David & Bathsheba Part II

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Previously on the Chosen People. A woman alone on the roof of a modest house was washing herself in a bronze basin. 00:00:10 Speaker 2: I must have her, she must be mine enough. The woman you wanted me to find. 00:00:16 Speaker 3: Her name is Bathsheba, granddaughter of General a Hitherville, of your high Council. 00:00:22 Speaker 2: She's also the wife of Uriah. 00:00:23 Speaker 4: The Hittite, one of your own mighty men. 00:00:27 Speaker 5: I see Uriah is away with Joeb fighting the Ammonites, so. 00:00:36 Speaker 1: She's alone. She stepped into the dim trembling light of the flames, and the room itself seemed to still. I'm glad you came. 00:00:47 Speaker 4: And now that I'm here, what shall you do? 00:00:51 Speaker 1: The night? Unfolded in silence and sin? 00:00:56 Speaker 4: My King, I am with child. 00:00:59 Speaker 1: Are you certain? 00:01:01 Speaker 5: Could it be your husband's? 00:01:03 Speaker 4: My husband? You mean Uriah? Uriah, one of your generals. Uriah has been on the battlefield since the snow's melted. You know that you sent him. It's your child, and now now I'm alone, exposed, and it's your fault. 00:01:33 Speaker 5: I'll make this right. It would be as. 00:01:36 Speaker 6: If none of this happened. 00:01:44 Speaker 7: Swords may kill the body, but silence it can kill the soul. Shelloh, my friends from here in the holy Land of Israel. I'm l Exstein with the International Fellowship of Christians and Jews, and welcome to the Chosen People. Last time we stood in King David's courtyard, the sky was still blue. David wandered the palace with idle hands, and in a moment of desire, made a decision that would reshape everything today. In Second Samuel chapter eleven, that decision comes home to roost. But not in a flash of lightning or fire from on high. No, the reckoning arrives slowly, like storm clouds thick over the Judean hills, quiet unraveling, a king with too much time and a conscience gone quiet. This is where we begin, But I want to ask you something before the story begins. When virtue stands beside you, unshaken and cleared eyed, what does it stern you Reverence or rage? Because today's episode shows us what a righteous man looks like and what power does when it feels threatened. 00:02:56 Speaker 1: Rain pounded relentlessly upon the hills of bar The storm was like a siege, soaking the muddy ground until the very earth seemed to rot. What was once a battleground had become a mia. Horses stumbled, spears sunk, even firewood refused to burn. Inside a tent darkened with soot and steam, the generals of Israel leaned over a soaked and curling map. Joab, Uriah, Abishai and Jasherbin. Joab squinted through the smoke of a dying flame. His fingers traced a ridge near the western border of the Ammonite stronghold. 00:03:40 Speaker 2: This should have been a quick battle, but this blasted rain has told us if we move around stronghood to the hill overlooking the western gate, we may have better luck. But that leaves us vulnerable to their archers. 00:03:52 Speaker 8: As we move, we've already bled them. Let them rotten the city while we pulled back and wait for the next ride Moon. 00:04:01 Speaker 6: Well, men need rest. 00:04:04 Speaker 1: Uriah recoiled at that. 00:04:06 Speaker 3: We cannot rest. The Ammonites have enough rations to last a months. We have another week tops. 00:04:13 Speaker 2: It's true, we need more supplies, we need more men. 00:04:18 Speaker 6: What we need is for this rain to stop. We need the path to the western gate to dry. If we have any hope of surviving, If we trudge through the mud, we'll be sitting ducks. 00:04:32 Speaker 3: The weather is out of our control, Josh, the rain could last another month, and then what First? We need reinforcements and rations. Then we must press forward. They mocked our king, They disgraced our men. To turn now would not just be weakness, it would be dishonor. 00:04:53 Speaker 1: There was no fire in his voice, no pride, just conviction. That was Uriah way. The others fell silent. Even Joab nodded in concession in west. 00:05:06 Speaker 2: It is but only if David sends reinforcements and supplies. These reins are thilling our bones faster than blades. 