Bathsheba: a twisted story of sex, politics, and a cover up

When I started this month’s study on Bathsheba, I thought I knew her story. And as I researched for this post, I never realized how many viewed her part in her story. Many have viewed her as an adulteress who knew what she was doing when she took her ritual cleansing bath. But I have one problem with this view, how could she have known that King David would be on the rooftop that night? If we take evidence from the Biblical story, we can see that she was innocent in this twisted story of sex, politics and a coverup. This story is told in 2 Samuel 11:1-12:25. 

We first see Bathsheba in 2 Samuel 11:2 as King David spots a beautiful woman bathing. Verse 4 tells us that she was taking her ritual cleansing after her monthly period. Her husband, Uriah, was off at war, when messengers came to take her before the king. David sleeps with her and later Bathsheba discovers she is pregnant and tells David. This news sets in motion a series of events which would lead David to greater and greater transgressions which his family would feel the ramifications for generations. David tries to cover it up. He sends Uriah home from the battlefield, hoping he would sleep with his wife and think the child was his. But Uriah doesn't do that. In desperation, David sends Uriah back to the battlefield and sets him up to be killed in battle. When news came that Uriah had been killed and after an appropriate mourning period, David marries Bathsheba and she gives birth to a son. The prophet, Nathan, confronts David, first with a story that enrages David, and then with David’s sin that the story illustrates. David sought forgiveness and God forgives him; however the baby boy would die. 

Did Bathsheba have a choice when the messengers took her to David? Many people have argued that yes, she did. She could have said, “no, I’m married.” But could she really? She lived in a time when women had very little control in their lives, let alone a voice. If the king requested (in other words, demanded) your presence, you came. There was no telling the king, “no.” Also, 2 Samuel 11:4 says the messengers took her to him. The word “took” is very important. In Hebrew, the word implies force. It means to seize, take captive, to be captured (Bernock, 2019). Bathsheba had no choice but to come. Could not have fled like Joseph did from Potiphar’s wife (Genesis 39:7-12)? I still say no, she probably felt she couldn’t. Even God identifies David as the sinner and Bathsheba as the innocent party (Feinstein, 2008) as Nathan uses a lamb to illustrate her role in his story (2 Samuel 12:1-4). And David probably intended for this encounter to be, essentially, a one-night stand, until the pregnancy changed everything (Adelman, 2021). And he chose to cover up his sin with sin after sin. 

There are three lessons we can learn from this story. First, trying to cover up sin only makes it worse. Have you ever lied to cover up a lie? And continued to lie? We all have. While telling the truth can make us look bad or even hurt someone; however, in the long run, honesty is always best. It’s the same with sin. Being truthful and resisting sin in the first place is better than trying to hide the first sin with more dishonesty. Second, even the innocent can be hurt by sin. Bathsheba would lose her husband and her baby son, Uriah would lose his life, and a tiny baby would die because of David’s sin and cover up attempts. There were many lives in future generations ruined because of one man’s sin. Third, repentance doesn’t reverse the effects of sins. While David was repented and God forgave him, the results of his sin and the ramifications could not be taken away. David would see his kingdom fall into turmoil as sons fight for the throne and eventually his kingdom torn in two (1 Kings 12). 

In conclusion, Bathsheba was a woman who was drawn into a situation driven by one man’s desire. While she seems to be the catalyst that sets the ball rolling. It began with David and it ended with David. It seems that her only crime was that her beauty made her a victim to another man’s desire. She is fairly silent, only uttering three words in the entire story. But she certainty isn’t passive. She reappears in the Bible and becomes more active as her son, Solomon becomes king of Israel (1 Kings 1). From her story, we can see that we don’t have to be the sinner to be affected by its consequences. 

References

Adelman, Rachel (June 23, 2021). Bathsheba: Bible. Jewish Women’s Archive. https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/bathsheba-bible. Retrieved October 24, 2021. 

Bernock, Danielle (August 19, 2019). Who Was Bathsheba in the Bible? Christianit.com. 

https://www.christianity.com/wiki/people/who-was-bathsheba-in-the-bible.html. Retrieved October 24, 2021.

