Fifty Shades of David
The Bible is rampant with sex.
“Be fruitful and multiply…” (Genisis 1:28) is surely a blatant directive.
There are tales throughout the Bible of men and women laying together for many reasons.
David and Bathsheba
David and Bathsheba spring to mind as a major story within the Bible.
In the 1951 movie David and Bathsheba, starring Gregory Peck and Susan Hayword, their romance is brought to life. The movie brought this biblical tale into our modern-day consciousness.
We are fascinated by what men and women do together… moreover, we are titillated by what heroic figures do in their seemingly charmed life.
I once overheard a man telling others about his disdain for David, based on his actions. I don’t know if he was virtue signaling or not, but it sounded hollow.
We, in the modern world, often behave like David although we view him as a flawed individual, as evidenced in his actions with Bethsheba and her husband Uri. David impregnates Bathsheba and then sends Uri to the battlefront where he is killed He, thereby breaks two commandments: Thou shall not covet another man’s wife, and thou shall not kill.
Our 21-Century morality has very little to do with the sexual customs of three-thousand years ago. Still, even now the story of David and Bathsheba seems like a nasty piece of business.
We could take the view that David was the King and a great man, so, what he does on his own time is his own business. Or, you may believe that our actions have a direct bearing on who we are as individuals. In short, to have noble ideas is not enough. Your actions must also be noble or you are simply a fake.
The Politics of Sex
Why is the story of David and Bathsheba so important?
This is the ultimate story of power, beauty, and sex. However, it is all about the politics.
This Biblical story uses sex as the instrument but it is truly about power and who holds the power.
David is King yet his weakness is Bethsheba.
So, who’s in control?
Who has the real power?
David is allowed to have what he desires!
Bethsheba is then set for life.
She becomes his first wife.
Bethsheba has a son, Nathan, and three other sons, Solomon, Shammua, and Shobab.
Solomon goes on to build the first temple. His wise counsel is still remembered to this day and he is widely viewed as one of the richest men that ever lived…
The poor husband, Uri, seems to be a pawn that gets in the way of a royal chess match.
Fifty Shades of David
This love story takes the power theme to a high level and brings into question how men and women should behave in society.
However, we know commandments get broken all the time in the name of love or sex!
We often see how an individual’s desires are at direct odds with the good of society – even if that individual is a King! We see King David as a flawed individual: a human being controlled by his desires.
What also is highlighted is David’s willingness to see his faults and repent: “When the words of God came to David through the prophet Nathan, David turned from his sin.” (2 Samuel 12:1-15).
David understands he is flawed.
David also has a deep relationship with his God.
So David passionately strives to become a batter person!
Who among us has not fallen yet tries to be a better person?
Robert
Leave a Reply