00:05:14 Speaker 8: Have you sent for him? Or as the king forgotten? He has a war to finish. 00:05:19 Speaker 1: Joab grimaced. King David had been uncharacteristically separated from the battle. Joab's gut told him something was wrong, although he wouldn't say anything to the others. 00:05:31 Speaker 2: I said word thrice, no reply, not even a black raven. 00:05:36 Speaker 8: It's not like him to stay in Jerusalem this long, Not all his men drown in blood mud. 00:05:44 Speaker 1: Then the flap of the tent shifted and a man stepped inside, dripping with rain, his cloak soaked. 00:05:51 Speaker 9: Black Commander Joab, I have a message from the king. He requests Uriah, the Hittite to return to Jerusalem at once. He wishes to speak with him directly. 00:06:01 Speaker 1: The tent fell still. The only sound was the soft drum of rain on leather. Joab's eyes narrowed. 00:06:09 Speaker 2: Speak with Hiyah. 00:06:12 Speaker 9: What for he seeks in a detailed report of the battle. 00:06:16 Speaker 2: For Jehosebim's job. Why not send for him? 00:06:19 Speaker 6: What's going on? 00:06:20 Speaker 5: It must be Uriah and no one else. 00:06:22 Speaker 2: I've been told the matter is urgent. Something isn't right. 00:06:28 Speaker 1: Joab turned to Jashabem, who shook his head in confusion. Uriah exchanged a glance with Joab, his brows ned, his face unreadable. If the king calls, I will ride joe Ab brought Uriah in close, with intensity in his voice. 00:06:45 Speaker 2: Juriah, you've always loved David. I know you admire him, but now is not the time for listening and doting like a little girl. You get out there and grab a king by the loins, squeeze and tell him to send some blasted reinforcements. Press him for men and supplies. If we are to win this siege before the season turns, we'll need strength and soon. 00:07:10 Speaker 1: Uriah nodded, gathered his gear and strapped his sword to his back. He mounted without delay, and with the messenger at his side, vanished into the storm. Joab turned to joshabeing with worry on his face. 00:07:24 Speaker 6: Something is not right. 00:07:28 Speaker 1: David's throne room was alive with deliberation and governance, but the king's mind was elsewhere, on the baby, on his reputation, on how he would recover from this. David's gaze shifted to the heavy oaken doors. They creaked open with a groan, and in stepped the man who haunted his sleep, Uriah. Mud still clung to his boots, his face worn from weeks. Beneath rain soaked skies. He walked with the gravity of a soldier, each step deliberate, his body bearing the fatigue of brutal weeks, and yet he bowed. David descended from his throne like a father greeting a son. 00:08:15 Speaker 5: How Uriah, thank you for coming. 00:08:19 Speaker 3: Of course, my king, when you call I answer. 00:08:23 Speaker 1: The scent of sweat and battle filled his nostrils as he approached Uriah, and something like shame stirred in his gut, but he swallowed it down. 00:08:34 Speaker 5: You've come far, surely you're weary. Go bathe lie with your wife, enjoy the peace, we too seldom taste. We'll speak of the war tomorrow. 00:08:46 Speaker 1: Euriah met the king's eyes, and for a brief moment, David wondered if he knew. 00:08:53 Speaker 3: With respect, my king, I would rather make my report now. Joe ab requests reinforcements. The city of bah is strong, and our resolve is thinning. I implore you to send me back with reinforcements and supplies for our men tomorrow. 00:09:09 Speaker 1: Brave Uriah, rest today. 00:09:12 Speaker 5: You have served me too well to be denied one night of warmth. 00:09:16 Speaker 2: David Joeb has urged me to insist. 00:09:19 Speaker 5: Uryah, Let's speak tomorrow. Go home and rest. I want your mind to be clear so that we can strategize together. 00:09:30 Speaker 1: Uriah remained for a long moment, though it seemed like an eternity to David. Uriah's jaw clenched and his fists tightened. David could feel his heart beating out of his chest. 00:09:43 Speaker 3: Very well, my King, we will speak tomorrow. 