LESSON 6   
   *October 30 - November 5   
   Uriah: Faith of a Foreigner   
      
   SABBATH AFTERNOON   
      
   Read for This Week's Study:   
      
   1 Sam. 26:5-11, 2 Samuel 11, Esther 8:17, Psalm 51, Isa. 56:3-7, Eph. 2:19.   
      
   Memory Text:   
      
   "Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with   
   all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5, NIV).   
    Imagine that you are buying a train ticket. You stand in line for a long time   
   and worry about missing your train. Finally you pay, receive your ticket, and   
   run to the train. On the way you count your change and discover that you have   
   been given far too much. What do you do? Stand in line again to return the   
   money and perhaps miss your train or simply consider this your lucky day and   
   move on?   
      
   What you do in this situation will depend on your understanding of right and   
   wrong. Ethics is the way that we apply this understanding in our everyday   
   life. Nowadays, the most popular type of ethics is situation ethics, which   
   suggests that there are no moral absolutes. It often means doing whatever is   
   most beneficial for oneself in a particular situation.   
      
   This week we'll see a powerful contrast of ethics, between those of King David   
   and of the soldier Uriah. However horrible David's actions are, they appear   
   even worse contrasted with those of Uriah. Though we aren't told much about   
   Uriah, what we discover of him and his unfortunate fate can teach us what it   
   means to live out one's faith as opposed to just talking about it.   
      
   *Study this week's lesson to prepare for Sabbath, November 6.   
   SUNDAY   
   October 31   
      
   The Slippery Slope   
      
   Read 2 Samuel 11 and ask yourself, How could someone so honored of God stoop   
   so deep into sin? What warning should this present to all of us?   
      
   We cannot study the story of Uriah without looking at David. In David's   
   association with Uriah, we can see David at his worst. The author of Samuel   
   does not sing the hero's praises while ignoring his sins. The story of David,   
   Bathsheba, and Uriah marks a turning point in the life and reign of David. Up   
   to this point, David is portrayed as someone going from strength to strength.   
   Second Samuel 11 depicts the beginning of David's downfall.   
      
   Some may want to see in David's sin an excuse for their own. However, the   
   narrator emphasizes that sin has consequences and shows how many lives one   
   particular sin affected. The first to suffer as a result of David's sin is   
   Uriah, followed by the child born to David and Bathsheba. David loses   
   credibility in his family, and the repercussions spread from a family problem   
   to a problem of national proportions. The chain reaction that David's sin has   
   set in motion widens to include rape (2 Sam. 13:14), murder (2 Sam. 13:28,   
   29), and many lives lost in a rebellion (2 Samuel 15). Even if repentance   
   gains God's mercy, the author of the book of Samuel clearly points out  to us   
   that sin has grave consequences (2 Sam. 12:13, 14).   
      
   The story of David, Bathsheba, and Uriah is told in a carefully structured   
   way. The biblical author uses action words (often involving the verb to send)   
   in order to contrast Uriah and David's behavior. Let's have a look at the   
   structure of the story, based on the main action.   
   	o 	David sends Joab to fight the Ammonites (11:1).   
   	o 	David inquires about and sends for Bathsheba (vss. 3, 4).   
   	o 	David commits adultery with Bathsheba (vs. 4).   
   	o 	Bathsheba sends a message about her pregnancy (vs. 5).   
   	o 	David sends for Uriah (vs. 6).   
   	o 	Uriah refuses to sleep with Bathsheba (vs. 13).   
   	o 	David sends the death warrant with Uriah (vss. 14, 15).   
      
   As can be easily seen, "sending" is a very important activity in 2 Samuel 11.   
   When we send someone around, we normally have power over that person. Looked   
   at from this angle, David is truly the most powerful character in our story.   
   He does most of the sending. He controls the members of the cast. He shapes   
   and destroys their lives. He looks like a typical ancient Near Eastern   
   absolute monarch of his time. However, there is one thing that David does not   
   control: sin. Although he seems to control the outward action, sin controls   
   his choices and motivations.   
      
