Show Notes
In this tenth week of “Ordinary” (or “Normal”) time, Case reflects on 2 Samuel 11 and how the story of David and Bathsheba serves as a powerful reminder of the ethical responsibilities of leadership and the serious consequences of personal misconduct.
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Episode Transcript
My great grandmother’s tombstone has carved on it, “God gave us memories that we might have roses in December.” I love that. I love that saying and use it often at funerals. But for our purposes today, in this week of normal time in the Christian calendar, let’s consider the roses. When and how do the roses bloom in your life?
Where does that sweet aroma of Christ emerge from your time spent in prayer, scripture study, service to the poor, and genuine fellowship? Let’s fertilize those roses today with the following devotional.
2 Samuel 11:1-15
In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab with his officers and all Israel with him; they ravaged the Ammonites, and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David rose from his couch and was walking about on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; the woman was very beautiful.
David sent someone to inquire about the woman. It was reported, “This is Bathsheba daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite.”
So David sent messengers to get her, and she came to him, and he lay with her. (Now she was purifying herself after her period.) Then she returned to her house. The woman conceived; and she sent and told David, “I am pregnant.”
So David sent word to Joab, “Send me Uriah the Hittite.” And Joab sent Uriah to David. When Uriah came to him, David asked how Joab and the people fared, and how the war was going.
Then David said to Uriah, “Go down to your house, and wash your feet.” Uriah went out of the king’s house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah slept at the entrance of the king’s house with all the servants of his lord, and did not go down to his house.
When they told David, “Uriah did not go down to his house,” David said to Uriah, “You have just come from a journey. Why did you not go down to your house?”
Uriah said to David, “The ark and Israel and Judah remain in booths; and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field; shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do such a thing.”
Then David said to Uriah, “Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back.” So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day. On the next day, David invited him to eat and drink in his presence and made him drunk; and in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house.
In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab, and sent it by the hand of Uriah. In the letter he wrote, “Set Uriah in the forefront of the hardest fighting, and then draw back from him, so that he may be struck down and die.”
2 Samuel 11 tells the story of King David’s adultery with Bathsheba in the subsequent attempt to cover it up. This narrative provides profound insights into the ethical responsibilities of leaders and the far-reaching consequences of their personal failings. Marriages are an essential building block for society and the marriages of leaders are highlighted in such a way that their health and brokenness reverberates widely.
King David’s actions in this passage highlight a profound ethical failing in an abuse of power. As a leader and a follower of God, David had a duty to act with integrity and uphold moral standards. Instead, he succumbed to personal desires, committing adultery with Bathsheba, and then orchestrating the death of her husband Uriah to cover up his sin.
Leaders are held to high standards because their actions have significant impacts on others. David’s failure demonstrates how personal misconduct can lead to a cascade of unethical decisions, harming innocent people and undermining trust. In modern contexts, this underscores the importance of leaders maintaining personal integrity as their behavior sets the tone for the entire organization or nation they lead.
David’s attempt to conceal his wrongdoing through deceit and ultimately murder illustrates the destructive nature of cover-ups. Efforts to hide ethical breaches often lead to more severe moral failures and legal or social repercussions. Transparency and accountability are crucial for maintaining trust and integrity in leadership.
You know, David’s sin affected not only himself and Bathsheba, but also the entire nation. Uriah’s death was a loss for his family and comrades. And the moral fabric of the society was weakened by the actions of its leader. Leaders must recognize that their personal failings can have wide-ranging consequences impacting the lives of those they are meant to serve and protect.
The story of David and Bathsheba does not end with David’s failure. Later in the narrative, David is confronted by the prophet Nathan and ultimately repents for his sins. This aspect of the story highlights the possibility of redemption and the importance of accountability. Leaders who acknowledge their mistakes, seek forgiveness, and strive to make amends can restore their integrity and rebuild trust.
The story of David and Bathsheba serves as a powerful reminder of the ethical responsibilities of leadership and the serious consequences of personal misconduct. It calls leaders to maintain integrity, uphold transparency, and embrace accountability to serve their communities faithfully and effectively.
2 Kings 4:42-44
A man came from Baal-shalishah, bringing food from the first fruits to the man of God: twenty loaves of barley and fresh ears of grain in his sack. Elisha said, “Give it to the people and let them eat.”
But his servant said, “How can I set this before a hundred people?” So he repeated, “Give it to the people and let them eat, for thus says the LORD, ‘They shall eat and have some left.'”
He set it before them, they ate, and had some left, according to the word of the LORD.
Let us pray. Heavenly Father, we come to you with heavy hearts, lifting up to you the marriages in our community that are broken and in need of your healing touch. We acknowledge that marriage is a sacred covenant, a reflection of your love and unity. And we grieve for those relationships that are struggling.
Lord, we pray that you pour out your grace and mercy upon these couples. May your Holy Spirit move in their hearts, softening them and opening them to forgiveness, understanding and compassion. Remove any bitterness, anger or hurt that may have taken root and replace them with love and patience and kindness. We pray for reconciliation and restoration. Where there has been infidelity, distrust or betrayal, we ask that you bring your miraculous healing.
May your love cover a multitude of sins and pave the way for renewed trust and commitment. Strengthen their bond and help them to rebuild their relationship on a foundation of faith and love in you. Lord, we also pray for wisdom and support for those who are walking alongside these couples. Give friends, family, and counselors the right words to say and the best actions to take to offer encouragement and godly advice.
Above all, we pray that your will be done in these marriages. May each couple turn to you as their source of strength and guidance. Let them find peace and comfort in your presence and may their renewed love be a testament to your power and glory. In Jesus’ name we pray, Amen.
John 6:1-21
After this Jesus went to the other side of the Sea of Galilee, also called the Sea of Tiberias. A large crowd kept following him, because they saw the signs that he was doing for the sick. Jesus went up the mountain and sat down there with his disciples. Now the Passover, the festival of the Jews, was near.
When he looked up and saw a large crowd coming toward him, Jesus said to Philip, “Where are we to buy bread for these people to eat?”
He said this to test him, for he himself knew what he was going to do. Philip answered him, “Six months’ wages would not buy enough bread for each of them to get a little.”
One of his disciples, Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, said to him, “There is a boy here who has five barley loaves and two fish. But what are they among so many people?”
Jesus said, “Make the people sit down.” Now there was a great deal of grass in the place; so they sat down, about five thousand in all. Then Jesus took the loaves, and when he had given thanks, he distributed them to those who were seated; so also the fish, as much as they wanted.
When they were satisfied, he told his disciples, “Gather up the fragments left over, so that nothing may be lost.”
So they gathered them up, and from the fragments of the five barley loaves, left by those who had eaten, they filled twelve baskets. When the people saw the sign that he had done, they began to say, “This is indeed the prophet who is to come into the world.”
When Jesus realized that they were about to come and take him by force to make him king, he withdrew again to the mountain by himself. When evening came, his disciples went down to the sea, got into a boat, and started across the sea to Capernaum. It was now dark, and Jesus had not yet come to them.
The sea became rough because a strong wind was blowing. When they had rowed about three or four miles, they saw Jesus walking on the sea and coming near the boat, and they were terrified. But he said to them, “It is I; do not be afraid.” Then they wanted to take him into the boat, and immediately the boat reached the land toward which they were going.
