(contd.)
“Uriah must not know. You should not gossip or spread rumours about your king, it could be dangerous for you. I am chosen and anointed by God.” David said. “What I do is not your business. Leave me to God. Let Him be my judge. As my servants, you should protect my interest. Maybe I shouldn’t have done what I did but the deed has been done, so let it go. A word is enough for the wise. Remember what happened to Saul, you were all witnesses. He tried to kill me several times but God did not allow him to succeed. He eventually died. God is with me. Also, when Moses married an Ethiopian woman, and Miriam and Aaron withstood him, God rebuked them. Miriam became leprous.”
The servants told him they understood.
“Good.” David said and nodded with satisfaction.
There were questions in the hearts of the servants though. They knew that the kings of the neighbouring countries did worse things but in David’s case, he claimed to know God and taught his men and servants about God and His ways. He had told them several times not to cheat, steal or be unfair. He had taught them to fear God. Why had he not feared Him? Should he not be a good example to them? Should he not be different from the other kings? Why did he do what he did and had been asking them to keep it a secret? How could he have committed adultery with Uriah’s wife? Yes, he liked her but should he not have exercised self-control? As the king and leader, he was supposed to protect the interests of the people, defend the weak and ensure fairness and peace but he was the one who had cheated his fellow man. And now, he was trying to intimidate them to silence!
Confused by David’s acts, they left his presence. When they got outside, they exchanged looks and shook their heads, but didn’t talk because of the people present with them.
**********
When David was thinking about Uriah later, he was angry. That man’s refusal to go home to his wife as he suggested made him seem like a bad person, as if Uriah cared more about the men at war than him … as if he was more righteous than him, David thought. Well, we shall see!
The next morning, David called Ziv and asked him, “Where is Uriah? Did he go to sleep in his house?”
“No, my lord. He did not go at all. He is with us by the entrance of the palace.”
“Again?”
“Yes, my lord.”
David was troubled, and indeed, he was in trouble. This is bad news, he thought.
Bathsheba’s face came to his mind. That beautiful woman? He could still remember her face.
No! He couldn’t allow her to pay for this; he had to save her somehow. Anyhow! He had to think of another way out of the problem. Now he was desperate. Asking Uriah to spend even a month would not make him change his mind. He seemed determined not to sleep with his wife. What kind of a man is he? David wondered. Why would he refuse to go to his wife, a woman he had not seen for some time? How could he do that to her? He doubted he loved his wife.
I have to do something! This is a desperate situation!
David decided to add another day. This time, he would invite Uriah to the palace to eat with him and get him drunk. If he was drunk, he probably would want to go to his house to sleep, and in the process, sleep with his wife. David was sure Bathsheba had guessed what his plan was. She would not allow Uriah to get away free, surely.
David invited Uriah to eat with him in the evening.
At the appointed time, Uriah came into the palace. David had instructed his serving servants to fill Uriah’s plate with food and make sure his cup was never empty of wine.
As Uriah ate and drank, David observed him. One of the servants stood close by Uriah, and ensured his cup was filled. When Uriah indicated he would want to leave, David persuaded him to spend more time with him. So, Uriah went out to ease himself and returned.
As David expected, Uriah became drunk. Good.
When Uriah eventually dragged his tired body up, David was sure he would head home.
But what if he did not? What if this attempt also failed? I will think of another way out, but anyhow, I’m going to win – David decided, afterall, he was the king.
In the night, he did not sleep immediately as he tossed and turned, thinking of what else he could do if this last attempt failed.
Then a thought occurred to him. He might have to eliminate Uriah if he did not go to sleep in his house this night. The man was proving more difficult than he expected. If he did not do something and Uriah discovered that his wife had been impregnated by him, he would cause trouble for him.
It was either Uriah slept with his wife or died, David decided for him.
But how would he carry it out if he had to, without causing an uproar? David wondered.
He eventually decided that he would write a letter to Joab and ask him to do it. Another question was – who would take the letter to Joab so that the work would be done quickly?
David told himself that he would think about that later. He could only hope that Uriah would not push him to that extent, for why should he die?
The next morning, David learnt Uriah did not go to his house. He shrugged. He was not very bothered. Uriah had made his choice – to die. He had sealed his fate. Killing him would probably be the best thing, anyway.
To kill Uriah? David’s conscience screamed at him!
Well, Uriah asked for it, he left him with no choice – David justified what he was about to do. He had to protect Bathsheba and at the same time protect himself and cover his tracks. He was desperate.
(To be continued)
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