00:09:47 Speaker 1: Uriah bowed again and departed. David exhaled sharply, his palms slick with sweat. He turned from the throne and walked swiftly down the corridor, escaping the judging silence of his own house. That night, David waited. He imagined Uriah in Bathsheba's arms. One night with her, and his shame would be covered, The child would be called his, the whispers would never begin. In all his fretting, David did not pray. He did not cry out as he had in the wilderness, nor sing songs of deliverance beneath the stars. The name of the Lord did not pass his lips, for he could not bear to speak it. At first light, as the mist rolled over the garden paths and the dew clung to the leaves, David slipped from his chambers to walk among the trees. Then, near the gate of his home, he saw a shape in the fog, dark, still upright. It was Uriah, sleeping on the ground, knees curled and head against the cold stone, her soldier's rest. 00:11:04 Speaker 5: Yah, what are you doing here on the stone? Why haven't you gone home? Why not sleep beside your wife? 00:11:12 Speaker 3: Oh David, the ark of the Covenant dwells in a tent. Joe abb and the other servants of my lord are camped in mud. Shall I then go to my house to eat, drink and lie with my wife? I would feel the guilt in my very bones. As the Lord lives, I would not do this thing. 00:11:43 Speaker 1: David forced a smile, though his teeth ground behind it. Righteousness poured from the man like sunlight, and David hated it. Your Eyah's very virtue, mocked him. 00:11:56 Speaker 5: What a blessing to have you in my service. Come sit with me, tell me more about the war. 00:12:05 Speaker 1: They entered the court room, where the scent of old parchment and candle smoke lingered. David waved the scribes away alone. He poured wine into two coups. 00:12:16 Speaker 5: How are the men suffering? 00:12:19 Speaker 3: We drove back the enemy, but they've locked themselves within their walls. The rains came early, and the ground is turned to mire. We Rah while they rest. 00:12:31 Speaker 1: David sipped his cop eyes, never leaving Uriah. 00:12:35 Speaker 5: Is there no way forward? We have numbers on our. 00:12:39 Speaker 3: Side, not on terrain like this. There is a plan. Joe ab means to strike from the west with reinforcements and more supplies. We could end this quickly quickly. 00:12:52 Speaker 5: Yes, I would like that, David stood, you will have your supplies and reinforcements. Urrya, you've convinced me. But before you go tonight, eat with me. 00:13:04 Speaker 6: Drink. 00:13:05 Speaker 5: Let's enjoy each other's company once more. 00:13:08 Speaker 6: I shouldn't I insist. 00:13:11 Speaker 5: As you're king. 00:13:12 Speaker 1: The matter was settled. The hole was filled with meats and soft bread, spiced wine and strong liquor. David watched closely, signaling the servants to keep your eyes, cup brimming. Slowly, deliberately, he tried to drown the man's clarity. 00:13:31 Speaker 5: To you, dear Uriah, to your bravery, to your legacy, to your wife in future children. 00:13:39 Speaker 1: David toasted his smile like a blade. Uriah grinned dreamily. 00:13:45 Speaker 5: Ah yes. 00:13:49 Speaker 3: Ah, beth Sheba. She is the love of my life, a cool spring in a desolate desert. 00:13:58 Speaker 1: David flinched of the words. 00:14:01 Speaker 2: Go home, then and race her. 00:14:05 Speaker 5: You must be eager to rekindle your passion. 00:14:09 Speaker 1: But even in drunkenness, Uriah's spine did not bend. No. 00:14:14 Speaker 3: I can't, I won't now while my brothers are still in the muck. She'ess delicacy, and I'll not taste honey while others chew a bitter roots. What kind of a man would I be to sleep with her in a warm bed while Jash and Joe Ever were shivering in the mud. 00:14:41 Speaker 1: Uriah stumbled to his feet, knocking over a goblet. With no further ceremony, he collapsed onto a pile of cushions by the fire, snoring before his head even hit the cloth. David stared down at him for a long moment. He said nothing. Then he tried to shake him awake once twice. Nothing lost it. David turned from the sleeping man and kicked over the iron pit of coals in his rage. They spilled like blood across the stone. One rolled on to his foot. He cried out and cursed, Limping back as servants scrambled to clean the mess where the hall, He stormed out, slamming the great cedar doors behind him. His fists bawled so tight his knuckles cracked. He walked into the garden and screamed into the dawn. 00:15:38 Speaker 2: All he had to do was lie with her. Why must he be some righteous? 