Today's Scripture Reading (September 3, 2025): Psalm 101
There are several stories that we remember about King
David. Some of them are good. Like the day the shepherd boy was sent by his
father with some food for his brothers who were on the front line of a battle
between Israel and the Philistines. The phrase "front line" may need explanation
because it doesn't sound like a place where any shepherd boy would be.
Essentially, the two armies were facing off against each other, but at this
moment, there was no real fighting going on. Instead, a Philistine giant was
stepping forward and taunting Israel, offering to go one-on-one with an
Israelite hero. Maybe the best Israel had to offer was their King, and he wasn't
about to fight Goliath.
Enter David. He hears the taunt and wonders why no
one is answering the call to fight the giant. And if no one else is going to
fight, then David decides he will. We know the story. David steps forward with
a slingshot and five stones. I love all of the myths that we have built around
the five stones. Why would David take five stones? I think the same question
could be asked of a gunfighter: why bother putting more than one bullet in your
six-shooter? Maybe the answer to the five stones is simply because you might
miss with one or two. However, David wins, and he only needs one stone.
However, some of the stories are sad and should never
have occurred. One day, David goes up on the roof of his palace and he sees a
woman bathing. David falls in love, but she is married. He sends for this woman
whose name is Bathsheba, sleeps with her, and she becomes pregnant. David has a
problem, so he sends for her husband, a man named Uriah. David sends for Uriah,
hoping that while he is back in Jerusalem, he will go home to his wife, and
when her pregnancy is revealed, he will believe that the child is his,
conceived during this time of reunion. Unfortunately, Uriah refuses to go home
to his own bed while his friends are in the field. So, he sleeps on the floor
of the palace, and David's problem doesn't go away. As a result, he sends
instructions to his general on the battlefield that ultimately lead to Uriah's
death.
It is this story of Bathsheba and Uriah that I am
reminded of as I read this Psalm. David says that he wants to keep the ones who
are faithful close to him; the ones whose walk is blameless are the ones he
wants serving him. The language is an exaggeration; no one is as good as David
says they are, but we understand what David is saying. Having said that, Uriah
would seem to be precisely that kind of person. Uriah is the kind of man that
David says he wants around him. Yet, David isn't loyal to this trustworthy
warrior and abuses his power to have Uriah killed.
We all make mistakes, but we also need to learn from
the mistakes of others. Living loyal lives is essential, but it is also hard.
It was something David would come to understand, and hopefully, we can learn
that lesson as well, and we can be as trustworthy as we wish those around us
would be.
Tomorrow's Scripture Reading: Psalm 103
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