Juicy Bible Story

Juicy bible story preached today: David and Bathsheba. Good stuff for a sermon if you’re not squeamish about your heroes in the faith. Here’s a man especially blessed in many ways; warrior, friend, poet, musician, and politician. There’s a Greek word, “erate,” which as an ideal means excellence in all things. In the scriptures, surely David most closely fulfils this Greek ideal. And to top it all, we are told that this was a man after God’s own heart. Don’t you wish that were you?

Yet this was a man who failed UTTERLY in this case. MK—who (bless her heart) did not preach squeamishly about this—didn’t accuse him as violently as I’d accuse him here: I’d have called him a murderer and a Jody-bleeper.

Somebody told me once they thought the Bible was a filthy book. Yeah, it’s about people, and if you tell the truth about them it quickly gets filthy.

From a 12-step perspective, it’d be pointed out that David’s enemy in this case was complacence. His success granted him sufficient leisure to get in such a jam. Had Israel been beset by a truly fearful enemy, he would’ve been in the field with Uriah, rather than at home betraying him. The program would also note that this was pretty much an idea conceived in isolation and carried out in relative secrecy. We’re only as sick as our secrets; yet another reason to talk to my sponsor or to be sharing honestly with one of you. And, oh yeah, under the subject of denial, did you note that David wasn’t clear that he had done wrong until he was rebuked by God’s prophet, Nathan. See II Samuel 12:1-9 for one of the most stage—worthy scenes in the Old Testament. David states what appropriate punishment would be for such an act, “the man who has done this deserves to die.”

Both he and I are fortunate that God’s patience exceeds our guilt.
I am proud that MK called a spade a spade here: it was sin that caused this tragedy. And she went on to state that King David isn’t the only example we have and called the governor of South Carolina by name, thank you very much. But she didn’t stop there and named us as well—all of us—as dirty rotten sinners in need of the absolute radical grace of God. I am proud that at twenty-four or three she knows this. At 23 (heck, at 40) I didn’t know that: I thought all I had to do was try harder. And I am proud that as mission and justice-driven as the PC-USA is today, it is partially responsible for transmitting this to her. Finally, and I praise God, I am proud that this is preached here, on the corner of Kirk and Columbia today.

It is no small comfort to me that the Word contains numerous examples of people who have failed; Noah, the drunk; Samson, the idiot; Peter, the denier, et al. It tells me someone like me belongs in this narrative, this river of the people of God struggling not only with the world, but with themselves, people who are incapable of managing their own lives. Sin hurts. No wonder we seek refuge in the wounds of Christ.