      
   MONDAY   
   November 1   
      
   No One Is an Island   
      
   The entire story of David and Uriah is set against the backdrop of a war with   
   the Ammonites. Read 2 Samuel 11:1 carefully. What subtle criticism of David   
   does the author include?   
      
   David decides to stay home and sends out his army under Joab. This was, of   
   course, David's first mistake. He had somehow begun to believe that he really   
   was more special than his men and was, therefore, not to put himself in   
   danger. David had not yet learned that the greatest dangers are almost always   
   from within, not from without. The great problem with power or authority is   
   the way it easily leads us to distort our own self-perception. We think that   
   we are somehow better than others and above the laws or rules that hold for   
   others.   
      
   Compare the forms of leadership that David exercises in the story of 1 Samuel   
   26:5-11 and in 2 Samuel 11. What difference do you see?    
   In the stories describing how David spared Saul's life, David leads by example   
   and asks for volunteers. But now, in the time of 2 Samuel 11, instead of being   
   out with his troops and leading them, and depending on God for guidance and   
   personal safety, David finds himself on a hot, humid evening up on the flat   
   roof of his palace (in order, perhaps, to catch the evening breeze). The   
   palace, probably built on the highest section of the fortress city, has a   
   commanding view of most of Jerusalem. David scans the rooftops and sees a   
   woman bathing. Then he sends someone to find out the identity of the woman. He   
   sends for the woman, knowing full well that she is the wife of Uriah, the   
   Hittite. The Hebrew verb that is used to indicate David's command to Bathsheba   
   is very strong. In other contexts it is used to indicate that something is   
   taken by force (Gen. 14:11). David follows his desires and, while the hormones   
   are pumping, he completely brackets out what he knows about right and wrong.   
   Little does David imagine, in that moment, the far-reaching effects that will   
   follow from this personal decision he makes. By deliberately flaunting his   
   power, he will directly affect the lives of Bathsheba, Uriah, an unborn child,   
   and the course of Israel's history.   
   Think about the decisions you make. Are they based mostly on reason, rational   
   thinking, and logic, or are they based on emotion and passion? Which way of   
   thinking seems to dominate you? Is there a right balance between these   
   motives, and, if not, how can you find it?    
   TUESDAY   
   November 2   
      
   A Foreigner in Israel   
      
   Throughout this chapter, Uriah is referred to as Uriah the Hittite. So, who   
   were the Hittites? The Hittites of Palestine were an ethnic group with an   
   uncertain relationship to Neo-Hittite states to the north. In the Old   
   Testament world--culture, nationality, race, and religion were very much   
   interconnected. For this reason, the Old Testament strongly criticizes and   
   prohibits intermarriage between Israel and the surrounding nations. The   
   prohibition given in Deuteronomy 7:3 is repeated at each major revival in   
   Israel. A key to understanding the prohibitions against intermarriage is   
   religion. The Old Testament is full of examples of foreigners who accept the   
   God of Israel, and the Bible regards their assimilation to Israel positively.   
   In the case of Uriah, the assimilation is in the form of marriage as well as   
   religion.   
      
   What are some examples of foreigners who were assimilated into Israel? Josh.   
   6:25, Ruth 1:1-16, Esther 8:17, Isa. 56:3-7.    
   Ruth, the Moabitess, left her land, people, and religion and went with her   
   mother-in-law back to Israel. Her famous words underline the important concept   
   of adopting not only another people but also another God: " 'Don't urge me to   
   leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay   
   I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God' " (Ruth 1:16,   
   NIV). The assimilation includes not only exemplary daughters-in-law but also   
   lying prostitutes. Remember Rahab, the prostitute who rescued the two spies?   
   Here was someone who responded very positively to the little light she had and   
   chose to believe that the God of Israel was powerful and faithful. Sometime   
   after the fall of Jericho, Rahab marries Salmon and, together with Ruth, is   
   included in the genealogy of Christ (Josh. 6:25, Matt. 1:5).   
      
