“So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, “Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?” ” 2 Samuel 11:3 (NKJV)
The setting of this story is that it is the spring of the year when kings go out to battle, but David stayed home. One evening as he was walking on the roof top, he looked down across the way and saw a beautiful woman bathing. Even when he was told that she was someone else’s wife it did not make any difference. He saw someone he wanted and he sent for her. The result was that she got pregnant.
David decided to bring Uriah home from the war and get him to sleep with his wife to cover up David’s sin. However, Uriah didn’t behave according to David’s plan. He was unwilling to enjoy the company of his wife when his fellow soldiers’ lives were at risk.
Finally David had to give up on that plan and sent a sealed message back with Uriah to Joab telling him to put Uriah in the battle front and then to retreat and let him be killed. Everything happened as David intended.
When the days of mourning had passed, David brought Bathsheba to the palace and made her one of his wives.
Bathsheba most likely had little to say about whether or not she was brought to King David from the rooftop. Women in those days had little voice and this was the King requiring her presence. Yet there was a price to be paid. Her husband’s untimely death ordered by the King. But there would be another price to be paid too. She would see the child of their discretion die. No greater weight of guilt could be felt by a mother than to know it was her sin that caused her child’s death.
Listen to Austin Stone Worship as they sing “It Was My Sin that Held Him There.” Because it was my sin and your sin that held Christ to the cross and brought about his death.
Published on MyBibleRoom.com 2/9/25, 5:00 pm