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. 

Delilah: lessons about temptations, sin and its consequences

A person’s greatest achievement may be helping others. Some people may prevent others from achieving great things. The story of Samson and Delilah is a well known one. Delilah is the harlot of an unknown nationality who used her beauty to betray Samson, her lover, and played the fool three times as she tried to find the secret to Samson’s strength, until she ultimately achieved her goal. She played a minor role in Samson’s story; but her minor role had devastating results. Motivated by greed, Delilah used Samson’s infatuation with her to her advantage. Blinded by his love and possibly his pride, Samson was weakened to the warning signs. Their story is told in Judges 16:4-22. Who was Delilah? What is the theme and warning of their story? What lessons can we learn from the story of Delilah and Samson? 

The five Philistine kings hated Samson, the long-haired strongman, who had set their fields on fire (Judges15:4-5) and slain a thousand men (Judges 15:8). Each offered a lot of money to Delilah to find the secret to Samson’s strength. She had her beauty and skills as a prostitute to weaken him, she knew Samson would tell her and eventually he did. Three times, she asked him the secret, and three times he told her lie after lie, until she had enough. She pouted and proclaimed if he really loved her, he would tell her the truth. Her nagging finally wore him down and he told her the truth: his hair. When he fell asleep, she cut his hair and woke him up as the Philistines attacked. He woke up to fight back as he always had but he was unable to subdue them and he was easily overtaken. They gouged his eyes out and imprisoned him. The Bible doesn’t mention Delilah again. But it’s not the end of Samson’s story. He would eventually gain his strength and kill more Philistines with his death than he did in life. 

One main theme in Delilah’s story is temptation and the dangers of an unhealthy relationship. An interesting note: the meaning of her name seems to mean, “night” from the Hebrew word, layla, as Samson’s name, Shimshon, means “sun.” “As night overcomes the mighty sun, so Delilah overcomes the apparently invincible strongman, Samson” (Exum). A clue to the dangers of their relationship? Judges 16:4 states that Samson loved Delilah, but not that she loved him back. Perhaps, a hint that she truly did not care for him and had no qualms about betraying him (Exum). She makes no pretense of her intentions to find out Samson’s secret. Three times she asks and three times there is an attempt to overcome him. So why did he finally reveal the truth? The story of Samson and Delilah is a warning about being careful of the company you keep. As 1 Corinthians 15:33 says, “Do not be misled: Bad company corrupts good character.” Delilah was a bad influence who wore Samson down to reveal his story, despite all the signs, all the red flags (Bolinger, 2020). 

There are many lessons in her story. First, be careful with temptations, especially sexual temptations. Sex creates a “two-becoming-one” bond (Genesis 2:24) which is very difficult and painful to separate (Bolinger, 2020). Second, we need to be careful who we place our trust. We need to make sure that a person is trustworthy. It is a lesson we continually learn throughout our lifetime. We cannot let our guard down. Samson let his guard down and let Delilah impair his judgment to eventually reveal his greatest weakness (Bolinger, 2020). Third, sins have consequences, even forgiven sins. Samson suffered the consequences for his lapse in judgment. According to John Piper (1991), there are many goals for God-sent consequences for forgiven sins, one being the consequences are to humble and sanctify the sinner. As Hebrews 12:6 says, “Because the Lord disciplines those he loves, and punishes everyone he accepts as a son.” When we come to the Lord to confess sins and seek forgiveness, he promises to no longer remember our sins (Isaiah 43:25). We must remember that consequences from sin are not an indication that God is angry.” (Stanley, 2015).

In conclusion, the story of Delilah and Samson is an example to be careful about the people we trust and the relationships we engage in. Not all people have our best interests at heart and not all relationships are good for us. Their story is also another example that God loves us and will not abandon us even when we make mistakes, even when we sin. Delilah was motivated by greed and used her sexual hold on Samson to gain the information she needed. Samson was blinded to the warnings and red flags before his ultimate downfall. While he was physically blinded, he sought his strength one more time, for God to remember him (Judges 16:28). God can help us turn a bad situation to good for his glory. All we need to do is turn to him and seek his guidance. 