00:15:44 Speaker 1: His words echoed, and what came back was a voice resembling that of soul. He pounded a fist against the stone wall. Then in silence he stood panting lost, and in that void an idea came hideous simple. He returned to his chambers, grabbed a fresh parchment, dipped his quill in ink and began to write to Joab, to war, to murder Joab. 00:16:20 Speaker 5: It's come to my attention that the front lines are a need of more soldiers. 00:16:24 Speaker 1: The words were clean, no trace of his desperation, no hint of the guilt that poisoned his veins. 00:16:32 Speaker 5: I will grant your request at once with this letter, I also send supplies and enough rations to last through the rainy spring. However, I'm also requesting something for you. It is a matter of great importance and will require your secrecy. As my commander and right hand. 00:16:52 Speaker 1: David paused, but only for a moment, not long enough for the whispers of conviction to reach his heart, said at the forefront of. 00:17:01 Speaker 5: The charge when he marches, in order the other soldiers to delay before following him, I need Uriah to form on that backfield. Considering my forgiveness of your crimes against Abner, I trust that you will obey me without question. Burn this letter. 00:17:22 Speaker 1: Upon receiving it, David's hand trembled as he rolled the scroll. He melted the wax and pressed his seal into the red. His emblem. A lion growled at him as he touched it to the wax. He handed the message to the courier in a calm voice. 00:17:40 Speaker 5: This will go to joe Ab, along with you Riyah and the supplies he requested at once, with no delay. 00:17:47 Speaker 1: The boy bowed, took the scroll, and vanished into the dawn mist. David stood alone, now, the room empty but for his thoughts. He had chosen to spill the blood of one of his own mighty men, a man who once shielded him in battle, who would have died for him without hesitation. He knew Joab was as ruthless as he was loyal. He would not ask questions. He would see the game board for what it was. A king's whim was law after all. David leaned forward, pressing his palms against the table. He wanted to weep, he wanted to scream, but he did neither. Instead, he whispered to no one, it is finished, And in that moment, the giant slayer had lost his greatest battle yet. The war horns bellowed through the hills as Israel's army rose over the ridge, but there was no glory in Joab's heart. In his gloved hand was a crumpled letter, creased, sweat stained, and heavy as a noose King David's seal had been broken, but its contents echoed like a curse in his mind. Set Uriah at the front, leave him there, let him fall beside him. Abishai adjusted the leather of his braces to Joab's other side. Uriah rode with calm, dignity, unaware that death followed closely behind. 00:19:35 Speaker 4: His. 00:19:35 Speaker 1: Eyes were steady fixed on the battlements of Rabah, where the Ammonites waited, bristling with iron and arrows. The gates were shut tight, the outer ranks thick and ready to bleed. 00:19:49 Speaker 6: They've reinforced the wall. We'll lose men taking that gait. 00:19:54 Speaker 1: Joab nodded. His lips twitched, but he made no words. Instead, he raised a hand and pointed forward. 00:20:02 Speaker 2: Abshik Josephine, take your company straight at the gates, Split them wide open. Uryah, you're with me. Come, we'll sweep the perimeter with one hundred clean the flanks. 