Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

David attacked the Philistines and took Metheg Ammah from them. Then he defeated Moab. Wait, you say. Didn’t the king of Moab help him hide his parents in 1 Samuel 22:3-4? Yes, he did. But there is a tradition that the king of Moab killed David’s parents and all but his eldest brother (Midrash Tanchuma [Buber edition] Vayikra 28,1). Matthew Henry’s commentary also cites this story, which if true would give David a reason to have attacked Moab ‘out of the blue’. BUT there is also prophecy to consider. Balaam had prophesied in Numbers 24:17 that a Star would come out of Jacob and destroy Moab. Many scholars believe David fulfilled this prophecy here. Since Moab had been enemies of Israel, God could have instructed David – although that is not mentioned here or in Chronicles. They became tribute states to David.

Hadadezer, king of Zobah, decided maybe this new king was a pushover and came to take back his territory at the Euphrates. David stomped him. David took one thousand chariots, seven hundred horsemen, and twenty thousand foot soldiers. David didn’t keep the horses (Deuteronomy 17:15-16) except for enough for 100 chariots. The Syrians from Damascus came to help Hadadezer and David killed twenty-two thousand of them. David put garrisons in Damascus and the Syrians there brought him tribute. He brought in the gold shields that Hadadezer had and the bronze his cities had had. David put them all in Jerusalem – these materials were later used by Solomon for the Temple.

Toi, king of Hamath, heard about it and was VERY happy. Hadadezer had been at war with Toi and winning. Toi sent his son with gifts of silver, gold, and bronze. David added them to the stockpile that He was dedicating to the Lord. He fought other Syrians in the Valley of Salt (killing eighteen thousand of them). He put garrisons in Edom and the Edomites became his servants. David subdued Syria, Moab, Ammon, the Philistines (they never really had a nation like the others, but were a collection of city states that held territory), Amalek, and Zobah. The Lord preferred him wherever he went, and he subdued all the nations around Israel and expanded his territory. This was the kind of conquering the Israelites had always been meant to do, and these nations had been consistent in their abuse of the Israelites since they stopped their advance in the land (Joshua 23).

David set up a government to support him – something Saul was never recorded as doing. He had a chancellor to present him with the pressing issues he needed to rule on. Two head priests (one in Gibeon, and one in Jerusalem). He had a scribe/foreign minister to write letters in his name to other states. He had someone in charge of the Kerethites and Pelethites (the archers and sling shooters). And his sons were senior ministers throughout his kingdom. It was a good organization and shows good leadership.

David is desperate to fulfill his covenant with Jonathan (he promised good treatment of Jonathan’s descendants – 1 Samuel 18:3-4; 20:16-17, 42; 23:16-18). He must have looked and found nothing. You see, in the ancient world the new monarch would kill all the sons and grandsons of the old monarch so that no one would be available to make a claim for the throne. He heard of a servant of the house of Saul who might know something. David called for Ziba to appear before him. David asked if there was anyone in the house of Saul that he (David) could show the kindness of God? Zib knew of a son of Jonathan named Mephibosheth, a cripple (he was five when Jonathan and Saul died, so he would be around thirteen at this point).

David called him out of the house of Machir, the son of Ammiel, in Lo Debar (remember him in a few years). Mephibosheth appeared before David, apparently fearful because David told him to stop fearing. David gave Mephibosheth ownership of all Saul’s estate. David decreed that he would be welcome and expected at David’s table for meals. David placed Ziba in charge of the estate, to work it for Mephibosheth. And from that day forward he ate at David’s table like one of David’s sons.

“Afterwards the king of the Ammonites died, and his son Hanun ruled in his place.” (2 Samuel 10:1)

Now Nahash died and his son Hanun took his place. Nahash was the Ammonite king that the people had so feared that they had wanted a king in the first place. He laid siege to Jabesh Gilead and would have taken them, except Saul came and saved them (1 Samuel 11:1-11). Perhaps his defeat at Saul’s hands had made him like David – perceived as the enemy of Saul. In any case, David and Nahash had enjoyed good relations. David decided to send a party of men to comfort Hanun and send his condolences. But the advisers of Hanun saw them as spies and the gesture as a prelude to an attack. Hanun shamed the men (shaved half their beards and cut off their robes until their bums showed) and sent them packing.

They told David and he was furious. But he took care of them. He told them to stay in Jericho until their beards grew back (presumably providing for their room and board). He was NOT a happy king. The Ammonites were repulsive to him. Word got back to Hanun and now he was SURE that David was going to attack. So they hired Syrians. A whole bunch of them (20,000 foot soldiers and thirteen thousand men. 1 Chronicles 19:7 says they also had 32,000 chariots). When David heard that, he got his men together and he sent them to war. Joab led the men. David had made NO preparations before the Ammonites hired mercenaries. When the battle came, the Israelites fought well and the Syrians fled. So they fled and locked themselves in their city. The Israelites went home.

