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Ärende: LESSON 6 - Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner
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LESSON 6
*October 30 - November 5
Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner
SABBATH AFTERNOON
Read for This Week's Study:
1 Sam. 26:5-11, 2 Samuel 11, Esther 8:17, Psalm 51, Isa. 56:3-7, Eph. 2:19.
Memory Text:
"Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all
your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5, NIV).
Imagine that you are buying a train ticket. You stand in line for a long time
and worry about missing your train. Finally you pay, receive your ticket, and
run to the train. On the way you count your change and discover that you have
been given far too much. What do you do? Stand in line again to return the
money and perhaps miss your train or simply consider this your lucky day and
move on?
What you do in this situation will depend on your understanding of right and
wrong. Ethics is the way that we apply this understanding in our everyday life.
Nowadays, the most popular type of ethics is situation ethics, which suggests
that there are no moral absolutes. It often means doing whatever is most
beneficial for oneself in a particular situation.
This week we'll see a powerful contrast of ethics, between those of King David
and of the soldier Uriah. However horrible David's actions are, they appear
even worse contrasted with those of Uriah. Though we aren't told much about
Uriah, what we discover of him and his unfortunate fate can teach us what it
means to live out one's faith as opposed to just talking about it.
*Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 6.
SUNDAY
October 31
The Slippery Slope
Read 2 Samuel 11 and ask yourself, How could someone so honored of God stoop so
deep into sin? What warning should this present to all of us?
We cannot study the story of Uriah without looking at David. In David's
association with Uriah, we can see David at his worst. The author of Samuel
does not sing the hero's praises while ignoring his sins. The story of David,
Bathsheba, and Uriah marks a turning point in the life and reign of David. Up
to this point, David is portrayed as someone going from strength to strength.
Second Samuel 11 depicts the beginning of David's downfall.
Some may want to see in David's sin an excuse for their own. However, the
narrator emphasizes that sin has consequences and shows how many lives one
particular sin affected. The first to suffer as a result of David's sin is
Uriah, followed by the child born to David and Bathsheba. David loses
credibility in his family, and the repercussions spread from a family problem
to a problem of national proportions. The chain reaction that David's sin has
set in motion widens to include rape (2 Sam. 13:14), murder (2 Sam. 13:28, 29),
and many lives lost in a rebellion (2 Samuel 15). Even if repentance gains
God's mercy, the author of the book of Samuel clearly points out to us that
sin has grave consequences (2 Sam. 12:13, 14).
The story of David, Bathsheba, and Uriah is told in a carefully structured way.
The biblical author uses action words (often involving the verb to send) in
order to contrast Uriah and David's behavior. Let's have a look at the
structure of the story, based on the main action.
o David sends Joab to fight the Ammonites (11:1).
o David inquires about and sends for Bathsheba (vss. 3, 4).
o David commits adultery with Bathsheba (vs. 4).
o Bathsheba sends a message about her pregnancy (vs. 5).
o David sends for Uriah (vs. 6).
o Uriah refuses to sleep with Bathsheba (vs. 13).
o David sends the death warrant with Uriah (vss. 14, 15).
As can be easily seen, "sending" is a very important activity in 2 Samuel 11.
When we send someone around, we normally have power over that person. Looked at
from this angle, David is truly the most powerful character in our story. He
does most of the sending. He controls the members of the cast. He shapes and
destroys their lives. He looks like a typical ancient Near Eastern absolute
monarch of his time. However, there is one thing that David does not control:
sin. Although he seems to control the outward action, sin controls his choices
and motivations.
MONDAY
November 1
No One Is an Island
The entire story of David and Uriah is set against the backdrop of a war with
the Ammonites. Read 2 Samuel 11:1 carefully. What subtle criticism of David
does the author include?
David decides to stay home and sends out his army under Joab. This was, of
course, David's first mistake. He had somehow begun to believe that he really
was more special than his men and was, therefore, not to put himself in danger.
David had not yet learned that the greatest dangers are almost always from
within, not from without. The great problem with power or authority is the way
it easily leads us to distort our own self-perception. We think that we are
somehow better than others and above the laws or rules that hold for others.
Compare the forms of leadership that David exercises in the story of 1 Samuel
26:5-11 and in 2 Samuel 11. What difference do you see?
In the stories describing how David spared Saul's life, David leads by example
and asks for volunteers. But now, in the time of 2 Samuel 11, instead of being
out with his troops and leading them, and depending on God for guidance and
personal safety, David finds himself on a hot, humid evening up on the flat
roof of his palace (in order, perhaps, to catch the evening breeze). The
palace, probably built on the highest section of the fortress city, has a
commanding view of most of Jerusalem. David scans the rooftops and sees a woman
bathing. Then he sends someone to find out the identity of the woman. He sends
for the woman, knowing full well that she is the wife of Uriah, the Hittite.
