Uriah,the Hero
The Hero Uriah
I would wager most people, even many who aren’t Christians, know the story of David and Bathsheba, and with good reason. It’s a powerful tale of a powerful man God had favored and blessed beyond imagination betraying his Lord. It shows that even the best of us can slip up, and that if we return to God repentant, contrite, and broken-hearted, God can restore us no matter how great the sin ( Psalm 51).
And yet, because that typically becomes the focus of the study, we often forget a second lesson contained within the scripture. As humans tend to do occasionally, we focus on the negative part of the story and don’t talk about the good. While almost everyone knows about David and Bathsheba, how many of us know the hero of their story: Uriah?
Uriah the Hittite was Bathsheba’s husband when she had her affair with King David. He was away fighting in the Lord’s army at the time. It was only after David discovered she was carrying his child that he sent for Uriah, implying that David never intended to come clean or repent had a child not been conceived ( II Sam. 11:5-6 ). In fact, he only summoned Uriah back to cover his own sin, hoping Uriah would spend the night with his wife so nobody would suspect David was the father.
Keep in mind, Uriah’s house was so close to the palace that one of David’s servants could easily identify Bathsheba after seeing her from David’s rooftop ( II Sam. 11:3 ). Despite this, Uriah refused to go home and be with his wife while his brothers-in-arms were on the field of battle defending Israel ( II Sam. 11:11 ). David even went so far as to get him drunk. Yet even inebriated, Uriah’s conviction, devotion to his fellow soldiers, and sense of duty were so strong, that he still refused to enjoy the comforts of his wife and home ( II Sam. 11:13 ).
Contrast that to what the scripture says about David earlier in the passage. We’re told in II Samuel 11:1 that it was the “time when kings go out to battle … But David stayed at Jerusalem.” This functions as a cautionary tale against neglecting our duties. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. When compared to the dedication Uriah had to his duty and his sense of honor, David’s is sorely lacking. This contrast should inspire us to be more like Uriah and devote ourselves to daily doing what God asks of us ( Prov. 12:24 , II Tim. 2:15 , Heb. 12:4-8 ).
We can clearly see here an example of the principle given in Hebrews 12:11 , where we are told discipline yields righteousness. Uriah’s discipline governed his actions, leading him to a life of honor and righteousness, whereas David, in this episode of his life, neglected his responsibilities, and it led to sin and suffering.
Unable to get Uriah to spend the night with Bathsheba, David did the only thing he could think of to guard his pride and keep his wickedness a secret: murder Uriah and take his wife. He ordered his General to place Uriah at the front of a battle and abandon him ( II Sam. 11:15 ). This may well have been the cruelest thing David could have possibly done. He used Uriah’s goodness against him.
David gave his instructions in the form of a letter to Joab, a letter David entrusted Uriah to deliver himself. Now why would David risk sending Uriah, whom he wants to be absolutely certain dies, with his own death note? David is a cunning strategist, so why run the risk of having Uriah read the letter, especially over a journey that might have taken days or weeks? Because David knew the kind of man Uriah was. Sending the letter with Uriah wasn’t a risk because Uriah was so honest, so honorable, that David didn’t even consider the possibility that Uriah would do what he wasn’t supposed to do and read the orders.
The cruelest part was ordering the troops to leave Uriah to die on the field of battle. Keep in mind, this is a man who is so devoted to serving his nation and so committed to his brothers in Israel’s army that he refused to enjoy home and relax while they were sleeping in tents and fighting the enemy. Then one day this dedicated soldier is doing his best to defend his homeland and his king, and suddenly these men he loved so much and to whom he was so profoundly loyal just abandon him to die on the battlefield, and Uriah had no idea why.
I can only imagine how he died, feeling confused and betrayed that men he fought and bled with on the battlefield turned their backs on him with no explanation. Sadly, David was so caught up in his sin that when Joab expresses concern about why the king ordered him to ensure an innocent man and good soldier died, David responds callously by telling him not to worry about it, because people die in war all the time ( II Sam. 11:25 ). It’s truly sad to see how cruel David’s sin had driven him to be.
David slept with Bathsheba and murdered her husband to cover it up. Bathsheba committed adultery with David. Joab followed orders even though he knew what David was asking of him was wrong. The saddest part of this story is that Uriah died as a result of being the only person in this whole episode who did the right thing and followed God. He sought righteousness when everybody else pursued what they wanted.
In that sense, he reminds me of Jesus. Obviously, Uriah is an imperfect human, not God-in-the-flesh, but I believe there’s a powerful parallel to draw here. Like Uriah, Jesus also died for being the only person willing to do what was right. Pilot let an innocent man die to protect his political aspirations. Judas betrayed Jesus. Peter denied Jesus. The apostles scattered. The elders presented false evidence to convict an innocent man. And Jesus died to cover all our sins because we didn’t do what God asked of us.
Uriah also died in an attempt to cover up sin, though in a very different way. That to me is the takeaway from Uriah’s story. When we commit a sin, we often tell ourselves, “At least it’s only hurting me.” But someone innocent is always hurt when we ignore God’s laws. Hebrews 6:6 even tells us that our sins “…crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Our sins hurt us, hurt others, and hurt Christ every single time.
While we’ll never be perfect, we can ask forgiveness and repentance, just like David eventually did ( II Sam. 12:13 ). However, despite our shortcomings, let’s always be dutiful in the Lord’s work and in diligently and rigorously pursuing righteousness, just like the hero Uriah.
