ECCLESIOLOGICAL ETCHINGS
June 14, 2022
The Bible is not exactly what one might think it is. There are places where the commentary of the writers is dripping with sarcasm, irony or satire. But to the casual reader, the somewhat hidden criticism may not be noticed. In 2nd Samuel 11, the story of King David and Bathsheba, we find the words: “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.” Did you notice it? King David, at the time all other kings were headed to battle, decided to stay at home. There was a battle to be fought, and he sent people to fight, but he chose to remain in the safety of Jerusalem. The words “… the time when kings go to battle” were not required, but the writer did so on purpose. From our perspective, thousands of years after David, it is easy to find flaws, but the writer was communicating about a beloved character in Israel’s history. Though time had passed, it was still a harsh criticism of someone who was revered. These moments help us to understand scripture, but not as some direct dictation after God said, “Write this down!” These were people who were living complex lives, trying to determine what faithfulness looked like in their unique contexts. They were also creative in their use of rhetoric, often telling a story with a clear agenda in regard to how they wanted their audience to hear the story. I think the author of 2nd Samuel still liked David, but had no interest in providing some squeaky-clean perspective. King David made mistakes, and history needed to remember the whole story.
Holy God of Truth, help me to learn the realities of history, even with its messiness and flawed characters. Hiding from the fullness of the story is one of the great mistakes made over and over again. Give me the courage, O Gracious God, to continue the journey. Amen.
