When Kings Go To War, Pt. 1

Insight 92 | Being in the right place at the right time is how blessings flourish. It's that moment when everything and everyone perfectly sync, and doors to ideas or connections that were previously locked supernaturally open.

By the same token, there is very little worse than being at the wrong place at the wrong time. It’s those moments in life that could have and should have been avoided, but our naivety, pride, or stubbornness blinded us to their encroaching march.

One of the greatest examples of this tragedy is chronicled in the book of Second Samuel, and follows a hero of the Christian tradition, King David, his affair with Bathsheba, and the resulting murder of her husband.  Ultimately, the shepherd boy-turned-Israel's ruler does pay penance for his sin, and there's certainly a lesson here not to commit adultery or murder (obviously). But if we analyze the narrative more closely, there are three empowering insights we can draw:

1. When Kings Go To War, Go To War.

2. We Are Refined, Not Defined, By Our Mistakes.

3. God Likes To Recycle.

This week, we will explain the first of these three principles, as I believe it deserves its own space for understanding; in the next article, we will consider the remaining two.

1. When Kings Go To War, Go To War. There was once a time before Google Calendar and Excel spreadsheets managed our schedules. It was a moment in history where the world operated on the basis of seasons and tradition. Things were done at a certain time and in a certain way, as that's how the world worked, and order was kept. It was customary to follow these swells of time and strategically organize major events around them, such as festivals, farming, and even a nation's wars. The Book of Second Samuel, chapter eleven, begins with one of these periods of the year:

“In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” - 2 Samuel 11:1

Notice how the passage provides context. “In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle.” It explains that there were places to be, and moments to be there. But furthermore, observe how this same verse clarifies David's whereabouts. Where was he at the time when kings “go out to battle”?  … He was comfortable, passive, and at home. Or in other words, he was at the wrong place at the wrong time. He was setting himself up for failure, placing the very stumbling stones in his own way. The story continues into the next verse:

“It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful.” 2 Samuel 11:2

Now here is where things become historically interesting, and it's important to consider both sides of the coin. The first is David's clear intention. This act of walking on his roof seems to be part of a routine he often engages in; this wasn’t something he “happened” to do, but rather something he did regularly. 

On the other hand, there's Bathsheba, and some may be too quick to assume that she set herself up for trouble when she willingly chose to bathe within the eyesight of others, correct? No.  What likely occurred was that she was in a courtyard or closed-off space in her home, as noted in verse four, and had been participating in a covenant requirement of purification. Simply put, David has the benefit of a much higher vantage point on the roof of his home and abuses this position of power to catch glimpses into others' privacy.

The rest of the story goes as one might suspect. His lust overtakes him. He inquires about her identity, then takes her to bed, resulting in pregnancy. Realizing his predicament, he calls her husband, Uriah, back from war and attempts to entice him to sleep with her so that their son will be written off as Uriah's rather than his own. Being the good man that Uriah was, he knew how wrong it would be to lie with his wife when his comrades were struggling on the front lines; instead, he “slept at the door of the king’s house with all the servants” and waited for further instruction. David, growing angrier at Uriah's faithfulness, finally decides to send him back into battle and specifically instructs his head officer, Joab, to put him in the heat of conflict to virtually ensure his death. As expected, this very thing occurs, and Uriah is struck down, killed in combat, leaving his wife, Bathsheba, a widow.

I'd like to pause the story here for this week and pull apart the details of this section a bit more. It may be a stretch to say that Bathsheba was David's reason for not going to war, but it should be noted that having followed instructions and been in battle would have saved him from this trouble. This has had me in deep thought.

How often do we fall into this trap?  We “know” what we should be doing, but don’t do it. Sometimes physically, but mostly metaphorically. We sideline our callings. We forget our God-given dreams. We make excuses for not acting because we’re afraid of how challenging the process might be. But here's the truth. No one ever said that going to “war” was easy! Yet, in times when kings MUST fight, staying out of battle isn't choosing peace; it's accepting passivity.

That was man’s first treason, allowing another to convince us of a lie rather than taking up arms in defense of what was true. When kings go to war, the easier choice is to stay home, but by doing so, we inadvertently trade what seems like a pleasurable present for predictable future problems. Guaranteed. 

This is what happened to the great King David. A moment of weakness that has led to a tarnish on his legacy for all time. This is the danger of staying on the sidelines. Of being in the wrong place, at the wrong time.

But notice this doesn't happen by accident. The verse leads us to reasonably conclude that David had fallen into a rhythm of taking walks on the roof. While we can’t say for certain, 2 Samuel 11:2 casually begins with “it happened,” almost as if to specify during which of the many occasions of his roof strolls he laid eyes on Bathsheba. David had not only become complacent but also emotionally and spiritually apathetic. Indifferent. He felt little to nothing when taking another man's wife and then condemning that very same man to his death.

This was not an overnight misstep; rather, it is the result of a long process that hardens a man's heart until what remains is a toxic shell that blinds his decisions and thinking. A fall fueled by his calloused soul. But then again, who are we to judge? Don’t we allow ourselves leniency here and there? An extra bite of “this”, or one more hit of the snooze on our priorities won’t destroy us, right? Maybe not today, but King David's story serves as a critical reminder not to grow cocky or prideful in our stance, because when we do, we fall into distraction and miss the call to battle when it's time for the kings to go to war.

1 Corinthians 10:12 says it best, “If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall.”

—

This week, it's essential that we pause to consider whether there is something we should be doing that we have been putting off, or a place we need to go but have decided to avoid. Of course, this isn't just a physical question, but a spiritual one.

Secondly, what are you doing that you know you should leave behind? Is there a habit you have allowed to grow like a weed in your life? Something that should be pulled out, but you're comfortable with? Remember, our hearts don’t harden overnight (it’s a slow fade), but because the process is gradual, we might not notice it and, as a result, miss the trumpet's call when it's our turn to fight the good fight.

In the season that the kings go to war, we must put on our armor, pick up our sword and shield, and go. Staying behind would cost us too much, just ask David.

- Making The Most Of Being Curious

Daniel J. Cuesta

P.S. As mentioned earlier, I believe there is much more to this story, and two perspective-shifting principles are still left to be disentangled from the broader arc:

2) We Are Refined, Not Defined, By Our Mistakes.

3) God Likes To Recycle.

In the meantime, continue to fight the good fight.

Sources:

When Kings Go To War, Go To War: In the spring of the year, the time when kings go out to battle, David sent Joab, and his servants with him, and all Israel. And they ravaged the Ammonites and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem. It happened, late one afternoon, when David arose from his couch and was walking on the roof of the king’s house, that he saw from the roof a woman bathing; and the woman was very beautiful. - 2 Samuel 11:1–2

The Power Of Being In The Right Place At The Right Time: For if you keep silent at this time, relief and deliverance will rise for the Jews from another place, but you and your father’s house will perish. And who knows whether you have not come to the kingdom for such a time as this?” - Esther 4:14

Check Your Balance: If you think you are standing strong, be careful not to fall. - 1 Corinthians 10:12