The Syrians back at THEIR home were very embarrassed about their mercenaries. To get some honour back, they got their whole group together and Hadadezer sent them against Israel. When David heard, he got the men together and they went to war. David led them personally this time. They killed seven hundred charioteers and forty thousand horsemen. All the city-kings and servants of Hadadezer saw what happened, they made peace with David. The Syrians refused to help Ammon anymore. David went home.

Time passes and we don’t know how much. But we DO know it is spring when we pick up the tale. Springtime was favourable war time, and that’s when armies were in the habit of going about seeking spoil. Normally, David as the king would be out there personally. He was anointed to be leader. But he was not doing what he was anointed to do. He was at home napping the day away. His men were at war with Joab in command. They were destroying Ammon and besieging Rabbah. David was napping. Sure, he was insisting on regular reports, but he wasn’t THERE.

He got up one evening (pretty late nap) and strolled on his roof. They had flat roofs there and they were frequently meeting places of families. Perfect for a stroll in the cool evening breeze. From that roof he looked into someone’s house and saw a woman bathing. She was ritually cleansing herself from her niddah (her period). This was a form of worship. She was beautiful, sure. But she was minding her own business. David wanted her. He inquired about her. He learned she was the wife of one of his soldiers, Uriah the Hittite (either someone who had converted or someone who had earned the name because of heroic deeds against the Hittites). She was named Bathsheba and she was the granddaughter of one of David’s advisors (Ahithophel).

Now when men went out to battle it was common to give their wives a bill of divorce. This was so if they fell in battle or worse, were missing in action, the women could remarry. This was protection against being destitute. It was a formality. When they got home, they’d tear it up, and go on married. But ‘technically’ she was currently unmarried – this was a rice paper thin technicality.

David sent men to collect her. She came. Mistake #1 for her. This powerful and handsome king with lots of experience with the ladies got her into his bed and they had sex. It wasn’t full-on rape, because she didn’t cry out (Deuteronomy 22:23-27). It *seems* like more of a Me Too powerful man ‘convincing’ a woman or ‘seducing’ a woman. But that’s a kind of rape too. Whether this was forced, semi-consensual, completely consensual, or something in between, it is labelled as DAVID’s sin. And DAVID reaps the full brunt of the adultery – she was married for real and he HAD to know it. This wasn’t love. They had no relationship. And as soon as they were done? He sent her home. This was brute lust and nothing more. Don’t make it a love story.

When a woman’s period ended, she counted off seven full days, and after that she was ‘clean’ and would wash herself to symbolise it. This also puts the washing – and her availability to her husband again – during the most fertile part of her cycle. Naturally, Bathsheba got pregnant. She told David. If she was godly, she would have confessed immediately in front of everyone and bore the brunt of the consequences. If David was godly, he would have done the same. But both of them were NOT being godly in this issue. God exposed it publicly, so we know fessing up and taking your punishment is the godly thing to do. We have no evidence Bathsheba knew of David’s ideas and coming actions or whether she EVER saw her husband again. But she certainly didn’t tell her husband what had happened by messenger or confront David/confess & sacrifice. Remember, there was a sacrifice for EVERY transgression IF they were repentant and meant it. If the heart was right, there was a way to deal with your sin before God. There would be consequences, but you’d be right before God and THAT is more important than anything.

David called Uriah home. Asked him for a situational update from the front lines. Then he sent the man home. If he had sex with his wife, the child would be thought his, and David’s ‘problem’ would go away. Uriah was too honourable. He didn’t want to enjoy himself if his brothers in arms couldn’t. He slept in the door of the house with the king’s servants. He roughed it. Didn’t go home. The next night, David got him drunk. But a drunk Uriah was still more honourable than David was being in the situation and he did NOT go home. David asked him to wait around another night and then take a message back to Joab. Instructions for the war. Uriah did it. Didn’t even peek. The instructions were for Uriah to be placed in danger and left in danger. To let the enemy kill him. Joab had no problem with that (he wasn’t honourable either – 2 Samuel 3:26-39). Uriah falls in battle.

How did David justify this? With a legal reason just as flimsy as his last. Technically, David had commanded Uriah to go home to his wife. Uriah refused, thus he had technically rebelled against his king, which was punishable by death. If David had thought about the heart of the matter, he never could have soothed his conscience with this flimsy, almost pitiful reason. But sin is emotional and not logical. I’m sure he soothed himself when he heard the news that his plan was successful. Bathsheba mourns her husband. David marries her – NOT out of love, but to conceal the sin of the child’s conception. She gives birth to a son. Everything is hunky dorey. Except God saw it all, gave David the opportunity to prove himself the man after God’s heart that he was underneath the sin, and He was DISPLEASED. It was nine months that He gave David to repent. But David didn’t say squat. It’s sad to think of how pleased he must have felt. And I wonder how badly his conscience felt the prodding of the Spirit of God.

Summary

Key Players: God, David, Joab, Bathsheba, Uriah

Key Themes: Leadership, Anointing, Sin, Loyalty

Key Verse(s): 2 Samuel 8:1-4, 13-14; 9:7-11; 10:17-19; 11:1-2, 14-15, 26-27