Uriah the Hittite / Irrevocable loyalty

Rev. Peter Tuchyna

2 Samuel 11:1-27 ;

The story about one of the greatest giants of faith and loyalty is in this chapter.

His name is Uriah the Hittite.

He is also mentioned in 2 Samuel 23:15-39 , where he is listed as one of the thirty seven (37) mightiest men of valour dedicated

to the service of king David. They loved and valued David’s life more than their own.

The Hittite is not his surname. He was born in a nation, which was despised by Israel. It was a nation whose lifestyle was

exceedingly unclean. God said to Abraham, Genesis 15:20 , that Israel was given into their possession the land of Hittites and

Moses was commanded by God, to utterly destroy the entire nation of the Hittites.

Yet there was something in the heart of Uriah that attracted him to David. He had his family and not all of them had good a

relationship with the Israelites. They perhaps questioned his motives and his sanity when he not only attached himself to the lifestyle

of Israel (he must become proselyte according to the law of Moses) but he joined David’s army, who was the outcast at that time.

He risked his own life and made himself vulnerable by serving David for no apparent reason.

We can only imagine how many remarks he heard and how was his loyalty questioned and tested by his fellow soldiers of David.

But Uriah was a man of principle. He surrounded his life and his loyalty to David irrevocably.

There was a time when David sent his army to fight the Ammonites. He himself stayed back home, and as the opportunity and

temptation came, he sinned with Bathsheba, the wife of Uriah. David knew that Bathsheba was Uriah’s wife.

In an attempt to cover his sin, David called Uriah home for a holiday.

Uriah was a righteous man; he was an upright, loyal and godly man. He knew all the circumstances surrounding Bathsheba and

David, and he refused to participate in covering the sin. He did not go home. He did not visit his wife. But he’s done more than

that. Uriah never challenged David. He never accused his wife of unfaithfulness. He never interrogated her, never smacked her

face, and never raised his voice.

He observed the life of David in the passed. Uriah observed, saw and learned the ways of God. He learned and experienced

that his God, which he found in Israel is a loving God and a righteous God. He learned how to leave his personal things in the

hands of God, trusting that the Lord will take care of the situation and He will revenge him.

Without bitterness and rebellion he bore his pain in his heart. His disappointment with David was beyond measure. The pain

of his broken heart was unbearable. He was wounded; his heart was broken while serving David and his adopted nation.

He spoke to no man, but to God alone. He poured out his heart before God alone with tears running down his cheeks, while

David and Bathsheba slept at night. He surrounded his loyalty and life to David and he did not change his mind.

When David gave him a sealed letter for his superior, general Joab, he knew what was in the letter. He knew that he displeased

David by his unwillingness to cover David’s sin. Uriah knew that in the letter was the verdict of his own death.

He did not run away. He did not destroy the letter, nor did he complain to his friends. He never attempted to fight against David.

O, how he loved God, how he loved righteousness and how much he valued his purity and fellowship with God.

He placed his life into the hands of God and he chose rather to die, than to violate his conscience and loose his fellowship

with God.

The Lord knew that Uriah was physically a mighty man. But his soul was afflicted unto death. He would never enjoy his life

after such an experience, so the Lord took him to a better place. Uriah was obedient to his Master even unto death. Physically, he

lost everything even his life. But his heart contained the presence of God. He was a sanctuary for the presence of God. He

died as pure, holy and a righteous man.

God presented himself through the life of Uriah. Uriah presented and prepared the way for the Saviour of Israel – Jesus.

Later, when David repented of his sins and when he wanted to build a sanctuary unto God – God refused it. David was a man

of much blood, a man of war. David never experienced the ultimate blessing and the pleasure of God to build and to become

the sanctuary of God. Uriah learned and practised that “not by might, nor by power but by my Spirit, saith the Lord.”

“Uriah became a sanctuary for the presence of God,” by displaying the character of God and bearing the attribute of God.

Being the stranger, he took seriously the Word of God into his heart. He became the living sacrifice. He fulfilled the words,

which Jesus uttered later ..”Whosoever will loose his life for my sake, shall find it.”

The Word of God is giving us an assurance that greater is Uriah’s reward in heaven than that of David.

Often the novices, strangers, newcomers into Israel are taking the presence of God and His word more seriously than they,

who were born in Israel. They are loyal and they love righteousness. They make their lives a living sacrifice, even when king

David exploits them. They learned and they understood that God is their reward and He is their heritage. Their lives became

the sanctuary of God. Their sacrifice is accepted by God. They found favour in the eyes of the Lord, even when it seems

that they have physical loses.

But those like king David robed themselves of the opportunity and the blessing to build and to be a sanctuary of the living

God, for their heart is not straight with their fellow soldiers.

Jesus, who is God in the flesh, did not complain, did not turn away from the sinners. The Lord Jesus did not run away when the

verdict of death was pronounced upon Him.

He did not call heavenly angels to help and to deliver him. Jesus did not task or punish the offenders.

Therefore he was exhorted and he received the name above all names. Jesus was obedient unto death, even the death of the

cross.

O, what a love, compassion and loyalty towards us, even when we were disloyal and he was wounded for our iniquity.

We have hurt Him; we have afflicted his soul unto death. We despised Him, rejected Him, and mocked Him. We have

pronounced a death penalty on Him.

Yet, the Lord Jesus willingly died for us while serving us. He never showed the bitterness or grudges towards us. Jesus made

it clear that He forgave us, because He loves us.

Verily, verily, I say unto you. Except a corn of wheat fall into ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth

forth much fruit. John 12:24 .