I wonder if it is too late to think about "when I grow up, I want to be..." I am already close to forty and I am still thinking about growing up and becoming a somebody. One of my heroes in the Bible is Uriah the Hittite. You don't hear much about him other than when he was betrayed by his king, David (who is also my hero). However this story tells much about what kind of man he was.
After David slept with Bathsheba and got her pregnant, he tries to cover it up by bringing Uriah from the battle.
"And Uriah came to [David], and David asked how Joab was doing and how the people were doing and how the battle was going. And David said to Uriah, Go down to your house, and wash your feet. And Uriah went forth from the king's house, and there followed him a present from the king. But Uriah lay down at the entrance to the king's house with all the servants of his lord and did not go down to his house.
And they told David, saying, Uriah did not go down to his house. Then David said to Uriah, Have you not just come from a journey? Why have you not gone down to your house? And Uriah said to David, The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in huts, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live and your soul lives, I shall by no means do this thing!
And David said to Uriah, Remain here today also, and tomorrow I will send you back. So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the following. Then David invited him to eat and drink in his presence, and he made him drunk. Then in the evening he went forth to lie down on his bed with the servants of his lord, and he did not go down to his house." (2 Samuel 11:7-13)
When David realized that he could not cover up the situation, he wrote a letter to his general, Joab, and sent the letter by the hand of Uriah saying "Put Uriah in the forefront of the hardest battle, and withdraw from him that he may be struck down and die." (2 Sam. 11:14-15)
If we did not have God, we would merely despair with this story. If we knew that following God and his servant so absolutely results in this kind of betrayal, no one would dare to go this way. However, the betrayal did not mar Uriah's life and testimony. It only reminds us that men are man, regardless how spiritual they may be. But when we follow our commander Jesus, our God, there is no regret in pouring our lives in this way.
I believe Uriah is in God's hall of fame, shining like a bright star. I wonder if in my life I could also live with this attitude "The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in huts, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife? As you live and your soul lives, I shall by no means do this thing!"
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2 comments:
Daniel,
Even though Uriah was one of the mighty warriors in David's time and was a faithful servant, I am not sure if he was saved.
Peter
Peter,
I think that Uriah was saved for 2 reasons: 1) because of what he said and 2) because of what he did.
I think that it is significant that Uriah says " The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in huts, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are encamped in the open field. Shall I then go to my house to eat and drink, and to lie with my wife?" The Ark represents God and Israel represents God's people. This shows that Uriah had an appreciation of God and His people. Like Ruth, who I believe also was saved, said to Naomi "For wherever you go, I will go, and wherever you dwell, I will dwell; and your people will be my people, and your God will be my God" (Ruth 1:16).
Also based on Uriah's refusal to go down to his house, this shows that his declaration was not a mere slogan but a deep realization that God has worked in his life.
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