerned that Bathsheba would tell him that the baby was the king’s and then he would have to deal with Uriah, or 2) he actually loved Bathsheba to the point where he wanted to help cover for her so that she would not get the wrath of her husband when it was discovered that she had a baby out of wedlock. 

Regardless in all of this the decision making is completely out of the hands of the one who was the victim.