00:20:14 Speaker 1: Abishai and Joshabine nodded. Uriah grunted an approval, already turning his horse. There was no hesitation in him, no suspicion, no fear. The command was given. Habitshi's horn sounded, and the front line surged. The clash was immediate, screams, steel and chaos. Joe app pulled his men off to the side, wheeling around the west wall of the city, where the ground sloped in their favor. Uriah rode just ahead, sword in hand, shields strapped to his back. 00:20:52 Speaker 2: Hurah, you lead the charge, my friend, go and don't look back. 00:20:57 Speaker 1: For the glory of God O King Dad Joab winced at that, Yes, for King David. Uriah charged around the west end of the war. The men began to charge with him, but Joab gave the second commanded. His men skidded to a halt, but Uriah didn't. He charged on alone. The air was still for a breath. Then came the whisper of bowstrings. Joab's eyes lifted just in time to see the Ammonite archers emerge on the battlements. A volley descended from the heavens like a murder of crows, black feathered and whistling. Uriah saw them a moment before they fell. He raised his shield, but it was too late. Three arrows found his chest, one buried deep in his thigh, and the last slammed into his side between breastplate and mail. He stumbled forward, fell to his knees, and pitched face first into the blood so dearth. There was no cry of pain, just silence. Joab did not speak. He turned his horse sharply, face like stone, and called for the withdrawal. The rest of the day was blood and fire. The siege continued, and Israel was victorious. That night, while the men drank sour wine and mourned the days dead, Joab sat alone in his command tent, eyes fixed on the letter, still clenched in his fist. The parchment had crumpled to softness, now almost like cloth. 00:22:57 Speaker 2: The blood of you liais of David's hats, not nine. 00:23:01 Speaker 1: Joe Ab tossed David's letter into the fire. 00:23:05 Speaker 6: Now we're even. 00:23:12 Speaker 2: The Yaemonites gained a brief advantage over the army, but we managed to drive them back to the city gates. Commander job is confident that another charge will breach the wall. 00:23:22 Speaker 1: King David, seated on the edge of his throne, gave a nod. His gaze was far off, somewhere beyond the limestone walls of Jerusalem, out toward a bloodied corner of the world, where his sins lay buried under dust and arrows. 00:23:41 Speaker 5: Were any of our men lost, Yes, my King, a volley of arrows fell down on us. 00:23:47 Speaker 2: We lost many men. 00:23:49 Speaker 1: David's voice caught in his throat, but he steadied it. 00:23:53 Speaker 2: Any one of note, just one, m King Uriah, the Hittite, one of your men. 00:24:01 Speaker 1: There it was the name spoken aloud, and with it the weight of consequence. 00:24:09 Speaker 2: Master Job sends his condolences. He knows you two were close. 00:24:14 Speaker 1: David would have felt a sting at that, but there was no time. The work wasn't done, not until he wed bath Sheba to hide their affair. It wouldn't be tidy, but it would be enough. When the morning was done, Bathsheba removed her black veil and donned a white one. Her eyes were still rimmed with red, but she sat tall in the ceremonial wedding seat. As she was carried through the streets, the people whispered, Some admired her beauty, others gossiped with furrowed brows, and knowing glances, she said nothing. She only kept her gaze fixed forward, her hand pressed against the place where new life stirred within her. In the palace courtyard, beneath garlands of murh and cedar branches. David stood waiting. He wore royal robes, Jonathan's robes. At his sides were his most loyal captains, Habeshi, Beniah, Jashabeem, and Joab. They weren't all privy to what Joab knew, but they felt it. They knew David. Once more, the Lord knew David, and he saw everything. And in the back, by the fountain, where the ivy hung low, stood Nathan the Prophet. He watched the King take Bathsheba's hand and place it gently in his watched him lift the veil and whisper something no one else could hear. Watched his gaze fall from her face to her belly. Her stillness crept through the Prophet's bones. It was not the silence of ceremony, nor awe, nor reverence. It was the whisper of wrath. God's voice came not as thunder, but as a breath in Nathan's soul, cold, unrelenting, and the Lord's anger burned. 