   Uriah was not the only Hittite to have served David. First Samuel 26:6   
   mentions Ahimelech the Hittite. However, Uriah became one of David's elite   
   warriors (1 Chron. 11:41). Interestingly, if Eliam the father of Bathsheba (2   
   Sam. 11:3) was the same Eliam, who was the son of Ahithophel the Gilonite (2   
   Sam. 23:34), then Uriah had indeed married into a very influential family. His   
   father-in-law also would have been an elite warrior and son of David's   
   esteemed counselor. This could explain the proximity of Uriah's house to the   
   palace, and it may provide a reason for Ahithophel's  later defection to   
   Absalom's conspiracy. It may well be that he held a grudge against David for   
   the treatment of his granddaughter Bathsheba and the murder of her husband,   
   Uriah.   
   Read Ephesians 2:19. How can Ruth's, Rahab's, and Uriah's assimilation into   
   Israel help us to establish our personal spiritual pedigree? How does this   
   passage help us understand that no matter our background, through Christ we   
   can be accepted into "the household of God"?    
   WEDNESDAY   
   November 3   
      
   What's in a Name?   
      
   Names were very important in the biblical world. A name told of the person's   
   cultural heritage and beliefs, or pointed to the wishes of the parents for the   
   child. Often a change in life circumstances or beliefs was indicated by a   
   change of name.   
      
   Note the following biblical characters' new names and mark the reason given   
   for the name change:    
   Abram (Gen. 17:5)   
      
   Jacob (Gen. 32:27, 28)   
      
   Daniel (Dan. 1:7)   
      
   After Jacob's night of wrestling with the celestial visitor, he experienced   
   perhaps one of the most far-reaching name changes in all sacred history. Out   
   of a "deceiver" (Jacob) became a "may-God-strive-for" (Israel), and all of his   
   descendants became known as "Israelites," or the children of Israel.   
      
   In the case of Daniel, the name change has a different purpose. King   
   Nebuchadnezzar wanted to make sure that the young exiles knew who was in   
   control. He also wanted to brainwash them somehow. Daniel's name was changed   
   from "God is my judge" to "protect the life of the prince" (Belteshazzar) in   
   an attempt by the heathen king to undermine Daniel's allegiance to his God.   
      
   The name of Bathsheba's husband is not unique in biblical history. During the   
   time of King Hezekiah, a prophet by the name of Uriah communicated God's   
   judgment against Jerusalem (Jer. 26:20-23). Interestingly, Uriah's name is   
   Hebrew and could be translated as "my light is the Lord" or "flame of the   
   Lord." While he may have been a Hittite by birth, by choice he belonged to the   
   God of Israel. Uriah's ethnic background underlines the fact that God does not   
   look at the outside but knows the heart. Having family members in prominent   
   church positions or great godly ancestors does not give us a better standing   
   before God. Neither does our family history or even our past personal history   
   affect our acceptance with God.   
      
   By dying for all humanity, Christ tore down all barriers between all people   
   (Gal. 3:28). The Cross proves us all equal before God; Christ's death was for   
   every human being, for every human being is of infinite value in His eyes.   
   Sure, God has at times given different groups special tasks and callings, but   
   that's not the same as saying some people are of more value to God than   
   others. The Cross proves that point wrong.   
       
   THURSDAY   
   November 4   
      
   A Man of Principle   
      
   In the biblical narrative, Bathsheba appears as a passive character, and the   
   biblical author refrains from making any comments about her accountability or   
   involvement. However, even though she appears to be passive in the entire   
   account, she, too, will pay a high price. Her baby son will die. The only time   
   that Bathsheba speaks is when she sends a message to David to tell him that   
   she is pregnant (2 Sam. 11:5). David figures that if he can get Uriah home for   
   even one evening, then it would appear that the baby was Uriah's, and David's   
   sin would go undetected. And so David sends for Uriah, who has to make a   
   tiring 40 mile (approximately 65 km) trip to Jerusalem. After making some   
   small talk, David sends Uriah home with a veiled command that he go and sleep   
   with his wife (2 Sam. 11:8). In an effort to appear generous, he even sends a   
   gift to Uriah's home, thinking that the situation is all taken care of.   
   However, Uriah, being a man of principle, cannot be manipulated. The next   
   morning David hears that Uriah spent the night in the gate with the servants   
   of the king. The situation is quickly slipping out of David's control. David   
   sends for Uriah. He is becoming frustrated. Uriah is showing him up badly.   
   David, who was once a man of integrity, now cannot seem to understand Uriah's   
   integrity.   
      