References

Bolinger, Hope (January 6, 2020). Who Was Delilah in the Bible?. Christianity.com. https://www.christianity.com/wiki/bible/who-was-delilah-in-the-bible.html. Retrieved March 24, 2021. 

Exum, J. Cheryl (no date). Delilah: Bible. Jewish’s Women Archive. https://jwa.org/encyclopedia/article/delilah-bible. Retrieved March 24, 2021. 

Piper, John (August 26, 1991). Consequences of Forgiven Sin. Desiring God. https://www.desiringgod.org/articles/consequences-of-forgiven-sin. Retrieved March 24, 2021. 

Stanley, Charles J. (January 16, 2015). Forgiveness and Consequences. In Touch Ministries. https://www.intouch.org/read/forgiveness-and-consequences. Retrieved March 24, 2021. 

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth: love or hate it, we've all been there

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth by Lindsey Lee Johnson is a story set in a place that many of us either relish or dread: high school. The story opens in the eighth grade with Cally Broderick being called into the office for neglecting to do her homework. While she is there, she unwittingly extends an act of kindness to the awkward kid at school. This sets off a chain of events which leads to a shocking event. Fast forward three years, Molly Nicoll is the new English teacher at the high school, she finds Cally, and her classmates in their junior year. Each chapter gives a different perspective of the same high school. You have the brain who must live up to his parents’ expectations. The talented dancer, the jock, the screw-up and all the other characters we seem to meet in high school. Their stories intertwined into a climax which leave the students and teacher baffled by the turn of events. Who will see their dream come true and who just wants to survive high school?

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth is set in Mill Valley of Marin County, California, an area of affluence and privilege. However, inside this high school we see the same issues and attitudes that this story could be set in almost any high school in America and the events could still resonate with us whether we enjoyed high school or were happy it was over. I highly recommend The Most Dangerous Place on Earth as a story that our actions have consequences and those consequences can follow us for the rest of our lives.

The Most Dangerous Place on Earth

will be available on Amazon and Barnes and Noble

on January 10, 2017

in hardcover and ebook

David: lessons in faith, forgiveness and accepting God's plan

David is considered one of the greatest men in the Old Testament. From his humble beginnings as a shepherd boy, he was chosen by God to be become king. He is a poet, writing many of the 150 Psalms. He slayed the giant Goliath when no one else dared to try. He would be an ancestor of Jesus. His son, Solomon, would be known as the wisest king in the world. However, he was also a liar, adulterer and a murderer. Despite his flaws, David was considered a man after God’s own heart (1 Samuel 13:14, Acts 13:22). Through his strengths and weaknesses, his successes and failures, we can learn from David’s example. God looks in our heart first when calling us to serve. Forgiveness of our sins does not remove the consequences of sin. Accepting when God answers our prayers with “no” for He has something greater planned for us.

First, God sees our heart when calling us to serve. In David, God saw a man who had an unwavering faith. In David, God saw a man who loved him and wished to serve him to the best of his abilities. In 1 Samuel 16:7, God tells Samuel “…the Lord does not look at the things man looks at. Man looks at the outward appearance but the Lord looks at the heart” when He called David to be the anointed king. God saw that David’s heart sought Him. He trusted Him and worshipped Him in all he did. David was outraged that Goliath, the Philistine, dared dare defy God (1 Samuel 17:26). David saw a mortal man defying almighty God. He knew he would not fight alone. God would fight with him. 1 Samuel 17:46, David says “…I come against you in the name of the Lord Almighty, the God of the armies of Israel, whom you have defied.” And when David was successful, he attributed his success to God. Not his own strength or cunning but to God. When the ark was returned to Jerusalem, David danced and leaped in front of the ark as it entered the city. His wife, Michal, would despise him due to his actions and confront David about his behavior. David replies, “It was before the Lord….I will celebrate before the Lord” (2 Samuel 6:21). You may ask, what does David’s faith have to do with me? David was the youngest son of a shepherd but God saw in his heart a desire to serve him. God made him king of Israel. He became a very important ancestor in the genealogy of Jesus. I believe that God will reward us beyond our wildest dreams for our faith and desire to serve Him.