Matthew 6:33 – But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
I would wager most people, even many who aren’t Christians, know the story of David and Bathsheba, and with good reason. It’s a powerful tale of a powerful man God had favored and blessed beyond imagination betraying his Lord. It shows that even the best of us can slip up, and that if we return to God repentant, contrite, and broken-hearted, God can restore us no matter how great the sin ( Psalm 51).
And yet, because that typically becomes the focus of the study, we often forget a second lesson contained within the scripture. As humans tend to do occasionally, we focus on the negative part of the story and don’t talk about the good. While almost everyone knows about David and Bathsheba, how many of us know the hero of their story: Uriah?
Uriah the Hittite was Bathsheba’s husband when she had her affair with King David. He was away fighting in the Lord’s army at the time. It was only after David discovered she was carrying his child that he sent for Uriah, implying that David never intended to come clean or repent had a child not been conceived ( II Sam. 11:5-6 ). In fact, he only summoned Uriah back to cover his own sin, hoping Uriah would spend the night with his wife so nobody would suspect David was the father.
Keep in mind, Uriah’s house was so close to the palace that one of David’s servants could easily identify Bathsheba after seeing her from David’s rooftop ( II Sam. 11:3 ). Despite this, Uriah refused to go home and be with his wife while his brothers-in-arms were on the field of battle defending Israel ( II Sam. 11:11 ). David even went so far as to get him drunk. Yet even inebriated, Uriah’s conviction, devotion to his fellow soldiers, and sense of duty were so strong, that he still refused to enjoy the comforts of his wife and home ( II Sam. 11:13 ).
Contrast that to what the scripture says about David earlier in the passage. We’re told in II Samuel 11:1 that it was the “time when kings go out to battle … But David stayed at Jerusalem.” This functions as a cautionary tale against neglecting our duties. Idle hands are the devil’s workshop. When compared to the dedication Uriah had to his duty and his sense of honor, David’s is sorely lacking. This contrast should inspire us to be more like Uriah and devote ourselves to daily doing what God asks of us ( Prov. 12:24 , II Tim. 2:15 , Heb. 12:4-8 ).
We can clearly see here an example of the principle given in Hebrews 12:11 , where we are told discipline yields righteousness. Uriah’s discipline governed his actions, leading him to a life of honor and righteousness, whereas David, in this episode of his life, neglected his responsibilities, and it led to sin and suffering.
Unable to get Uriah to spend the night with Bathsheba, David did the only thing he could think of to guard his pride and keep his wickedness a secret: murder Uriah and take his wife. He ordered his General to place Uriah at the front of a battle and abandon him ( II Sam. 11:15 ). This may well have been the cruelest thing David could have possibly done. He used Uriah’s goodness against him.
David gave his instructions in the form of a letter to Joab, a letter David entrusted Uriah to deliver himself. Now why would David risk sending Uriah, whom he wants to be absolutely certain dies, with his own death note? David is a cunning strategist, so why run the risk of having Uriah read the letter, especially over a journey that might have taken days or weeks? Because David knew the kind of man Uriah was. Sending the letter with Uriah wasn’t a risk because Uriah was so honest, so honorable, that David didn’t even consider the possibility that Uriah would do what he wasn’t supposed to do and read the orders.
The cruelest part was ordering the troops to leave Uriah to die on the field of battle. Keep in mind, this is a man who is so devoted to serving his nation and so committed to his brothers in Israel’s army that he refused to enjoy home and relax while they were sleeping in tents and fighting the enemy. Then one day this dedicated soldier is doing his best to defend his homeland and his king, and suddenly these men he loved so much and to whom he was so profoundly loyal just abandon him to die on the battlefield, and Uriah had no idea why.
I can only imagine how he died, feeling confused and betrayed that men he fought and bled with on the battlefield turned their backs on him with no explanation. Sadly, David was so caught up in his sin that when Joab expresses concern about why the king ordered him to ensure an innocent man and good soldier died, David responds callously by telling him not to worry about it, because people die in war all the time ( II Sam. 11:25 ). It’s truly sad to see how cruel David’s sin had driven him to be.
David slept with Bathsheba and murdered her husband to cover it up. Bathsheba committed adultery with David. Joab followed orders even though he knew what David was asking of him was wrong. The saddest part of this story is that Uriah died as a result of being the only person in this whole episode who did the right thing and followed God. He sought righteousness when everybody else pursued what they wanted.
In that sense, he reminds me of Jesus. Obviously, Uriah is an imperfect human, not God-in-the-flesh, but I believe there’s a powerful parallel to draw here. Like Uriah, Jesus also died for being the only person willing to do what was right. Pilot let an innocent man die to protect his political aspirations. Judas betrayed Jesus. Peter denied Jesus. The apostles scattered. The elders presented false evidence to convict an innocent man. And Jesus died to cover all our sins because we didn’t do what God asked of us.
Uriah also died in an attempt to cover up sin, though in a very different way. That to me is the takeaway from Uriah’s story. When we commit a sin, we often tell ourselves, “At least it’s only hurting me.” But someone innocent is always hurt when we ignore God’s laws. Hebrews 6:6 even tells us that our sins “…crucify to themselves the Son of God afresh, and put him to an open shame.” Our sins hurt us, hurt others, and hurt Christ every single time.
While we’ll never be perfect, we can ask forgiveness and repentance, just like David eventually did ( II Sam. 12:13 ). However, despite our shortcomings, let’s always be dutiful in the Lord’s work and in diligently and rigorously pursuing righteousness, just like the hero Uriah.
Matthew 6:33 – But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be added to you.
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