Daily Encouragement

Monday, October 2, 2023

These Amish youth are enjoying an outing on a beautiful early fall day, probably heading to their Sunday afternoon youth group.

"The Example Of Uriah"

Note: Brooksyne is visiting with family in Arkansas this morning. Today she is heading on to Tulsa where she has a gathering with her Mom's side. Later this week she has her 50th high school class reunion at the Route 66 Historical Village.

Message summary: Today's message is especially for men as we study about Uriah and the example he provides. As the message developed it got a little long.

Listen to our message on your audio player.

“I know, my God, that you test the heart and are pleased with integrity” (I Chronicles 29:17). “Whoever conceals his transgressions will not prosper” (Proverbs 28:13). “It is God’s will that you should be sanctified: that you should avoid sexual immorality; that each of you should learn to control your own body in a way that is holy and honorable, not in passionate lust like the pagans, who do not know God” (I Thessalonians 4:3-5).

Today’s Study is from 2 Samuel 11.

In the course of our work we meet a lot of people and seek to learn their names as soon as possible. After all, don’t we all like to be addressed by our name? Many people we meet have Bible names such as mine, including common ones like Matthew, Mark, Luke and John as well as women with names like Mary, Rachel and Elizabeth.

But we also meet those with Bible names less commonly used such as Isaac, Moses, Isaiah, Obadiah, Shadrach and Jeremiah (although Jeremy is rather common).

There are other Bible names we probably do well to avoid using such as Cain and Judas (although we do use Jude), Delilah and Jezebel!

We met a man who was working as a temp at one of our companies. He introduced himself as Uriah! We asked him if he was aware of the biblical origin of his name, which he was. Brooksyne commented, “How wonderful that you were named after a man who was known for his honor!”

So today let us study about Uriah and the example he provides, especially to men.

Uriah is used for several Bible characters but most famously a Hittite, who was an honorable man, thrust from obscurity due to his wife Bathsheba's sin with David. Otherwise it is very unlikely that we would know anything about him.

He was a soldier in David’s army valiantly serving in the battlefield. While he was away his wife Bathsheba became entangled with David resulting in her pregnancy. David, knowing the facts of life, devised a clever cover-up scheme.

He ordered Uriah back home from the battle front and, in a gesture of feigned kindness, expected him to spend some "quality" time with his wife. David reasoned that unless Uriah paid close attention to the calendar the unborn child would be reckoned as his and, voila, David was off the hook! After all that was before DNA testing!

But Uriah felt that such a privilege would be unfair to the other warriors who were fighting it out on the battlefield. Instead he "slept at the entrance to the palace with all his master’s servants and did not go down to his house". When David was told that Uriah didn’t go home his plan began to unravel. He must have been ringing his hands as he entreated Uriah, “Why didn’t you go home?”

Uriah’s answer, his only spoken words in the Bible, revealed the code of honor by which he lived. He explained to the king, “The ark and Israel and Judah dwell in booths, and my lord Joab and the servants of my lord are camping in the open field. Shall I then go to my house, to eat and to drink and to lie with my wife? As you live, and as your soul lives, I will not do this thing!” (v. 11).

Uriah's response demonstrates tremendous moral restraint. He was a soldier and very likely had high testosterone. He had been away from his wife and the king himself was urging him to spend some time with her. Now I hope all men thinks their wives are beautiful but in Uriah's case the Bible explicitly states concerning his wife Bathsheba, "the woman was very beautiful" (2 Samuel 11:2). How many men in any age could practice such restraint?

This was concerning his own wife with whom he had a moral right to be with but refrained in consideration of his fellow soldiers. Just consider this example in light of the lack of restraint where we have no moral right in the first place.

So David became even more dastardly. He had Uriah eat in his presence and drank, so that he made him drunk (v. 13a). Even in his impaired state of mind Uriah refrained, “And in the evening he went out to lie on his couch with the servants of his lord, but he did not go down to his house” (v. 13b).

What happened next is surely one of the most pitiable, disheartening events of the entire Bible, revealing the darkest side of David, one of the Bible’s greatest heroes. The Bible’s candid forth telling of its heroes weaknesses is a sign of authenticity and trustworthiness. I recall a point made in Bible College that other sacred literature glosses over or ignores the failings of its heroes. Not so the Bible.

David intentionally had Uriah placed in the fiercest part of a battle line to do away with him (which would also do away with the embarrassment and shame once he was exposed for impregnating another man’s wife, particularly that of a brave warrior). Joab, his general, was an accomplice in this. Not only was Uriah killed but also several other warriors. Uriah, on this side, never knew the ugly story. Throughout the narrative he seems clueless as to what was really going on.

David married Bathsheba and smugly thought all was well. But the chapter ends with these words, “But the thing that David had done displeased the LORD.”

Lessons from Uriah’s life:

He is an example of loyalty and consideration.
He practiced remarkable restraint.
He acts honorably right up to his death.
Doing the right thing may very well not be the easy and could cost you your life.
Covering one’s sin from other people does not hide it from God.

The hero in this account is Uriah and we do well to follow his example. He is an example of the Bible texts used at the beginning of this message.

Be encouraged today, (Hebrews 3:13 )

Stephen & Brooksyne Weber

Daily prayer: Father, thank you for Uriah's example. Help us as we are tempted by the things of this world to practice moral restraint. We want to keep our conscience clear and our character above reproach so that we will give You the honor due Your name. In the name of Jesus we pray. Amen.

Today's Suggested Music and Supplemental Resources

"Take Time To Be Holy" Watch video on YouTube Congregational singing

This morning Brooksyne is gathering with family from her dad's side at the Oark General Store, deep in the Ozark Mountains in northwest Arkansas. It's located here on Google map. I would be surprised if anyone reading this ever heard of the place or has been there. However yesterday in church I sat behind a man who had been there!

Meanwhile back here in Lancaster County. The Old Windmill Farm is expecting many guests from the orthodox Jewish community this week celebrating Sukkot, the Feast of the Tabernacles. Jesse has made this sukkah for the observing Jews visiting the farm to use but many will put up their own tents. Later this week I plan to go over to the farm to observe the observers and learn a spiritual lesson.

Send a message to Stephen & Brooksyne

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