Question not found.
I feel so sad for poor Uriah the Hittite. He showed great faith, great empathy toward his fellow soldiers in that he would not leave them to go to his own home to eat, drink and have relations with his wife while on leave. He, in verse 11, even told David point blank that with all of the sacrifices of his brethren in arms, he could not even consider leaving them for the free gift David was offering him of going after a moment of pleasure. We all know that David was forgiven, and he even kept Bathsheba for his own after Uriah's death. Is there any thought that Uriah will also be found worthy of the Kingdom of God?
2 Samuel 11:2 - 27
NKJV - 2 Then it happened one evening that David arose from his bed and walked on the roof of the king's house. And from the roof he saw a woman bathing, and the woman was very beautiful to behold. 3 So David sent and inquired about the woman. And someone said, " Is this not Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam, the wife of Uriah the Hittite?
Community answers are sorted based on votes. The higher the vote, the further up an answer is.
I agree with Emo, that Uriah is already receiving his reward. Uriah’s actions were a living example of what Jesus spoke of in the Sermon on the Mount in Matthew 5: 5 “Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth. 6 “Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied. 7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. 8 “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God. 9 “Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called sons[a] of God.“ In another way, Uriah’s example of humility can live on to be a blessing to us today, and I believe he gets to share in our rewards as his story blesses us. A while back, my husband and I were the recipients of a terrible injustice at the hands of another believer and others who supported him. It was very hard to understand how 1) God could allow this person to get away with what he did to us, and 2) the people who were commissioned to provide wise council to him failed miserably in their post. My husband and I knew it would be wrong to retaliate in any way because of Jesus’ instructions in Luke 6:28: “Bless those who curse you; pray for those who abuse you.” And in the end, we knew the body of Christ and those who were watching would suffer the most if we returned evil for evil. When Jesus faced those who put him to death, the Bible tells us that He was, “silent before His accusers,” and He didn’t try to defend Himself at all (Mark 14:61). If Jesus’ example was to bear the GREATEST of all injustices in this way, how could we possibly justify any kind of retaliation or self-defense? Now, this is more easily said than done! The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak. A part of me kept saying, “But, Lord, if we remain silent, this person might hurt someone else, and more damage will be done.” Other people brought this up, as well; one person suggested going to this person’s colleagues who might not be aware of his character in order to prevent further harm to others. These were good points, and I wondered if we had made the right decision. Then I thought of the story of David and Uriah. What David did to Uriah was very similar to what had happened to us at the hands of this person. I thought of bringing the analogy to him and his support team, and pointing it out in the hopes of giving them some perspective. In my head, I imagined saying to them, “Even though you’ve treated us like David treated Uriah, I’d much rather be righteous Uriah than a murderous, adulterous David.” And I truly feel that way; I’d much rather be the innocent dead man than the man with blood and guilt on his hands. And then it struck me: But if I’m Uriah, then I’m dead—dead in my flesh, which frees me to respond completely in the spirit. I have no voice. I have no means of retaliation. I have no say in the matter. Only God does. A dead person also feels no anger, bitterness, lack of forgiveness, or resentment. In many ways, Uriah was more free than David as a dead man. I could be, too. This helped me settle it in my heart. I determined I would remain silent, and I would get out of the way and let God do what He does best: Handle things in His perfect wisdom, timing, and love. It's a great example of what Paul talked about in 2 Corinthians 4:12: "So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you." (NLT) So, Uriah’s story is an inspiration that lives on today. Rest assured that he has received and is STILL RECEIVING his due reward.
Have you ever wondered whether any foreigners (non-Israelites) are ever saved by God in the Old Testament? How do we know for sure that other people are being saved? I believe that Uriah was one such foreigner who received God's salvation and his heart was transformed by the love of God. We know other people are saved because of these foundational truths about the nature and character of God, and His plan and purpose for human life, revealed to us through the total revelation of God from the whole bible. Truth 1 God is not willing that any should perish, but everyone to come to repentance, and receive his salvation. God brought every human being into existence and he is responsible to give every person at least one, and often many, opportunities to hear the OT gospel, to repent and believe, and escape from the eternal judgment to come. Truth 2 God calls his servants of faith in every generation, and appoints them as his Prophets to live among every people group in the world to proclaim his gospel message and bring people to salvation. Truth 3 God calls his servants of faith and appoints them as priests to establish communities of faith wherever people have believed in the gospel. These priests lead people in worship of God, praising and thanking him for his amazing nature and character, and his wonderful miracles, signs and wonders. God's priests teach his people how to live a God pleasing life. How to pursue justice, righteousness, love and faithfulness and renounce evil, wickedness, corruption and decay. Truth 4 God sends his people from these communities of faith as missionaries to declare his gospel message to every human being o planet earth, in every generation. In the Old Testament, the Israelites publicly declared their faith in God by being circumcised, it was the outward sign of a transformed heart that revealed a genuine faith in God. There were thousands of foreigners who joined the nation of Israel on their escape from Egypt. All these men had to be circumcised or their families were cast out of the community. When God gave Abraham the covenant of circumcision, he commanded that all of his company of servants be circumcised, and all 318 men willingly demonstrated their genuine faith in God. We see in the life of Eleazar, the chief servant, and deep personal faith in God. When David was commander of Saul's army, many of these military officers fought every battle with David. They witnessed first hand God's love for David, protection of Israel and victories over their enemies. Later, when David was sent on the run for his life from Saul, some of these officers remained loyal to David. Other mercenaries from neighbouring lands also joined David's company of 400 men. They were misfits, malcontents and vagabonds, looking for a new life. David welcomed everyone into his company, and they became his family. Uriah the Hittite was one of these men. For over 10 years, these men witnessed the OT gospel from David. They witnessed God's mighty hand on David's life, confirming with miracles, signs and wonders God's annointing of David as the next king. They listened to the Word of his Testimony and they heard the Psalms he had written. Uriah saw the justice, righteousness, love and faithfulness being built into David's life and Uriah came to faith too. David loved to worship god and offer sacrifices. His company of men and their families could not worship with him, unless the men were all circumcised, demonstrating their faith in God; if they didn't they would have been expelled from the community of faith. Uriah was one of David's 30 Mighty Men, and his life of faith is so honored because he is a "Type of Christ". The innocent sacrifice of his life foreshadows the innocent sacrifice of Jesus for our sins. I believe we will meet Uriah the Hittite in heaven and we will hear the whole testimony of his life of faith. That is good, good, news.
I humbly submit for your consideration that Uriah has already received his justice. Maybe not as we would like or want, but from his point of view as a honorable noble warrior. He saw his duty and was honor bound to preform it, no matter what the personal costs. Consider these many years later to be remembered and have your name spoken of for your strength of character. While nameless others have pasted on to their reward without much of a mark. You Uriah have not been forgotten by pasting time, for a true warrior this is greatest honor and justice. In the Lord's freedom...warrior on
I love Uriah the Hittite. I named my English Mastiff after him, I've gotten 2 license plates with his name on it. How fabulous it was to later learn his name means "God is Light"! But before I knew the meaning of the name, I "coincidentally";`) chose the license plate's background with a lighthouse by the sea... because "my" Uriah loved water. God righteously, lovingly, and kindly spared Uriah the pain and heartache of discovering his betrayal. And, more blessedly, God faithfully honored Uriah in the lineage of the Messiah, Himself: "David fathered Solomon by her who had been the wife of Uriah." Matthew 1:6.
All answers are REVIEWED and MODERATED.
Please ensure your answer MEETS all our guidelines.
A good answer provides new insight and perspective. Here are guidelines to help facilitate a meaningful learning experience for everyone.