… and Uriah the Hittite. There were thirty-seven in all. – 2 Samuel 23:39

Today's Scripture Reading (November 14, 2025): 2 Samuel 23

You know the story. David goes up on the roof in the evening to look over the city. It was a common practice for women to place a bathtub full of water on the roof. The heat of the day would warm the water, and the lady of the house would go and bathe in it in the evening. It is unlikely that David didn't know what he was going to see.

What David sees is a beautiful woman taking a bath, and the King is smitten. Did he know who this woman was or that she would be there beforehand? I am not sure of the answer to that question. However, David thinks he is in love. He sends for this woman, and she comes to him. Today, this would be a significant misuse of power. The question that needs to be asked is "Could this woman say no to the King?" The answer to that question is pretty obvious: no.

David sleeps with this woman, whose name is Bathsheba, and she becomes pregnant. Her husband is in the army, fighting and defending Israel. David sends for the husband of Bathsheba, ordering him to return to Jerusalem. The King hopes that while he is home, Bathsheba's husband will go and sleep with his wife and come to accept that the child is his. But this soldier is too principled to do that. He sleeps on the floor of the palace, refusing the comforts of home because his brothers in arms are not able to share that comfort in their homes. So, Bathsheba's husband is sent back to the battle with orders that will essentially mean that he cannot survive the battle. According to the Jewish Encyclopedia, David enjoyed such an elevated position in Judaism that the rabbis placed the blame for this soldier's death on the soldier. After all, if he had only followed the demands of his King and gone home to his wife, there would have been no need to have him killed. I don't follow that warped logic.

Bathsheba's husband was Uriah the Hittite. And as David's life draws to a close, Uriah the Hittite is listed as one of David's Mighty Men. It is a sad conclusion to this list of heroic men who had sacrificed so much for David and Israel, and yet the King had not always given them the same honor in return.

For us, this mention of Uriah, rather than just highlighting a flaw in David's character, is a reminder that we all have character flaws. And we all sin. I believe that when we are aware of our flaws, we have the opportunity to overcome them and improve. I know that David could have done better. But he didn't, and as a result of David's flaws, someone died.

Perhaps, because we are familiar with this story, we can do better.

Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 108