The Hebrew verb that is used to indicate David's command to Bathsheba is very
strong. In other contexts it is used to indicate that something is taken by
force (Gen. 14:11). David follows his desires and, while the hormones are
pumping, he completely brackets out what he knows about right and wrong. Little
does David imagine, in that moment, the far-reaching effects that will follow
from this personal decision he makes. By deliberately flaunting his power, he
will directly affect the lives of Bathsheba, Uriah, an unborn child, and the
course of Israel's history.
Think about the decisions you make. Are they based mostly on reason, rational
thinking, and logic, or are they based on emotion and passion? Which way of
thinking seems to dominate you? Is there a right balance between these motives,
and, if not, how can you find it?
TUESDAY
November 2
A Foreigner in Israel
Throughout this chapter, Uriah is referred to as Uriah the Hittite. So, who
were the Hittites? The Hittites of Palestine were an ethnic group with an
uncertain relationship to Neo-Hittite states to the north. In the Old Testament
world--culture, nationality, race, and religion were very much interconnected.
For this reason, the Old Testament strongly criticizes and prohibits
intermarriage between Israel and the surrounding nations. The prohibition given
in Deuteronomy 7:3 is repeated at each major revival in Israel. A key to
understanding the prohibitions against intermarriage is religion. The Old
Testament is full of examples of foreigners who accept the God of Israel, and
the Bible regards their assimilation to Israel positively. In the case of
Uriah, the assimilation is in the form of marriage as well as religion.
What are some examples of foreigners who were assimilated into Israel? Josh.
6:25, Ruth 1:1-16, Esther 8:17, Isa. 56:3-7.
Ruth, the Moabitess, left her land, people, and religion and went with her
mother-in-law back to Israel. Her famous words underline the important concept
of adopting not only another people but also another God: " 'Don't urge me to
leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay
I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God' " (Ruth 1:16,
NIV). The assimilation includes not only exemplary daughters-in-law but also
lying prostitutes. Remember Rahab, the prostitute who rescued the two spies?
Here was someone who responded very positively to the little light she had and
chose to believe that the God of Israel was powerful and faithful. Sometime
after the fall of Jericho, Rahab marries Salmon and, together with Ruth, is
included in the genealogy of Christ (Josh. 6:25, Matt. 1:5).
Uriah was not the only Hittite to have served David. First Samuel 26:6 mentions
Ahimelech the Hittite. However, Uriah became one of David's elite warriors (1
Chron. 11:41). Interestingly, if Eliam the father of Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:3)
was the same Eliam, who was the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite (2 Sam. 23:34),
then Uriah had indeed married into a very influential family. His father-in-law
also would have been an elite warrior and son of David's esteemed counselor.
This could explain the proximity of Uriah's house to the palace, and it may
provide a reason for Ahithophel's later defection to Absalom's conspiracy. It
may well be that he held a grudge against David for the treatment of his
granddaughter Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah.
Read Ephesians 2:19. How can Ruth's, Rahab's, and Uriah's assimilation into
Israel help us to establish our personal spiritual pedigree? How does this
passage help us understand that no matter our background, through Christ we can
be accepted into "the household of God"?
WEDNESDAY
November 3
What's in a Name?
Names were very important in the biblical world. A name told of the person's
cultural heritage and beliefs, or pointed to the wishes of the parents for the
child. Often a change in life circumstances or beliefs was indicated by a
change of name.
Note the following biblical characters' new names and mark the reason given for
the name change:
Abram (Gen. 17:5)
Jacob (Gen. 32:27, 28)
Daniel (Dan. 1:7)
After Jacob's night of wrestling with the celestial visitor, he experienced
perhaps one of the most far-reaching name changes in all sacred history. Out of
a "deceiver" (Jacob) became a "may-God-strive-for" (Israel), and all of his
descendants became known as "Israelites," or the children of Israel.
In the case of Daniel, the name change has a different purpose. King
Nebuchadnezzar wanted to make sure that the young exiles knew who was in
control. He also wanted to brainwash them somehow. Daniel's name was changed
from "God is my judge" to "protect the life of the prince" (Belteshazzar) in an
attempt by the heathen king to undermine Daniel's allegiance to his God.
The name of Bathsheba's husband is not unique in biblical history. During the
time of King Hezekiah, a prophet by the name of Uriah communicated God's
judgment against Jerusalem (Jer. 26:20-23). Interestingly, Uriah's name is
Hebrew and could be translated as "my light is the Lord" or "flame of the
Lord." While he may have been a Hittite by birth, by choice he belonged to the
God of Israel. Uriah's ethnic background underlines the fact that God does not
look at the outside but knows the heart. Having family members in prominent
church positions or great godly ancestors does not give us a better standing
before God. Neither does our family history or even our past personal history
affect our acceptance with God.