Second, forgiveness of our sins does not remove the consequences. The best example of this is David’s affair with Bathsheba and the murder of her husband, Uriah. As told in 2 Samuel 11-12, King David sees the beautiful Bathsheba bathing one night. He sends for her to his room where he sleeps with her, knowing full well that she is another man’s wife (2 Samuel 11:3-4). When David gets word that Bathsheba has become pregnant, he tries to cover up his sin by bringing Uriah home from the battlefield to sleep with his wife and trick him into thinking he is the father (2 Samuel 11:6-13) When this fails, David sends Uriah to the front line where the fighting is the fiercest (2 Samuel 11:15) and Uriah is killed. David later marries Bathsheba and she gives birth to a son. Nathan, the Lord’s prophet, comes to David and confronts him. David immediately seeks forgiveness and he is forgiven but the consequence of his sin will be the death of his son. (2 Samuel 12:3-4). Sin has irreversible consequences. The saying “it is better to seek forgiveness than ask permission” simply isn’t true. “I’m sorry” doesn’t erase the hurt and devastation caused by a sin. You may ask why the child had to die. To me, the child’s death was a greater punishment to David than his own. Knowing the consequence could be the death of an innocent child. Therefore, be quick to seek forgiveness and confess our sins but be prepared for consequences of those sins.

Third, accepting when God answers our prayers with “no” is one of the hardest aspects of faith. Despite his faith and heart for God, David was not allowed to build a temple for the ark, a “home” for the Lord. David wanted to build a place for the ark of God, which remained in a tent while David lived in a palace (2 Samuel 7:2). The prophet, Nathan, tells him to go ahead and build the temple but receives a message from God that that was not his desire (2 Samuel 7:3-16). In this message, the Lord tells David that his job is to unite the people of Israel as one nation. This task would require a great deal of David’s time and energy and a great deal of bloodshed as he would defeat Israel’s enemies. And David’s son will build the temple (2 Samuel 7:12-13). David’s request was good. He had the best intentions when he wanted to build a temple for the Lord. But the Lord had a greater plan for David and told him no. When I pray, even though I desire God to tell me yes, I always remember that God answers prayers in three ways: yes, no and not yet. It takes great faith to hear “no” or “not yet” as God has a greater plan for me in my future. Maybe I am not ready for my request to be fulfilled. Maybe He sees something else in my future, something better than I was asking for. Whatever the reason for God’s answer, I know that when He answers “no,” He still loves me. There have been many times when I prayed for something and it didn’t happen. However, down the road I was blessed with something greater and better. I know it was God finally saying “yes.”

In conclusion, David was a great man of faith who performed great feats for the Lord. He had a heart to serve God and a faith to help him in uncertain situations. However, he was a man who faltered and sinned. No matter what his sin was, he was quick to confess his wrongdoings and seek forgiveness from God. We can see David’s life as an example of how a faithful man lives. He wasn’t perfect. He failed, he sinned but he always sought after God. He lived a life to please God and not others. He also accepted when God answered his prayers with “no.” Can you imagine what blessings God could bestow on us if we had a heart and faith like David’s? If we were quick to confess our sins and seek forgiveness? And if we were more willing to accept God’s “no” as an answer to our prayers? 

