David, Bathsheba, and other Bible 'Heroes' by Michelle

On the last Sunday in July, we read the story of David and Bathsheba. It was part of the progression of the summer lectionary. In the summer, we get to hear some of the great history of the Old Testament in order. We worked up to this, first hearing about how Samuel was called to be a priest, then how the people told Samuel they wanted a king, and how Samuel anointed Saul king. We’ve gotten to hear the great story of David, starting with his defeat of Goliath, and throughout August, we will hear more of the high points of his reign.

So, hearing about David and Bathsheba may seem natural. Unless, of course, you were expecting to hear stories of heroes of the Bible. The idea of David sleeping with another man’s wife would seem jarring then. We might well be wondering, why are we hearing this?

It is too easy for us to believe that the Bible is a big book of moral teachings, which clearly lays down guidance for good behavior. We like to feel that it is full of little sound bites, quotable and memorable lines which we can recall to aid us when we need help. And, there are parts that are definitely like that. “Render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and unto God the things that are God’s.” (Matt 22:21, Mark 12:17, and Luke 20:25) “Love your neighbor as yourself.” (Lev. 19:18, and, Matt 22:39, Mark 12:31, and Luke 10:27). And, of course, the ten commandments.

But, the vast majority of the Bible are not simple little phrases – in fact, even the quotations above are mere elements of a larger story. The Bible was not meant to be a book of laws. It is the story of God’s family – made up of individual stories and histories and songs. In the same way that your family story is made up of the stories of different family members (the story of the ancestor who came to the United States, the story of how your parents met), and histories (those long and elaborate family trees that are in Genesis, but also in our own families), and songs (“Happy Birthday,” obviously, but also songs the kids sang at camp, and the song that was played at the wedding). The whole of your family story helps you understand who you are, and how you got here, and even a little bit of why you do what you do. Think of family traditions that you keep up year after year. There are stories behind that.

Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, writes that when we read the Bible, we should remember that “the whole of the story is intended to have an effect. It is intended to draw you in and make you think about yourself in relation to God. It does not mean that [God] is endorsing everything that everybody in the story” says or does. Rather, it helps us think about God, and relate to God.

This is one of the reasons why it is so important to read the whole of the Bible (even though it is hard), and why St. Paul’s encourages participation in the Bible Challenge. Reading the whole Bible helps us to hear and know the whole story. It gives us context. In the case of David and Bathsheba, reading the whole Bible helps us to put David’s despicable act into context – we remember that Samuel had warned the people that a King would take demand their possessions, and force their children to serve his will. And now, look, even the great King David is doing exactly that, in the worst possible way! But, we would also hear the rest of the story, how the priest Nathan calls David into account, and how David repents.

This is also one of the reasons why it helps to study the Bible, and why St. Paul’s does various Bible studies. In a Bible study, we could reflect on what this scripture means for us today. We might talk about how power corrupts. Or we might look at this story as a reminder that we are all human, even those who are anointed by God.

This is also one of the reasons why the Bible is helpful for prayer and reflection, both individually and in groups. As Rowan Williams says, “The Bible is, you might say, God... saying ‘This is how people heard me, saw me, responded to me; this is the gift I gave them; this is the response they made… Where are you in this?” When I lead quiet days and other reflections, I often ask similar questions – what do you feel as you hear this Scripture? What do you recognize? The Bible gives us a chance to see God at work in places not unlike ours. Women who have been harassed might identify with Bathsheba; any good person who winds being pushed around and made the victim of someone else’s mistake might identify Uriah, Bathsheba’s husband; anyone who has ever had to tell someone in power that they were wrong might pray for the tact and courage of Nathan. The Bible helps us remember that there are all kinds of heroes to inspire us.

Finally, it is helpful to remember that the Bible is our best way of understanding that we are interconnected. Though we may not like the David and Bathsheba story, we all admire Solomon, who was the result of David’s marriage to Bathsheba. The Bible serves as a reminder of God’s ability to work good out of even the most awful situations.

Feel free to talk to Michelle about any of the opportunities mentioned in this article, including the Bible Challenge, Bible studies, and Quiet Days. The quotations above are drawn from Being Christian: Baptism, Bible, Eucharist and Prayer. I haven’t finished it yet, but so far, it’s a very good and pretty easy read, and is an excellent way of understanding the things that all Christians have in common (though it does reflect a very Episcopal/Anglican Communion understanding of these elements).

-Michelle+