By dying for all humanity, Christ tore down all barriers between all people
(Gal. 3:28). The Cross proves us all equal before God; Christ's death was for
every human being, for every human being is of infinite value in His eyes.
Sure, God has at times given different groups special tasks and callings, but
that's not the same as saying some people are of more value to God than others.
The Cross proves that point wrong.
THURSDAY
November 4
A Man of Principle
In the biblical narrative, Bathsheba appears as a passive character, and the
biblical author refrains from making any comments about her accountability or
involvement. However, even though she appears to be passive in the entire
account, she, too, will pay a high price. Her baby son will die. The only time
that Bathsheba speaks is when she sends a message to David to tell him that she
is pregnant (2 Sam. 11:5). David figures that if he can get Uriah home for even
one evening, then it would appear that the baby was Uriah's, and David's sin
would go undetected. And so David sends for Uriah, who has to make a tiring 40
mile (approximately 65 km) trip to Jerusalem. After making some small talk,
David sends Uriah home with a veiled command that he go and sleep with his wife
(2 Sam. 11:8). In an effort to appear generous, he even sends a gift to Uriah's
home, thinking that the situation is all taken care of. However, Uriah, being a
man of principle, cannot be manipulated. The next morning David hears that
Uriah spent the night in the gate with the servants of the king. The situation
is quickly slipping out of David's control. David sends for Uriah. He is
becoming frustrated. Uriah is showing him up badly. David, who was once a man
of integrity, now cannot seem to understand Uriah's integrity.
What does 2 Samuel 11:10-13 tell us about Uriah's motives? What other examples
can we find in the Bible of those who acted with the same kind of integrity?
Uriah's answer shows that he was not a nominal believer but had completely
identified himself with the God of Israel and his comrades. Uriah believed that
it was wrong to use his situation for personal comfort or advantage. The same
David who once showed complete loyalty to King Saul (even though Saul was
persecuting him) now cannot understand the loyalty and faithfulness of Uriah.
David resorts to a disgusting scheme. He deliberately gets Uriah drunk in an
attempt to break down his principles. It is interesting to note that the same
scheme was used by the two daughters of Lot, and it led to the origin of the
Ammonites (Gen. 19:30-38)--the very people that the Israelite army is fighting.
Despite his impaired reasoning, Uriah refuses to compromise his values and
again spends the night among the king's servants.
Read Psalm 51 in the context of 2 Samuel 11. What can we learn from it about
the nature of sin, of repentance, and of God's grace?
FRIDAY
November 5
Further Study:
"The Bible has little to say in praise of men. Little space is given to
recounting the virtues of even the best men who have ever lived. This silence
is not without purpose; it is not without a lesson. All the good qualities that
men possess are the gift of God; their good deeds are performed by the grace of
God through Christ. Since they owe all to God the glory of whatever they are or
do belongs to Him alone; they are but instruments in His hands. More than
this--as all the lessons of Bible history teach--it is a perilous thing to
praise or exalt men; for if one comes to lose sight of his entire dependence on
God, and to trust to his own strength, he is sure to fall. . . .
"It is impossible for us in our own strength to maintain the conflict; and
whatever diverts the mind from God, whatever leads to self-exaltation or to
self-dependence, is surely preparing the way for our overthrow. The tenor of
the Bible is to inculcate distrust of human power and to encourage trust in
divine power.
"It was the spirit of self-confidence and self-exaltation that prepared the way
for David's fall. Flattery and the subtle allurements of power and luxury were
not without effect upon him. Intercourse with surrounding nations also exerted
an influence for evil. According to the customs prevailing among Eastern
rulers, crimes not to be tolerated in subjects were uncondemned in the king;
the monarch was not under obligation to exercise the same self-restraint as the
subject. All this tended to lessen David's sense of the exceeding sinfulness of
sin. And instead of relying in humility upon the power of Jehovah, he began to
trust to his own wisdom and might."--Ellen G. White, Conflict and Courage, p.
177.
Discussion Questions:
In your class, have individual members identify roles or positions in which
they have or have had power or influence. Discuss what can be done to safeguard
against a misuse of power in these positions. How can we help someone who we
see is in danger of misusing authority or influence?
Look at the ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic makeup of your Sabbath School
class. How welcome would people from other groups or nonchurched people feel in
your class? What could you do as a Sabbath School class to reach out to
"foreigners"?
Uriah--honest, loyal, principled--gets murdered by his own king, whom he
faithfully served. David--dishonest, treacherous, deceitful--gets the beautiful
woman as a wife and lives for many more years. Discuss.
As a class, go over Psalm 51 and discuss what it teaches about forgiveness.
How can we learn to accept forgiveness for ourselves when we might be guilty of
sins as bad as David's here?
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