David was not perfect. He made BIG mistakes. But God still called him “a man after his own heart.”

Have you heard of Uriah and his wife, Bathsheba? Of course you have.

When you read about David’s special forces in my last post, his famous “30” mighty men, did you see Uriah’s name? (2 Samuel 3:39)

Uriah was faithful to David, one of his closest warriors. And yet, 2 Samuel 11-12 records the time when King David was lazy and chose to stay home. It was “the season when men go off to battle,” yet David was hanging out at home instead. He saw Uriah’s wife and took her. Did he rape her? Possibly. Probably. What we know of history (and still in some cultures today), a woman had no voice. Bathsheba had no choice if the king desired her.

Before we jump at David to strangle him, how many kings or powerful men throughout history have done this? All of them? How many of them felt bad about it or even admitted a wrongdoing?

Maybe only David.

The quick summary- there was to be a child out of this betrayal. David called Uriah home so that he would “be” with his wife and the baby coming could be covered up. But Uriah was a warrior and refused to have any of the comforts of home while his brothers in arms were in battle far away. Unknowingly, Uriah carried his own note of execution back to commander Joab on the front lines. Uriah returned to the battle, the line moved back without telling him, he died on the battlefield. Bathsheba became one of David’s wives. The prophet Nathan called David on his sin. David repented. Sadly, God took David and Bathsheba’s baby to heaven because of David’s sin.

Is this not the most terrible thing a “man of God” could do? Why is it in the Bible?

Two things to learn from this heartbreaking story.

One- how quickly sin gets away from us. David’s eyes wandered because he was bored and not where he was supposed to be. He claimed a woman that was not his from a man who had dedicated a life of service to him. The result was a dead warrior, a woman abused, and the loss of a child. Sin spreads. Quickly.

Two- Yet God saw David’s heart. We can judge people all day long. We can judge David’s actions. But God sees the heart. God sees your heart. He sees my heart. He saw David’s heart. If you need some comfort after reading this sad story again- God also saw Bathsheba’s heart, and He loved her.

And God saw Uriah’s heart and loved him.

David wrote Psalm 51 after God used the prophet Nathan to rebuke him,

Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me. Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.
Psalm 51:10-12

Check your heart. Be on the constant look out for temptation and sin. But know this . . . God loves you and will see you through whatever comes.

Sing the praises of the LORD, you his faithful people; praise his holy name. For his anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.
Psalm 30:4-5

Heidi xoxo