00:26:32 Speaker 7: This story leaves a sting that lingers because we want heroes, We want to believe that spiritual greatness is a wall against moral compass. But this chapter it tells us the truth position doesn't guarantee righteousness. Legacy can't cover shame. It only makes the fall echo louder. And even the most gifted and the most holy among us can fall if they stop listening to the voice that guides them. And when the holy do fall as David does. Here, we're left to ask what happens to the soul of the leader when they begin choosing calculation over repentance. We often treat guilt as the enemy, but in Jewish tradition, guilt has a purpose. It stings because it wants to bring you home Tshuva return. That's the goal. But for tshuva to begin, something in the heart must soften. David doesn't soften, He hardens, and this leads to something even more unsettling. The man who once wrote search me, Oh God, and know my heart, now signs a death warrant with the same hand he use to play the harp. This is the danger the Bible warns us about again and again, the slow seduction of power, power untethered from humility, influence, drifting far from the voice of God, a crown without the weight of righteousness to hold it in place. Seeing David fall so low and this story emphasizes another deep truth. It's a truth that the sages wrote about the ethics of our fathers, pure kav vote, as we say in Hebrew. This is what they said. A good deed brings about another good deed, but a sin causes yet another sin. That is a very important lesson for us today, isn't it. We need to accustom ourselves to doing good because that causes us to do even more good. I think of this a lot as I lead the fellowship. We do so much good, We help so many people in need, and this only makes us want to do more good and help more needy people. There's a haunting line from the Torah, one that echoes over this story, like thunder held back behind clouds, is found in numbers thirty two twenty three, and it says this, be sure your sin will find you out. This is a reminder, a terrifying reminder. The world is built on moral foundations. It's terrifying, but it's important to remember that God is not indifferent. He sees, and he remembers. God does not measure things as humans do. What we overlook, He records what we bury. He brings to light. This Bible story isn't just about David's sin. It's about our world even today, what we are willing to excuse and how easily we ignore the voice of conviction. Maybe you've never held a scroll with a man's fate written on it, but maybe you've found other ways to hide your failure. Letters on sent apologies, rehearsed but never spoken, secrets buried beneath busyness and excuses. When we stop trying to manage our image, we make room for something greater, and that, my friends, is called mercy. If David had confessed, if he had stopped when Uriah slept at the gate, if he had opened the scroll instead of sealing it, the story would have gone differently, and your story can go differently. This is the beauty of tashuva, of returning. Of repentance is always available. So if something inside of you is burning today, don't push it down. Return and talk to God. Turn to him, confess, talk to him about it, and then return do your repentance. We have a very forgiving God. 00:30:35 Speaker 1: You can listen to the Chosen People with Isle Eckstein add free by downloading and subscribing to the Prey dot Com app today. This Prey dog Com production is only made possible by our dedicated team of creative talents. Steve Katina, Max Bard, Zach Shellabager and Ben Gammon are the executive producers of The Chosen People with Yile Eckstein. Edited by Alberto Avilla, narrated by Paul Coltofianu. Characters are voiced by Jonathan Cotten, Aaron Salvado, Sarah Seltz, Mike Reagan, Stephen Ringwold, Sylvia Zaradoc, Thomas Copeland Junior, Rosanna Pilcher, and the opening prayer is voiced by John Moore. Music by Andrew Morgan Smith, written by Aaron Salvado, bre Rosalie and Chris Baig. Special thanks to Bishop Paul Lanier, Robin van Ettin, kayleb Burrows, Jocelyn Fuller, and the team at International Fellowship of Christians and Jews. You can hear more Prey dot Com productions on the Prey dot Com app, available on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. If you enjoyed The Chosen People with Yeile Eckstein, please rate and leave a review,