Feinstein, Jessica (January 25, 2008). Bathsheba is One of the Most Beguiling Characters in the Bible. US News.com. https://www.usnews.com/news/religion/articles/2008/01/25/bathsheba-is-one-of-the-most-beguiling-characters-in-the-bible. Retrieved October 24, 2021. 

Breaking the Silence: a story of twists and turns

Breaking the Silence by Diane Chamberlain is a story of secrets and the links that connect us.  Laura Brandon made a promise to her dying father. With his last breath, he desperately made her promise to visit an elderly woman, a woman she had never met before. In fact, she hadn’t even heard of her before. Sarah Tolley is a woman who suffers from Alzheimer’s and only the distant past remains as vivid as ever. Laura sees visiting Sarah as a small sacrifice to honor her beloved father. But her husband, Ray, doesn’t want her to go, claiming Sarah wouldn’t know if she came at all and certainty her father wouldn’t either but Laura insists. Keeping her promise results in another death. Ray commits suicide while she is gone visiting Sarah and their five-year old daughter, Emma, is home to witness it. Now Emma refuses to talk about it, actually she refuses to talk at all. Desperate and filled with guilt, Laura contacts the only person who may help. A man she has only met once. A man who doesn’t know he is Emma’s birth father. Will she be able to break Emma’s silence and discover the link between her father and Sarah? 

Ms. Chamberlain weaves stories of intrigue and inspiration. Breaking the Silence is no exception. It is a page turner, dealing with heavy topics such as suicide, Alzheimer’s, trauma and psychiatric treatments of the 1950s, this book does not hold back. From the opening pages, you are hooked to discover the link between Laura’s father and Sarah and why she hadn’t heard of this woman before. The reason behind Emma’s silence seems pretty straightforward and even takes a backseat to Laura’s mission to find out who Sarah is to her father. Having read a few of Ms. Chamberlain’s books before, she heavily researches for her stories so when someone says something out of place or wrong, keep it in mind it may be the character's ignorance rather than the author’s mistake. I have read many reviews that point out mistakes but I feel they fail to realize that 1) the book takes place in the year 2000, when many people still didn’t know a lot about Alzheimer’s, 2) that errors in the character’s statements are necessarily an author’s mistakes but a flaw in the characters’ understanding or 3) the error is a plot point or misdirection. Overall, I enjoyed Breaking the Silence and would highly recommend it. 

Breaking the Silence is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

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Love Walked In: a love story with a twist

Love Walked In by Marisa de los Santos is the first book in the Love Walked In series. Cornelia Brown, 31, is obsessed with the classic romantic movies and wants to find her own Cary Grant and true love. She daydreams her days away as she wants a life similar to The Philadelphia Story (1941). When a man who looks like the spitting image of her beloved Cary Grant, walks into her Philadelphia coffee shop, she believes she found him. Little does she know that their meeting would set in motion a series of events that would change her life forever. At the same time, 11 year old Clare Hobbes has been covering for her erratic mother and barely holding it together. Until one day when her mother leaves, Clare now must look for her estranged father. While meeting her father, she meets Cornelia and the two immediately develop a bond that won’t be easily broken. Does Cornelia truly find the love she desires? Will Clare’s mother return? 

The story is told between two narrators: Cornelia and Clare. The first half of the book was great but I found myself struggling to get through the second half as one unrealistic event after another pushes the story along. I found Cornelia to be annoying as she is so filled with her idealistic view of love that she is often over the top and at the same time filled with angst that she begins to question everything. I related more to Clare, the child who desperately tries to be an adult but still very much a scared child at heart. I also didn’t care for the constant movie and book references. I don’t mind the occasional reference because it helps connect with and understand the character; however, when it seems like it's the only thing the character is able to connect with, it gets old. And it gives the impression that the author wants to show the reader how smart and cultured they are with all the references. I recommend Love Walked In. 