Secrets of a Charmed Life: a story of choices and survival

Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner is the story of one woman’s journey through WWII in England as her life is torn apart by the London Blitz. The description on the back of the book says it all: “She stood at a crossroads, half-aware that her choice would find her down a path from which there could be no turning back. But instead of two choices, she only saw one- because it was all she really wanted to see…”

The story opens with Kendra Van Zant, an American college student studying abroad at Oxford, is on her way to interview Isabel MacFarland, a survivor of the London Blitz and who has refused interviews until now. Kendra arrives on the day of Mrs. MacFarland’s 93rd birthday party. As they settle down for the interview, Mrs. MacFarland opens her story with she is not Isabel and she’s not 93. The story then turns to London in 1941, as Emmy Downtree, 15 years old and her seven year old sister, Julia, are admiring dresses in the window of a bridal shop. Soon, Emmy and her sister are sent to the country as the children are evacuated from London. Even though Emmy enjoys her stay in the country with her foster family, she foolishly heads back to London. Her world would be torn apart on September 7, 1940 as the London Blitz begins. Emmy is separated from her mom and sister. We know that she survives the Blitz but will she find her sister and how does she change her name is Isabel?

I received a copy of this book through Goodreads as a part of their book giveaway. Since I have read a couple of books by Ms. Meissner before, I was anxious to read this one. I thoroughly enjoyed this story. I loved the detailed about wartime England, the descriptions of the London Blitz were terrifying and the reader will get a sense of what it was like to be in London at the time. I loved reading how Emmy becomes Isabel and how she rebuilds her life after the war. I highly recommend this book.

Secrets of a Charmed Life by Susan Meissner

Will be available February 3, 2015

On Amazon for the Kindle $7.99 and paperback for $15

As well as other booksellers

"The Light Between Oceans" by M.L. Stedman: a story of a life-altering choice

The Light Between Oceans by M.L. Stedman is a heartbreaking story in which no one comes out the winner. It is a story of choices and consequences. The book is told in three parts. The story opens on April 27, 1926, when Tom Sherbourne, the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock, makes a horrifying discovering. A boat has washed ashore with a dead body and a crying infant.

Tom Sherbourne is a World War I vet, a decorated hero who would rather forget the events that occurred in Europe. He makes his way to Point Partageuse where he has signed on as the lighthouse keeper on Janus Rock. There in town, he meets Isabel “Izzy” Graysmark. They marry and begin a life on the rock. Life quickly becomes harsh when Izzy suffers two miscarriages and delivers a stillborn son. The next day, Tom makes his discovery. Izzy desperate for a child, begs Tom not to record the event in the lighthouse log book and they would raise the child as their own. Seeing how happy she is and against his better judgment he agrees. They present the child as their own. Together they live as a family for two years when they return to town on their annual leave. There they learn the identity of the man who died and the events that led him into the boat. They also discover that the baby’s mother is still alive. Hannah Roennfeldt is a desperate woman who spends her days wandering around the shore, searching for her husband and daughter who disappeared on ANZAC Day. Tom wants to confess what has been done but Izzy believes it’s too late. After four years, their secret is out. The questions start. Who is right? Who takes the blame? Who is this child’s mother?

This book was recommended to me by my Aunt Sharon. I was curious about this story. A story that reminded me of the King Solomon story from the Bible where two women fight over a surviving child. As a woman who had lost two babies, I understand Izzy’s desperation and thinking that the baby’s arrival at the lighthouse was a gift from God. On the other hand, as a mother of a daughter, I understand Hannah’s desperation, the fight to keep her only child and the desire to punish the people who took her from her. In this story, there are no clear winners, no clear happy ending. No matter the choice, one woman will be hurt and the course of a child’s life is altered forever.

I highly recommend this book. It is a great story in an amazing backdrop, the western coast of Australia. My only complaint is that the author never explain what ANZAC day was. It is mentioned several times in the story that I had to look it up. ANZAC Day is a day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand that commemorates its citizens who served and died in all wars, conflicts and peacekeeping operations observed on April 25. It was originally organized as a day to honor the members of the Australia and New Zealand Army Corps (ANZAC) who fought at Gallipoli in World War I.