Sun. July 29, 2012 (J. Evan Kreider)

Evan focused on the well-known David and Bathsheba story. David saw what he should not have seen – Bathsheba, the wife of a trusted warrior, bathing on a nearby rooftop. David makes the mistake of pursuing her when he already had a harem. Bathsheba had no choice but to obey the king. Eventually David arranges for Uriah to be killed in battle and he marries Bathsheba who becomes the queen mother; a position with a lot of power. This story represents a turning point in David’s reign as family tragedies increase. David, by his example, taught his sons to rape, deceive, and abuse power. He violated the instruction in Deuteronomy: “Your king must not acquire many wives.” This is a sad story of a poet, king, and musician - an OT poster boy and a man after God’s heart – whose downfall began with a serious abuse of power. He should have followed the golden rule: do not do unto others things that you do not want them to do to you. (HN).

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