One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. (She had purified herself from her uncleanness.) Then she went back home. The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant." – 2 Samuel 11: 2-5
Today’s Reading: 2 Samuel 9-11; Luke 15: 11-32
Don’t do it David! Noooooooooooooo!
Uh oh… She got him. Drats.
We’ll get to David in a minute here but we gotta talk about Bathsheba for a second. You know what my first thought is every time I read this story?
She knew what she was doing…
It looks like folks have been getting trapped for millennia. The game doesn’t change… each generation just adds their own flavor to it.
Ok. If you’re lost… let me recap the play by play here.
David goes for a stroll on his roof. He’s chillin’, looking around the city and low and behold he sees a super bad woman bathing in plain view.
Who does that? Nekked for the whole city to see? Riiiiiight.
Then he has his folks go get her, he sleeps with her, and she gets preggers.
You know what David should have done right? He should have taken a play out of Onan’s handbook!
I kid, I kid.
Ok… David shouldn’t have been up on the roof peeping at folks. Yes I know that the army was away at war and he was probably just chillin in the palace board to tears. But dude… occupy your time in a more responsible manner. Go get a board game, play some backgammon, Uno, dominoes… something else other than the “peeping Tom” move.
What this situation shows is how one little thing can lead to a huge wrong. Later in the chapter David sends Bathsheba’s husband to the front lines of the war to die.
So David went from being a peeping Tom to a murderer at light speed. He made one error that continued to build on itself until he totally acted out of his character.
None of us are above this. We have all been in the position where we have told a “white lie” that snowballed into fictions so great that they could inspire award winning performances.
But when it comes down to it most of our big mistakes can be traced back to the small decisions we make. We cannot avoid all of these mistakes because we are not perfect. But, if we constantly work toward being the best that we can be and stay humble, then hopefully we will have the focus and discipline to admit our smaller wrongs before they become big ones.
Hold up.... skeeet skirrt
ReplyDeleteHow typical of a man to depict Bathsheba in such a light, or the lack thereof.
Trapping the man..... pa leasse, give me a break. Lets re-visit that scene again... shall we.
In those days, people didn’t have in-door plumbing to handle their personal hygiene needs. Most common folk used what was available to them. In other words, that meant bathing with out-door facilities.
Now, lets discuss David for a moment. Here he is, the King of Israel no doubt. What the heck is he doing on the roof-top chillin in the first place? He’s supposed to be at war leading his men.
Here’s my take on what really happened..
One afternoon, David was chillin on the roof-top, and as you so eloquently stated, was “bored to tears”. He happened to see this sista with a whole lotta junk in her trunk. C’mon now. Remember David is the King. No one can refuse the King’s request with out being.... ahh killed.
What’s a girl to do? She got herself together and shook her shimmy on down to the palace. And well you know the rest of the story.
Honestly, I believe they both maybe had ulterior motives. First, Bathsheba was lonely because Uriah was always gone. And David well, he was just not in the right place... Spiritually.
Bottom line, I believe they found love in one another and love covers a multitude of sin.
Peace
Nicole/ Nicwithpurpose
hahahahhahaaha! Hilarious... When i started reading your comment I was like she betta stop! Thanks for coming full circle in the end.
ReplyDeleteBut yep I maintain... Bathsheba know EXACTLY what she was doing. Let's not pretend like folk didn't have modesty back then. I bet you there weren't a multitude of women bathing all out in the air for anyone to see...
She didn't have a sheet? curtain? fur? blanket? quilt?
getoutaherewithallthatmess!
haha fun times.
"What’s a girl to do? She got herself together and shook her shimmy on down to the palace. " hahaha that's hilarious.
ReplyDeleteCLARENCE! This is sooo funny. Real. And funny!
ReplyDeleteMy take. She was taking a bath. She was noticed by the king. She was a groupy. And like any groupy she thought of fame (King David, oh my gooosh) and foutune before common sense. So she happily ran to the King while thinking "my one opportunity has come." I mean, if it were just a guard on the roof and not King David, would she have dressed, crossed the courtyard, ascended those stairs, bared her body, and allowed herself to be taken? By the guard?! I sayeth NOPE!
David, arrogant and egotistical at that moment said to himself, that woman, I want her, I will have her, bring her to me. And it was so. Notice there WASN'T ANY mention of force. So King David in his arrogant uncontrolled moment ALLOWED himself to be "played".
In the moment each had alterior motive without consideration of "what will happen at the end of the day". If David had considered what the end of this day coulo've brought him, he may have opted to enjoy the lovely site of an exquisite bathing beauty, from afar.
Additional thought, this isn't a situation for those of position or riches only.
ReplyDeleteThe average man may face a moment like that of David with a woman who may have some alterior motive.
As CM wrote, it is a MAN'S DECISION that seals his fate. A woman can't do anything to effect a man's life in the way stated above without his allowing it.
Last 2 anonymous posts = Alegria :-)
ReplyDelete