A Journey Through The Old Testament - Elmer Towns

his own bed in Jerusalem rather than to go to the battlefield with his men. In fact, he had
suspected Ammon would not be much of an enemy to defeat, so he had sent his men to fight
under Joab while he himself remained in his palace. But he just couldn’t get to sleep one night no
matter how hard he tried. Maybe some fresh air would help, so he went to the roof of his house
to walk about.
BATHSHEBA: THE WIFE OF URIAH THE HITTITE
(2 Sam. 11:1-27)
It was while he was standing on the roof that he first saw Bathsheba. She was bathing at
the time and the absence of clothing only served to accentuate her physical beauty. As David
continued watching, he began asking questions. He learned her name was Bathsheba, the wife of
one of the thirty-seven elite military commanders identified as “David’s mighty men.” He knew
her husband Uriah well. Uriah had proved himself a soldier of excellence on the battlefield
where it counted. And he knew where Uriah was at the time—camped out in Ammon waiting for
the city of Rabbah to fall.
No longer was David interested in trying to get to sleep. It was Bathsheba who now
captivated his mind. Watching her bathe at a distance, he decided to bring her closer. It would be
less conspicuous if she were to come to the palace than if he were to go to her home, so he sent a
messenger to summon her to his presence. There in the ornate palace and in the presence of her
respected and beloved king, she succumbed to his improper advances. They found themselves
sharing a common bed betraying an honorable husband and faithful friend. By morning
Bathsheba had returned home, and no one had to know what had taken place. But Bathsheba had
conceived, and very soon thereafter both she and her king realized they had a problem to resolve.
The advantage of being king is that there are times you can pull strings and do things no
one else could do. David was sure he had a plan that was guaranteed to work. It was about time
he got another report from the battle and he would call Uriah to return with the report. He would
return to Jerusalem, spend a few nights with his wife, then return to the battle where he was
needed. How could Uriah resist the charms of his lovely wife! When she later gave birth to her
child, Uriah would remember the weekend he had come home from the battle and simply assume
he had fathered the child.
But Uriah was a disciplined soldier who would not allow himself to enjoy the simple
pleasures of life when there was a battle to be won. Though his home was in the city, Uriah
insisted on sleeping at the door of his king’s palace. “The ark and Israel and Judah are dwelling
in tents,” he explained, “and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open
fields. Shall I then go to my house to eat and to drink, and to be with my wife? As you live, and
as your soul lives, I will not do this thing” (2 Sam. 11:11). Uriah’s statement amounted to an
oath sworn on the life of his king.
David did not have much time to act. He knew Bathsheba would begin to show evidences
of her condition soon and he did not want to find himself in the midst of a moral scandal. He
decided to try again. He invited Uriah to be his guest at a banquet the next night and made sure
Uriah was drunk before he left. But even in his drunken state, he did not return home to his wife
but remained at the palace. It was time for David to initiate his alternative approach to resolving
the problem.
The next morning, David sent Uriah back to the battle with sealed orders for Joab. Uriah
was to be sent on a suicide mission which would attempt to storm the walls of Rabbah. David
made it clear to Joab he wanted to receive the report of Uriah’s death. Though Uriah had held the