Power and Sex The Story of David and Bathsheba

I want to focus mostly on the actions and mind- set of David, to explore the invisibility of Bathsheba’s story. I want us to look at power, especially subtle use of power, with a quick view of our own relationships. I want to finish by looking at a new subversive power. The kingdom of God power.

1 In the spring, at the time when kings go off to war, David sent Joab out with the king's men and the whole Israelite army. They destroyed the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained in Jerusalem. 2 One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, 3 and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, "Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?" 4 Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her. Then she went back home. 5 The woman conceived and sent word to David, saying, "I am pregnant."

6 So David sent this word to Joab: "Send me Uriah the Hittite." And Joab sent him to David. 7 When Uriah came to him, David asked him how Joab was, how the soldiers were and how the war was going. 8 Then David said to Uriah, "Go down to your house and wash your feet." So Uriah left the palace, and a gift from the king was sent after him. 9 But Uriah slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master's servants and did not go down to his house.

10 When David was told, "Uriah did not go home," he asked him, "Haven't you just come from a distance? Why didn't you go home?" 11 Uriah said to David, "The ark and Israel and Judah are staying in tents, and my master Joab and my lord's men are camped in the open fields. How could I go to my house to eat and drink and lie with my wife? As surely as you live, I will not do such a thing!" 12 Then David said to him, "Stay here one more day, and tomorrow I will send you back." So Uriah remained in Jerusalem that day and the next. 13 At David's invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master's servants; he did not go home.

14 In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. 15 In it he wrote, "Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die." 16 So while Joab had the city under siege, he put Uriah at a place where he knew the strongest defenders were. 17 When the men of the city came out and fought against Joab, some of the men in David's army fell; moreover, Uriah the Hittite died.

18 Joab sent David a full account of the battle. 19 He instructed the messenger: "When you have finished giving the king this account of the battle, 20 the king's anger may flare up, and he may ask you, 'Why did you get so close to the city to fight? Didn't you know they would shoot arrows from the wall? 21 Who killed Abimelech son of Jerub-Besheth ? Didn't a woman throw an upper millstone on him from the wall, so that he died in Thebez? Why did you get so close to the wall?' If he asks you this, then say to him, 'Also, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead.' "

22 The messenger set out, and when he arrived he told David everything Joab had sent him to say. 23 The messenger said to David, "The men overpowered us and came out against us in the open, but we drove them back to the entrance to the city gate. 24 Then the archers shot arrows at your servants from the wall, and some of the king's men died. Moreover, your servant Uriah the Hittite is dead." 25 David told the messenger, "Say this to Joab: 'Don't let this upset you; the sword devours one as well as another. Press the attack against the city and destroy it.' Say this to encourage Joab." 26 When Uriah's wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. 27 After the time of mourning was over, David had her brought to his house, and she became his wife and bore him a son. But the thing David had done displeased the LORD

David had an affair with Bathsheba. She was secretly delighted to become his lover. God blessed their relationship and their heir became the ancestor of Jesus

Bathsheba seduced David. She knew her husband was away and really wanted David all the time. She knew he would be able to see her bathing from his roof top. She knew men’s fickle nature and once they get aroused they have no resistance. David is the victim of this shrewd woman.

There is another way to see the actions of David but be warned, it is not pleasant

“Special Copy of the law for the king with special advice. Do not consider yourself better than your brothers,” ………Be an egalitarian king

Do not covert you neighbours wife. Do not commit adultery. Do not steal Do not murder

The King shall not have many wives. Deuteronomy 17. Deuteronomy If a man is found sleeping with another mans wife both shall be put to death. Leviticus 20;10 If a man commits adultery with another man’s wife, with the wife of a neighbour, both must be put to death. Leviticus 18 ;20 Do not have sex with your neighbours wife and defile yourself. Exodus If a man schemes and kills another man deliberately put him to death

Did Bathsheba have a choice? What were her choices?

With the threat of death at protest there was no such thing as meaningful consent. The right word to use for what David did to Bathsheba is the same word to use for what Amnon did to Tamar. RAPE

Where there is an imbalance of power there can never be meaningful consent.

David Lust: Desire to possess Plotting Rape Cover-up Plotting Murder of Uriah

If a man steals a sheep he must pay back four sheep for the sheep. Exodus 22 vs 1 He is invoking the law to be used in his punishment

David Lust: Desire to possess Plotting Rape Cover-up Plotting Murder of Uriah Punishment; The sword in the family Wives to be taken General Admission of Sin Partial Forgiveness life spared Death of son Amnon and Absalom Lust : Desire to possess Plotting Rape Silence and inaction Plotting Murder of Amnon Punishment; banishment from kingdom Partial Forgiveness Quarantine Rebellion Death of son

David orders the killing of Joab for killing one time traitors who had turned loyal to David. Innocent men?. Yet it was David who asked Joab to kill an innocent man so he could cover up adultery for which he deserved the death penalty Revenge for Absalom? Or Did Joab know too much and was he a threat to Solomon?

My God, my God why have you forsaken me, why are you so far from saving me, so far from the words of my groaning.

David Lust: Desire to possess Plotting Rape of Bathsheba Cover-up Plotting Murder of Uriah Punishment; The sword in the family Wives to be taken General Admission of Sin Partial Forgiveness Death of son Amnon and Absalom Lust : Desire to possess Plotting Rape of Tamar Silence and inaction Plotting Murder of Amnon Punishment; banishment from kingdom Partial Forgiveness Quarantine Rebellion Death of son

What is sex called when you don’t want it. What is unwanted sexual touching by a husband or boyfriend called? Coerced sex!

Women should remain at home, sit still, keep house and bear and bring up children. If a woman grows weary and at last dies from childbearing, it matters not. Let her die from bearing-she is there to do it. And speaking of his wife Katherine The inferior ought not to glory over the superior. Katie can rule servants but not me….

Woman in her greatest perfection was made to serve and obey man.

Battered woman should …..“not deviate from the duty which she has before God to please her husband, and to be faithful whatever happens

“ girls needed to learn to cook well and to keep a house clean, and above all, never question a man.”

“To say that women often engage in unwanted sex with men is paradoxically both to state the obvious and to speak the unspeakable. While this is assertion is not a surprise to many woman, it is knowledge which usually remains private and hidden.”

Tragically what was a description for how woman would be treated has become a prescription for men on how to treat women

”So what is the political meaning of the Kingdom of God? In a sentence: it is what life would be like on earth if God were king and the rulers of this world were not. The Kingdom of God is about God’s justice in contrast to the systemic injustice of the domination systems of this world.”

The kingdom of God is here This is an upside down kingdom.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy Kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power and the glory. for ever and ever. Amen