Love Walked In is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

Once Gone: a fast paced mystery

Once Gone by Blake Pierce is the first book in the Riley Paige series. When women are turning up dead in rural Virginia, killed in grotesque ways, the FBI are stumped. With a serial killer on the loose, they know there is only one agent who could possibly crack the case: Special Agent Riley Paige. But after an encounter with the last serial killer, Riley is on paid leave, suffering from PTSD. When the FBI calls, reluctantly asking for her help, Riley comes aboard, needing to battle her own demons the only way she knows how: catching the bad guys. As she chases every clue, she realizes that the killer is far more twisted than she thought and when another woman disappears, she is in a race against time. Pushing herself to her limit, putting her job on the line and losing her fragile hold on reality, she refuses to quit. Will she find the woman before it’s too late? Will the killer slip away once again? Can she catch him before she completely snaps herself? 

I’ve been a reader of Blake Pierce for quite awhile and usually they are good thrillers. However, lately, I’ve noticed that the stories are becoming formulaic. Once again, a strong woman is the only brains in law enforcement, the only one who can catch a killer and the men who stand in her way. While I enjoy Blake Pierce’s books, they are fast and engaging reads, but it’s easy to figure out The mystery formula of “arresting one wrong guy after another and the men rushing to close the case despite the objections of the main character” gets old fast. Overall, I enjoyed it. I was engaged. And there was a nice hook at the end to intrigue the reader to get the next book. I particularly enjoyed the relationship between Riley and her teenage daughter, April. And Riley’s struggles with PTSD and the memories of her last case felt very real. If you haven’t read any of Blake Pierce’s books, I recommend checking them out. They are entertaining, even if you begin to sense a pattern in her books. 

Once Gone is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

The Wedding War: what happens when the children of two former friends get married?

The Wedding War by Liz Talley. Once upon a time, Melanie “Melly” Layton and Tennyson “Teeny” O’Rourke were inseparable, but their friendship was shattered when a deep secret, one they pinkie promised never to reveal, was exposed. They haven’t spoken for more than two decades and they were happy never to cross paths again. But fate would intervene. Melanie’s daughter, Emma, and Tennyson’s son, Andrew, would meet in college, fall in love and after graduation, announce their engagement. Now the two women must find a way to tolerate each other and play nice long enough to plan the wedding. But hurts still run deep and they clash from the start. From keeping it simple and traditional to extravagant and flashy, they find a way to argue about every detail. Adding to the drama of the wedding planning, life’s own complications add to the drama and forces Melanie and Tennyson to confront their past. With the wedding day fast approaching, can their friendship be renewed? 

The Wedding War is a story of family, friends, letting go and moving on. After a strong start, setting up childhood friendship, the story takes a strange turn. I wasn’t sure where the story was going or if I would like it. I couldn’t relate to Tennyson or Melanie. I found Melanie’s characterization as a stereotypical uptight, frumpy housewife insulting. And I didn’t care for all the designer name dropping when describing Tennyson. Okay we get it, Tennyson has money and she’s stylish. The beginning of the end and the ultimate end of their friendship was totally the fault of one rather than both having a hand in it. And one transgression would be very hard to forgive. Overall, I ended up enjoying the story, although I couldn’t relate to the woman and I didn’t get the laugh-out-loud moments that I was expecting. There was one moment I thought was hilarious. The second half of the book helps redeem the cringey first half. I’m glad I stuck with it and recommend The Wedding War. 

The Wedding War is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

The Loneliest Cottage: an easy to read, fun and sweet romance

The Loneliest Cottage by Melissa Storm is the first book in the Alaskan Hearts series. Lauren Dalton’s world is shattered when she learns that her father was killed in a tragic accident. It is shattered again when she discovers he had a life that he never told her. Heartbroken but determined to find out more, she takes a job in rural Alaska to help Shane Ramsey, an injured musher, with his sled dogs. She soon learns that her new boss has secrets of his own. As she cares for the dogs and even learns to become a musher herself, Lauren finds herself losing her heart to her new boss, his dogs and the wild wilderness of Alaska. Will Lauren discover more about her father’s life in Alaska? Will her search reveal more secrets? 

The Loneliest Cottage is a story about love, loss and finding where you truly belong. A quick read, it is a sweet romance set in beautiful Alaska. There were a few moments that I felt were unrealistic and would not fly in real life but in romances, reality is usually stretched a bit. The sled racing and the dogs take a backseat to the relationship of Lauren and Shane. Shane is the typical romance “hero”  that has been hardened and bitter from a previous relationship and it is Lauren, the romance “heroine” who thaws his frozen heart. Overall, I enjoyed The Loneliest Cottage. It is a typical romance but enjoyable and I look forward to reading the rest of the series. If you are looking for a quick, enjoyable story, I recommend The Loneliest Cottage. 

