(continued from Part 2)
Tamar
But didn't God love Tamar, or people other than David, or even the child out of wedlock?
If God punished even David, I wonder how much more would He bless the innocence, such as Tamar, if they are in His light. Perhaps Tamar had not chosen to be in God’s spotlight at all. If she had sought refuge from God or even from David directly instead of Absalom, she might have had a better life after the tragedy.

Tamar reminded me of other misfortune women in the Bible, Ruth even Rahab, they were blessed because they chose God's way. And indeed God's presence would leave a person when he/she continually disobeyed God, such as Saul (who became proud in his own heart) and Solomon (intermarried foreign women who turned his heart to their gods).

Uriah and Bathsheba
We were told by the scripture Uriah was a righteous man (2 Samuel 11), and he was listed as one of David’s mighty men (1 Chronicles 11:41), obviously a brave loyal soldier, but David tried to dishonor him by getting him drunk during a war, but he remained faithful to his duty. Was he a good husband then? Perhaps it wasn’t even relevant for the crime done to him. Is God in his life? His obedience and loyalty to the King, and his reference to the Ark even though he’s a Hittite told us perhaps he wasn’t far from God’s spotlight. 

What about Uriah’s wife Bathsheba? While her husband was fighting in a war, she exposed herself on the roof, slept with another man (perhaps she could not reject because it’s the King?), pregnant with another man’s baby, took part in trapping her husband to cover-up the pregnancy. She was probably a Hollywood “desperate housewife” whose husband was too devoted to his work and the rest of his time his buddies. But these are just excuses, she was responsible for her fornication.

Consequence - a disaster
If Bathsheba had felt sorry for her sin, she would have repented to God and perhaps to her husband, then perhaps Uriah might not be murdered, but she chose to lie, her unrepentance somewhat pushed both David and herself further into sin to cover up, and consequentially the death of her husband and her child. She was probably not a person after God’s heart as much as David, and after Solomon was conceived, David seemed to alienate himself from her. 

I noticed when God struck the child, the Bible says “the LORD struck the child that Uriah's wife had borne to David” but when it happened, Uriah was dead and Bathsheba was already David’s wife! Is the author telling us from God’s perspective, when the child was conceived even born into David's house, she was still Uriah’s wife, her status did not change until the sin had been dealt with, i.e. after David’s repentance AND the death of the child. There was no mention of her repentance, although she became the mother of the King (i.e. Solomon), even today she would never be remembered as an honorable woman. Alas!

God's hand on David was harsh. (He disciplines those He loves!) Sin must be dealt with but when God forgives, he blotted the fault and blessing will flow again. WOW! God deals seriously and punishes deep, but His mercy is bountiful. According to Leviticus 20:10 both David and Bathsheba should be put to death for fornication and murder, but God spared their lives as David repented (2 Samuel 22:13). Psalm 51:14-17 showed his repentance and remorse.

As I read Psalm 51, tears began to flow, thinking about my own husband. I wish it to be his prayer to God, too. This deep sorrow brought me to an understanding that it is an individual’s choice to remain in love or to leave. It isn't that God doesn’t love us, it is we who do not love God when we are disobedient. I felt God’s sorrow now as He saw His children turn away from Him.
(to be continued)