The Loyal Victim!

“At David’s invitation, he ate and drank with him, and David made him drunk. But in the evening Uriah went out to sleep on his mat among his master’s servants; he did not go home. In the morning David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it with Uriah. In it he wrote, “Put Uriah in the front line where the fighting is fiercest. Then withdraw from him so he will be struck down and die.” 2 Samuel 11:13-15 NIV

As I went about my chores a few days ago, listening to the book of 2 Samuel on audio, the story of what transpired between David and Uriah caught my attention in a new way than it ever did. Often times, we hear the stories of David and Bathsheba but I was particularly touched by some great lessons from the circumstances of David and Uriah.

Uriah wasn’t a new soldier in the army of David. In fact, he was a strong warrior who could not be defeated easily. He was one that could be relied upon at the battle ground if that ugly stage was not set to terminate his life. Uriah was a loyal soldier in the army of David. He had come a long way with David and he knew also, that David was a fighter/ a warrior who took his missions seriously. This was why Uriah didn’t deem it fit to go home to his wife when a battle was going on; he knew well enough that there was time for everything and this certainly was not the time to go to his house. All these being said, Uriah was relating with David based on what he had known of Him. He Knew David was loyal to his soldiers and would not want to lose any of them; he cared so much for their welfare. This same David was the one who would not lay his hands on King Saul, even when he had the opportunity to do so. He wouldn’t just think of such.

However, with the passage of time, something had shifted in David! The shift was a negative one. Status and position had gotten into him and his mindset had taken a shift. David had drifted from God! As good as success, fame and promotion is, there is a very great need for us to take caution and the need to take heed to one’s self. David stayed back when he shouldn’t; he was supposed to be at war even as a King, but he had become complacent. That was the first error. Others could go to war; he wasn’t as interested as he ought to be.

How this so relates to us as believers in contemporary days? Others could be praying; fasting, searching the scriptures, going on evangelism, going on personal spiritual retreats, but you have had enough of those because you have grown in fame, position and promotion. You decide to loiter around and give attention to things of lesser importance when you should embark on spiritual exercises unto godliness and take the battle to the gates of the enemy. David loitered around on the rooftop, when he should confront the enemy in battle.

Uriah was loyal to a man who had shifted in his principles and fear of God; he was loyal to a King who himself was no longer loyal and could commit adultery, following it up with deceit and murder. Uriah related with David based on what he knew of him, but a shift had occurred in the life of David…a negative shift! David was no longer the man he knew. His fear of God had taken a negative shift; he operated more in the flesh now. How could King David set a stage for Uriah in order to cover his adulterous tracks? To Uriah, David was being nice…he sent him a gift, hosted him to dinner, spoke nicely with him, encouraged him to go home to his wife, yet he had wicked intentions. How could David write a letter to kill Uriah and still send it through Uriah himself? This was unfathomable! May God deliver us from the wicked schemes of men (people who smile with us, but wish us evil. Amen!)

I feel really sorry for Uriah! I weep for him also. He was loyal to the core! Yet he became a victim of the carelessness and error of the man he looked up to; the man he trusted with the whole of his life. He trusted a man who had taken a shift in the negative direction and momentarily drifted away from God. David later retraced his steps but Uriah had already become a victim of his carelessness!

From this story, my prayer goes in two dimensions:

May God help us by His Spirit; guiding our steps away from negative shifts. May we not walk into errors that will jeopardize the lives of others that He has brought into our care. May grace be poured us in abundant measures, that we do not become careless in our walk with God as to neglect or make little of those things that should keep us safe in the Holy Ghost zone.

May we not become victims, like Uriah, of the carelessness and error of others generally, and especially of those in whom we have stakes and to whom we are loyal. May the Spirit of God guide our steps and direct our paths as we relate with others. Amen!

©Funmi Adebayo