The Loneliest Cottage is available in paperback and eBook

Throwaway: a disappointing romance

Throwaway by Heather Huffman, the first book in the Throwaways series, is a book about the unexpected second chances that life can bring. A ray of hope in the dark corners of the world. For fourteen years, Jessie Jones has been under the thumb of pimp, Spence. A life she has resigned herself to, until Gabe Adams, an undercover cop, walks into her life. Gabe offers her something she never thought would be for her: love, a home and a future. But she can’t walk away so easily. From the streets of St. Louis to the caves of the Ozarks, will Jessie allow herself to be loved and love in return? Will she take the chance at the life she always thought wouldn’t be hers? 

Throwaway and its series is described as a “surprisingly warm and funny series” with “strong but often unlikely heroes and heroines.” A series, with twelve books in total, promised to be “a world of suspense, laughter, and love.” I don’t know about the entire series; however, Throwaway did not hold up to this description. The characters were unrealistic. There’s one character who has a “contract” with the pimp in order to pay for school?!?! Seriously! A pimp is just going to let one of “his girls” go because they have a contract? And what pimp would agree to this? The dialogue was childish and repetitive. I thought Throwaway would be a fun, edgy romance with a twist; but it fell flat. I will not be continuing the series and I do not recommend Throwaway. 

Throwaway is available in paperback and eBook. 

The Light of the Fireflies: a haunting story

The Light of the Fireflies by Paul Pen (translated by Simon Bruni) is a haunting, yet hopeful, tale of discovering light in the darkest places. The boy, 11,  spent his entire life underground, in a basement with his parents, grandmother, older sister and older brother. Before he was born, his family was disfigured by a fire with his sister wearing a mask to cover her burns. He spends hours with his cactus plant, reading a book on insects or touching the one ray of light that filters through a crack in the ceiling. When his sister has a baby, everyone’s behavior becomes very strange. The boy begins to wonder why the baby’s father is never mentioned. What events led to them living in the basement and why do they have to be shut away? When fireflies find their way into the basement, the light makes the boy want to escape, to know the outside world. But the doors are all locked and he doesn’t know how to get out. Can he find a way to escape? 

I started to read this book a couple years ago and had to put it away. The book was strange and hard to follow. Recently, I decided to pick it up again and I’m glad I did. The Light of the Fireflies is a haunting, twisted tale of one family hiding from the world. The reader discovers with the boy why they are hiding. Are they hiding because they fear the world? Or are they hiding from a darker secret? Overall, I enjoyed the story but it is very heavy reading that takes concentration and a certain frame of mind to imagine life in a basement and the secrets behind this family’s motivations. I enjoyed the boy as he is the only one who does not know what the outside world is, the rest of the family manipulates him according to his or her own motivations. He is the one with the drive to discover the truth behind their situation and their stories are starting to contradict each other and lack sense. I recommend The Light of the Fireflies. 

The Light of the Fireflies is available in paperback, eBook and audiobook. 

A Different Kind of Life: one girl's journey through the twists and turns of life

A Different Kind of Life by Pamela Holloway is a story of adversity and the strength and courage to fight on and live. In 1982, eight year old Fiona’s beloved father dies and with her mother wheelchair bound, she is forced to look after her younger sibling. She fights to hold the family together even after the unpleasant Mr. Lennard gradually moves in their home and their lives. After a devastating circumstance forces Fiona to leave her family behind and strike it out on her own to face an uncertain future. To Fiona, anything was better than what she left behind. As she copes with the loss of her family and the uncertainty of her future, her loyalties, her courage and her ability to pursue her artistic talent. Will she find the peace and fulfillment she desperately wants? 

