Year B July 29, 2018 PROPER 12 (17) Tenth Sunday after Pentecost
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPPH-rDQtVg
I think the words go, "you saw her bathing on the roof her beauty in the Moonlight overthrew you.". These are words from the song Hallelujah (Leonard Cohen). The song goes on with many other biblical references although it is song about love and it isn't a gospel song. However this little section refers to the story of David and Bathsheba.
The story of David and Bathsheba appear in the Scripture reading for this weekend. I find it interesting that we refer to it this way, and not as the story of David and Uriah (Bathsheba's husband). For the uninitiated, this story is about David taking another man's wife, she falls pregnant, and then he tries to cover it up by bringing Uriah back from the fighting so that Uriah would think that the child is his.
Traditionally I think we've all thought about this story as being a story of adultery and that was the great sin that David committed. But it's worse than that, David actually committed murder.
When David's cover up plan didn't work he organised for Uriah to be put at the front line of the fighting, therefore Uriah was killed.
A Couple of things that have suddenly struck me. Firstly the fact that we have traditionally read this as a story of adultery, rather than murder (and really it should be the other way around), tells me a lot about our society.... And secondly, there is a whole lot we need to learn by looking more at what happens between David and Uriah.
Here is a reflection question for you; When we do the wrong thing, do we aim to manipulate someone innocent into the web of our actions so that they become entangled and as they struggle, like a fly in a spiders web, they take the focus away from us?
Uriah did not cover up David's action. Because Uriah was resolute in his convictions and could not be caught in David's web , David had to manipulate the situation for Uriah to be killed. When we come across someone who won't "play our game", do we discredit them in the eyes of others... Do we gosip about them... Do we hate them?
I remember two of my friends from long ago ...one strongly disliked the other because the goodness of one showed up the other.
The story of David's interaction with Uriah goes on all the time yet because we've focused on the story of David and Bathsheba we've not learnt this lesson. We need to learn this lesson because people are dying on the inside because of our actions and they are innocent.
There's a line in the story that says the thing that David did displeased the Lord . Every one immediately thinks of Bathsheba and David, forgetting Uriah, not even remembering his name.
Great blessing came from David and Bathsheba as Bathsheba was eventually to give birth to the great King Solomon, however Uriah's story ends. Might I suggest that this was really the thing that displeased the Lord.
The most incredible thing about this story really is that David was a favourite of God's. He did this really, really horrible thing and God still loved him and forgave him. True he was confronted by God and made to face the error of his ways but God continued to be with him.
The writer of Amazing Grace understood this incredible forgiveness. He had been involved in the slave trade and understood well the manipulation, the deception, the disregard for human life, and the murder. This was the reality of John Newton and when God confronted him opening his eyes to what was really going on, he also repented.
To repent comes from a word which means to turn around and go back the other way, and it's to do with changing our mind. These people realized the errors of their ways and they repented, and in that repentance they understood the Amazing Grace of God who can forgive even someone who commits these horrible, horrible things.
The story of David and Bathsheba appear in the Scripture reading for this weekend. I find it interesting that we refer to it this way, and not as the story of David and Uriah (Bathsheba's husband). For the uninitiated, this story is about David taking another man's wife, she falls pregnant, and then he tries to cover it up by bringing Uriah back from the fighting so that Uriah would think that the child is his.
Traditionally I think we've all thought about this story as being a story of adultery and that was the great sin that David committed. But it's worse than that, David actually committed murder.
When David's cover up plan didn't work he organised for Uriah to be put at the front line of the fighting, therefore Uriah was killed.
A Couple of things that have suddenly struck me. Firstly the fact that we have traditionally read this as a story of adultery, rather than murder (and really it should be the other way around), tells me a lot about our society.... And secondly, there is a whole lot we need to learn by looking more at what happens between David and Uriah.
Here is a reflection question for you; When we do the wrong thing, do we aim to manipulate someone innocent into the web of our actions so that they become entangled and as they struggle, like a fly in a spiders web, they take the focus away from us?
Uriah did not cover up David's action. Because Uriah was resolute in his convictions and could not be caught in David's web , David had to manipulate the situation for Uriah to be killed. When we come across someone who won't "play our game", do we discredit them in the eyes of others... Do we gosip about them... Do we hate them?
I remember two of my friends from long ago ...one strongly disliked the other because the goodness of one showed up the other.
The story of David's interaction with Uriah goes on all the time yet because we've focused on the story of David and Bathsheba we've not learnt this lesson. We need to learn this lesson because people are dying on the inside because of our actions and they are innocent.
There's a line in the story that says the thing that David did displeased the Lord . Every one immediately thinks of Bathsheba and David, forgetting Uriah, not even remembering his name.
Great blessing came from David and Bathsheba as Bathsheba was eventually to give birth to the great King Solomon, however Uriah's story ends. Might I suggest that this was really the thing that displeased the Lord.
The most incredible thing about this story really is that David was a favourite of God's. He did this really, really horrible thing and God still loved him and forgave him. True he was confronted by God and made to face the error of his ways but God continued to be with him.
The writer of Amazing Grace understood this incredible forgiveness. He had been involved in the slave trade and understood well the manipulation, the deception, the disregard for human life, and the murder. This was the reality of John Newton and when God confronted him opening his eyes to what was really going on, he also repented.
To repent comes from a word which means to turn around and go back the other way, and it's to do with changing our mind. These people realized the errors of their ways and they repented, and in that repentance they understood the Amazing Grace of God who can forgive even someone who commits these horrible, horrible things.
And so the message for us is to open our eyes and see what we are really doing. Question ourselves and ask if we are manipulating and hating someone else to cover up our own inadequacies and iniquities. And secondly, our message from this, is to understand that our iniquities or sin, our failings, are all forgivable.
God continued to be with David and bless him. God chose him as the ancestor of a line of kings that followed through to Jesus Christ. King David’s line lasted forever and yet King Saul’s did not. The difference perhaps being that David humbly sought God most earnestly, and honestly repented.
Ephesians 3:16 – 19 “ I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.”
God is extravagantly generous with his love, forgiveness and provision. Why are we not exuberantly delighting in this? I suspect that when we do understand, we can then truly begin to live the life that God intended. Let go of your failings… they are forgiven!!! Dealt with on the cross once and for all. Hallelujah !
