This is probably one of the more important writings I'll do. And I'm going to try to do it in ten minutes or less.
David wasn't an adulterer. Ok. He was. He was also a rapist.
There. That was easy.
Ok, an explanation. I would consider adultery to be consensual. Wait, you say. What David and Bathsheba did was consensual. Was it?
In the time of David, women were property. Treated horribly. Men had all kinds of wives. When David summoned for Bathsheba, she lost her right to make a choice. Come with us or die. It's that simple. And that barbaric. So even if she enjoyed David, what he did is nothing short of rape. Even if it was culturally acceptable. That's what it was.
6 minutes to go.
Upon learning Bathsheba was pregnant, he sent for her husband who was fighting a war. He had hoped to have her husband, Uriah, sleep with her while he was home. But Uriah would not. He could not in good conscious enjoy his wife and bed while his men were fighting. So he stayed with the kings servants. Then David put Uriah on the front lines to have him killed. He then took Bathsheba to be his wife.
We don't really hear what was going on in Bathsheba's mind. But when you look at what was "normal" it's an easy guess that she had no options. And I'm not singling out David. It was all men.
Lets just start calling it what it was. Rape.
When I was in 8th grade we learned about this story in sunday school. I'll never forget when the teacher asked if we thought David felt sorry for what he had done. And without missing a beat (for the sake of identity let's call him) Sane Landifer, replied "Not while he was doing it."
Think about it. Let it sink in. Whether Bathsheba liked it or not, did she have a choice? And remember, it wasn't Bathsheba on the roof bathing. It was David on the roof looking around. It doesn't say where Bathsheba was. At least the version I read.
Ten minutes. Not too shabby. Feel free to disagree. But in my book. David raped her.
I have taught it this way in the past. And as wrong as what he was in his actions, there is speculation taking place when handing down a guilty sentence for rape. One must be careful not to interject speculation as fact or to cultural norm as though everyone lived the lifestyle of the cultural norm. And did he regret it? Well we still have what is considered by some Hebrew experts as the most amazing poetry ever which some of it was inspired by hardship and regrets. And even still, God called David "A man after God's own heart." I love to teach of David's shortcomings, but love to teach how God used him greatly.
ReplyDeleteYes, cultural norms. He didn't do anything out of the ordinary. But in todays cultural norms, a woman not have an option to say no and having sex with her is rape. In todays culture adultery is someone that has sex with someone outside of their marriage with another consenting adult. This isn't what happened with David, so calling it adultery is also false. So if it's neither rape or adultery....what is it?
DeleteI don't think David did as many great things as all of us that grew up in the church did. I think too many times people focus on the people that God works through, and not as much what they can learn about God. And some of those things make God look like a total asshole compared to Jesus.
David is no Jesus. I am really close to believing for certain the old testament was God's experiment (or God's master plan) to show us ways that will never work to advance humanity and love. The heroes of the old testament...they aren't heroes and shouldn't be celebrated as heroes. They were a small part in a much bigger story.
A few days ago, I wrote a blog called "the next..." Same deal here. If you start teaching about all these great things that people in the bible did, children (and many adults) start comparing the things they do for God to those "great ones" in the bible. than shame sets in because they don't feel like they add up. comparison is the devils greatest tool.
I had no idea i'd write this much. That's a start anyway.