After reading an interview with Ms. Holloway, I was curious about her books. I chose A Different Kind of Life. The story intrigued me. The opening chapter set the tone that life would not be easy for Fiona and her life after her father’s death was definitely difficult. I was scared and concerned for Fiona in those early chapters and when she was forced to leave her family behind, she had no plan. Her story after she leaves is when the story took a turn for me. Everything seemed to fall easily in her lap after that. I felt no connection to Fiona for the rest of the story. The story’s timeline was hard to follow as years will pass in a matter of paragraphs with very little indication. This book is hard to recommend. I didn’t hate it but I didn’t love it either. 

A Different Kind of Life is available in paperback and eBook. 

God, Me and Sweet Iced Tea: an inspirational devotional

God, Me and Sweet Iced Tea by Rose Chandler Johnson is a 52-day Bible devotional with insights of day-to-day topics as well as bigger theological topics. In the South, sweet iced tea is a refreshing staple. This devotional is designed to experience and recognize God in the small, everyday moments to be as refreshing as sweet iced tea. Each devotion is followed with suggested Scriptures to read, study and meditate on each topic, questions for journaling, a prayer and a sweet tea moment (or a thought for the day) and a prayer focus for the day. Topics include being thankful, kindness, and forgiveness. 

Even though I am not a fan of sweet iced tea, I do love a tall, refreshing glass of iced tea and the title of this devotional stood out to me. Each devotion is written from the personal experience of Ms. Chandler Johnson with insight and grace that helps readers recognize the divine presence of God in our every moments. With the variety of Scriptures to read, this devotional opens God’s word and reminds us that God is always here and wants us to come closer to him. I highly recommend God, Me and Sweet Iced Tea. 

God, Me and Sweet Iced Tea is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook

Birthright: is an inheritance a privilege or a right?

Birthright by Fiona Lowe is a family drama which pits three siblings against each other as it asks the question: is inheritance a privilege or a right? Margaret is the matriarch of the wealthy Jamieson family. She has been as tightfisted with the family money as she has been with her affections. Sarah is the eldest child and although she and her husband, Alex, run a successful business. She feels she must meet her mother’s every demand in order to earn her love. Her sister-in-law, Anita, grew up in poverty and now lives a comfortable life with a social status, married to Sarah’s brother, Cameron. But she lives in constant fear that everything can change in a heartbeat. Ellie is the youngest, as lived a nomadic life as she is determined to stay far, far away from the family strings. As their mother’s health deteriorates, the siblings begin to truly wonder who will get what and fight and scheme to make sure each other gets what they deserve. But soon long held secrets and childhood rivalries threaten to tear the family apart. 

This is my first book by Ms Lowe and I can say it probably won’t be my last. Birthright was like experiencing a soap opera on the page. With the twists and turns of a good drama, the reader is left guessing about each character’s motivations and schemes as they fight over their mother’s secret will, a will that she has refused to show any of them. Who gets what? And who has been left out? From the very beginning, the characters and their stories draw you in. Immediately, it becomes apparent who is scheming who out of their inheritance but will they win? It is a question that kept me glued to the page. I enjoyed how each character was written with realism as they have their own flaws, demons and motivations that neither makes them the heroes or the villains. There are a few characters that can be easily disliked but in the end, no one escapes this drama unscathed. There are a few shocking moments as the secrets are revealed. I look forward to reading Ms. Lowe’s other titles. I highly recommend Birthright. 

Birthright is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook. 

Three Sisters: a story of strength, courage and love

Three Sisters by Heather Morris is the third book in the Tattooist of Auschwitz books. It is the story of three Slovakian sisters: Cibi, the oldest, Magda, and Livi, the baby. They made a promise to their father to always watch out for each other. A promise they take to heart as they find themselves taken from their homes and imprisoned at Auschwitz. They cling together as they suffer from starvation, overwork and the brutal whims of the guards. As the allies are closing in and one last hurdle is overcome: the death march from Auschwitz. Against all odds they survived the camp and now they must find a way to survive again. But the fight for their lives and freedom are now truly beginning. The sisters must face new challenges as the world comes to grips with the events of WWII and the horrible atrocities the Nazis committed.  Can they leave the ghosts of the past behind them as they strive to find a new life with peace and happiness? 