   What does 2 Samuel 11:10-13 tell us about Uriah's motives? What other examples   
   can we find in the Bible of those who acted with the same kind of integrity?   
      
   Uriah's answer shows that he was not a nominal believer but had completely   
   identified himself with the God of Israel and his comrades. Uriah believed   
   that it was wrong to use his situation for personal comfort or advantage. The   
   same David who once showed complete loyalty to King Saul (even though Saul was   
   persecuting him) now cannot understand the loyalty and faithfulness of Uriah.   
      
   David resorts to a disgusting scheme. He deliberately gets Uriah drunk in an   
   attempt to break down his principles. It is interesting to note that the same   
   scheme was used by the two daughters of Lot, and it led to the origin of the   
   Ammonites (Gen. 19:30-38)--the very people that the Israelite army is   
   fighting. Despite his impaired reasoning, Uriah refuses to compromise his   
   values and again spends the night among the king's servants.   
   Read Psalm 51 in the context of 2 Samuel 11. What can we learn from it about   
   the nature of sin, of repentance, and of God's grace?    
   FRIDAY   
   November 5   
      
   Further Study:   
      
      
   "The Bible has little to say in praise of men. Little space is given to   
   recounting the virtues of even the best men who have ever lived. This silence   
   is not without purpose; it is not without a lesson. All the good qualities   
   that men possess are the gift of God; their good deeds are performed by the   
   grace of God through Christ. Since they owe all to God the glory of whatever   
   they are or do belongs to Him alone; they are but instruments in His hands.   
   More than this--as all the lessons of Bible history teach--it is a perilous   
   thing to praise or exalt men; for if one comes to lose sight of his entire   
   dependence on God, and to trust to his own strength, he is sure to fall. . . .   
      
   "It is impossible for us in our own strength to maintain the conflict; and   
   whatever diverts the mind from God, whatever leads to self-exaltation or to   
   self-dependence, is surely preparing the way for our overthrow. The tenor of   
   the Bible is to inculcate distrust of human power and to encourage trust in   
   divine power.   
      
   "It was the spirit of self-confidence and self-exaltation that prepared the   
   way for David's fall. Flattery and the subtle allurements of power and luxury   
   were not without effect upon him. Intercourse with surrounding nations also   
   exerted an influence for evil. According to the customs prevailing among   
   Eastern rulers, crimes not to be tolerated in subjects were uncondemned in the   
   king; the monarch was not under obligation to exercise the same self-restraint   
   as the subject. All this tended to lessen David's sense of the exceeding   
   sinfulness of sin. And instead of relying in humility upon the power of   
   Jehovah, he began to trust to his own wisdom and might."--Ellen G. White,   
   Conflict and Courage, p. 177.    
   Discussion Questions:   
      
      
     In your class, have individual members identify roles or positions in which   
   they have or have had power or influence. Discuss what can be done to   
   safeguard against a misuse of power in these positions. How can we help   
   someone who we see is in danger of misusing authority or influence?    
     Look at the ethnic, cultural, and socioeconomic makeup of your Sabbath   
   School class. How welcome would people from other groups or nonchurched people   
   feel in your class? What could you do as a Sabbath School class to reach out   
   to "foreigners"?    
     Uriah--honest, loyal, principled--gets murdered by his own king, whom he   
   faithfully served. David--dishonest, treacherous, deceitful--gets the   
   beautiful woman as a wife and lives for many more years. Discuss.    
    As a class, go over Psalm 51 and discuss what it teaches about forgiveness.   
   How can we learn to accept forgiveness for ourselves when we might be guilty   
   of sins as bad as David's here?    
      
   --- Thunderbird 2.0.0.24 (Macintosh/20100228)   
    * Origin: Fidonet Via Newsreader - http://www.easternstar.info (1:123/789.0)