I Want You to Think about Uriah the Hittite

I was thinking today about Uriah the Hittite.

Specifically, I was thinking about the moments just before his death – moments when a smart, seasoned soldier would suddenly realize his king had set him up to die.

God recorded Uriah’s story in 2 Samuel 11. We aim the spotlight on King David. You know, because he’s the hero. And this chapter is not the end of David’s story. He falls down here – way down – but he rises through God’s redemptive love.

It is, however, the place Uriah’s story ends. (At least, it’s the end of the only part of his story we’ll know this side of glory.)

Uriah’s actions are those of a man with a soldier’s honor. He fights for Israel. He’s one of David’s mighty men (2 Samuel 23:39). When his king calls him from the frontlines and indulges him with rich food and wine, Uriah must have been flattered but remained on guard. This wasn’t protocol.

Rather than enjoy the comfort of his wife, Bathsheba, Uriah camps out with David’s servants. His comrades-in-arms are not enjoying comforts this night, he reasons, why should he? He’s in the middle of a war – it’s no time to go soft. He’s conditioned himself to go without comforts during seasons of battle.

Or maybe he knew the king had slept with his woman. Servants tell tales. Word travels. Uriah’s no fool.

Or perhaps he’s subtly reminding the king he shouldn’t be sitting behind castle walls while his army battles. David has misplaced his loyalty but Uriah hasn’t.

Uriah foils David’s attempt at a cover up. Had Uriah just spent one night with his wife, the child she carried could have been his and no one would ever know it was David’s.

If Uriah suspected he’d outsmarted David, he had to know that nothing lay ahead for him but danger. His king, his leader, his hero was making choices taking them all down a dark, dark path.

David then handed Uriah a letter for Joab, the head of David’s army. Uriah carried the orders for his own death sentence. This is how trustworthy Uriah was. David knew he wouldn’t open the letter.

At the king’s instruction, Joab sends his friend, his comrade-in-arms, one of David’s heroes, to the frontline. He implements a strategy known for its high rate of failure against such cities. Uriah had to have seen the folly of it but he followed orders.

Then, when the battle was at its thickest, Uriah’s fellow warriors pull back. That’s the moment I was thinking about today. Those precious minutes when Uriah saw his friends fall away leaving him without help against the enemy.

Did he retrace the last hours in his mind? Did the pieces fall into place like a gallows puzzle? Did he look at the other fighters who died before him knowing those men perished, not for the glory of Israel, but to camouflage his murder? Perhaps a soldier who displayed such loyalty and honor embraced the death that befell him knowing the survivors lived in a world where their king had lost his way.

I want you to think about Uriah the Hittite, too.

What happened to Uriah is what results when the people of God abandon their posts.

There is a time for every soldier (Christian) to rest. There is a time for Sabbath-taking. There is a day, even for warriors, for quiet reflection and retreat.

But, this story didn’t happen when it was time to rest. It happened when it was the time to fight.

2 Samuel 11 opens with these potent words: “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel.”

At the time when kings go to battle, David remained behind. He vacated his post.

There is a subtle whisper in the air during these times in which we live and it often lands on weary Christian ears. It sounds something like this: You’ve done so much for others. You deserve a break. No one is perfect, why are you trying to be? Don’t you trust God’s forgiveness and grace? You can indulge yourself a little. Look at King David. Why, he committed adultery but God forgave him. Ease up a little. You’ve been good for so long it would be completely understandable if you went a little crazy for once. Maybe you’re being harder on yourself than God wants you to be. Who do you think you are? You’re only human.

The voice comes when we’re weary. It often comes just past middle age when we’ve worked faithfully for years. It’s not obvious because we’d catch on to obvious. It’s the Trojan horse of temptations because it sounds a little like the wisdom of self-care and appears to come from within our own thoughts.

But, it’s a killer.

Unfortunately, the victims are usually others. Yes, God’s grace is vast and He forgives and redeems but in the season of our indulgent sin, others are left at the mercy of the enemy.

This isn’t about continuing a particular ministry; it’s about maintaining communication with Jesus and a Christ-like mindset. We can resign from chairing Christian Ed without abandoning the battle. Christian leaders often remain active at their ministry even as they retreat from Christ.

I’ll explore what it looks like to stay active in battle in modern times in a future post but in the meantime, I want you to think about Uriah the Hittite, too.

What happened to Uriah is what results when the people of God abandon their posts.

We’re at war, loved ones. Let’s unite in making every effort to reduce casualties. Let us spur one another on to love and good deeds. “And let us not grow weary of doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 (ESV)

Today, I want you to think about Uriah the Hittite.

I Want You to Think about Uriah the Hittite http://t.co/AVF05J6vtU Tired of being good? Here’s your post. #temptation #amwriting #faith

— Lori Roeleveld (@lorisroeleveld) August 7, 2015