Reading and studying the stories of Holocaust survivors, I always wondered would I have the same strength and courage to survive? One never truly knows how they will respond to a situation until they are faced with it. Inspired by a true story, the story of the sisters overlaps with those of Lale and Gita from The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka, from Tattooist as well as her own story in Cilka’s Journey. The story does not hold back on the vivid details of the horrors the sisters suffered and witnessed while at Auschwitz and even the continued prejudice once they were freed. It is a beautiful story of the amazing courage, love and strength of three sisters. There were times when I cried with the sisters, when I wanted to reach through the pages to hug each of them. I eagerly turned each page, wanting and hoping they would find the peace and happiness they desperately wanted. I highly recommend Three Sisters. 

Three Sisters is available in hardcover, eBook, and audiobook. 

The Tattooist of Auschwitz and Cilka’s Journey 

are available in paperback, eBook and audiobook

On A Cold Dark Sea: the story of three women and their fateful decisions

On a Cold Dark Sea by Elizabeth Blackwell is a story of the impossible choices we made when faced with tragedy. On April 15, 1912, three women were among survivors in Lifeboat 21 and watched in horror as the unsinkable Titanic sank into the icy depths of the Atlantic ocean. Con artist Charlotte Digby lied her way through London and onto the Titanic. The disaster provided the chance at a new life and she is determined to keep her past a secret. Esme Harper is a newlywed, returning to America from her honeymoon. On the night of the sinking, she makes a sudden choice that would change her life forever. Anna Halversson, a Swedish farm girl, is tormented by the screams that rang out from the water. Did one of them call her name? After the tragedy, the three women went their separate ways, never speaking about the events of that night. Twenty years later, a sudden death brings them back together, forcing them to face the choices they made that night, the inconceivable loss and the secrets they kept all those years.  

I have been fascinated by the Titanic sinking since high school. On a Cold Dark Sea is a different story featuring the famous tragedy. It didn’t rehash why the sinking happened but told what happened from three different perspectives, from the different classes aboard the ship. It is a story of three very different women from very different backgrounds brought together by a series of events. I enjoyed the story as there was no clear hero/heroine or villain. Each of the three women had reasons to carry a guilty conscience. Did their actions that night cause the death of someone they knew on the ship? The characters were written as real people with real decisions and real consequences. The secrets that publicly would have ruined them as well as ate away at their souls. One character laments that her decision for one man over another was “her greatest love and her greatest disappointment.” Even after 109 years since the tragedy, the events on the Titanic and the aftermath still captures our attention. I highly, highly recommend On a Cold, Dark Sea. 

 

On a Cold Dark Sea is available in paperback, eBook, and audiobook.

Obachan: the story of one woman's struggles to chase her dreams

Obachan: A Young Girl’s Struggles for Freedom in Twentieth-Century Japan by Tani Hanes is the story of her maternal grandmother, Mitsuko Hanamura. Born in 1916 in rural Japan, as the oldest girl of eight children and no money, she wanted very little in life. Just a place to call her own with a garden with lots of flowers and shelves full of books. A place where she could be alone, no need to share a bed, meal or clothes, with anyone. The only thing she could depend on was her clever brain and her determined spirit. She held her head high as she was sent to live with relatives at 13, hired out as a maid at 15 to pay off the family debt. She was desperate for an education, when she found a way to educate herself and leave the poverty behind. With so much against her, will Mitsuko find a way to break free and achieve her dreams? 

From the very beginning I was drawn to Mitsuko’s story. From the countryside of Japan to war-torn Kawasaki, Ms. Hanes chronicles her grandmother’s journey as she fights for her dreams. Bound by the social expectations, Mitsuko secretly plots and searches for ways to escape to the life she has always dreamed of. Called ungrateful and selfish by her parents, Mitsuko’s spirit could have been beaten and broken by her lack of control over her very life. But she refused to give up. She would bide her time and wait until the moment is right to break free. And every time there was a roadblock to her plan, she would plan again. Nothing was going to stand in her way of achieving her dreams. I eagerly read as I wanted to learn if Mitsuko achieved her dreams.  I loved her determination and tenacity and I loved that Ms. Hani included family pictures as she retells her grandmother’s story. I highly recommend Obachan. 

Obachan: A Young Girl’s Struggle for Freedom in Twentieth-Century Japan

Is available in paperback and eBook