Despite being a foreigner, Uriah the Hittite is loyal to the nation of Israel, to King David, and to God. He’s an honorable man, serving in the nation’s army.
David stays home while his troops, including Uriah, are off fighting. It’s during this time that David sleeps with Uriah’s wife, Bathsheba, and she gets pregnant.
To cover up their coupling, David calls Uriah back from the front lines.
After two failed attempts to send Uriah home to the arms of his wife, David resorts to plan B. He develops a battle strategy to bring about Uriah’s death. Uriah unwittingly carries the plan with him when he returns to the front lines.
The commander implements David’s strategy, and Uriah dies.
Uriah is a victim of events outside of his control. He did nothing wrong. Yet he’s effectively executed anyway, all because of the king’s affair and attempted cover-up.
Though we may view Uriah’s life as a tragedy, we should remember him as a devout man of integrity and valor. This is his legacy.
And there’s one more thing. Though not an ancestor of Jesus, Uriah’s name, nonetheless, appears in Matthew’s genealogy of Jesus, whereas his wife’s name is absent.
In this way, Scripture honors the admirable Uriah.
When we do what is right, do we expect everything to work out? Will we maintain our trust in God if we suffer unjustly?
[Read Uriah’s story in 2 Samuel 11. Discover more in Matthew 1:1–6.]
Learn about more biblical characters in Old Testament Sinners and Saints, available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover. Get your copy today.
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Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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