The fall of a great man! How do we keep our wits about us? How do we encourage those around us to remain true and keep their life? What is "sin"? These are just some of the questions that I have been asked, and some of what I will attempt to answer now.
In 2 Samuel we see David. This is the first part of his downward spiral. We all have them! We don't talk much about his failure, we always sum it up with his "heart". But I want to talk about this from a woman's perspective. So here I go...
Bathsheba, she is on her roof where she can have a private moment of bathing. Her husband, who is a great honorable man, is off to battle for the king. She has just finished her monthly period and is now wanting to be clean. Ah, it is her time. She is unaware of someone watching her. A man who has stayed back and has awaken from a nap in the middle of the day. He is looking upon her with great want and sends for her. When she hears the knock on her door it startles her, but thinks nothing of it. "The king wants to see me! Could it be my husband? Could it be...?" She couldn't think. She got her appropriate clothes on and went with his servants, only to find him in want of her! What could she do? How could she not? It is the king and she is only a woman at his mercy. When he is finished with her, he sends her away. Broken and terrified she goes to her home only to discover later that she is pregnant.
Then many years later there is another young girl, Tamar. She is David's daughter who is wanted by her older half brother Amnon. He tricks her and is enticed by her as she cooks for him her "sick" brother. He grabs her and she begs him not do defile her in this way, but his strength is greater. He rapes her. Because he had had such want for her, his want became disgust.
This is just a small part of the story, but here is where I want to focus. These women are victims of a stronger mans desire. These are both women who share in a bigger story. Bathsheba goes through many hard times: getting raped, loss of a husband, a son, but she is later the mother of Solomon. Tamar is a victim to the core, but still maintains her integrity. "The narrator of Tamar's rape at the hands of her brother is told with a focus that emphasizes the male roles of the story: David, Amnon, and Absalom. "Even the poignancy of Tamar's humiliation is drawn out for the primary purpose of justifying Absalom's later murder of Amnon, and not for its own sake" (p. 5). In focusing on the story with Tamar, not the men, as the focal point, Cooper-White hopes to remind the readers that the lesson should come from the true victim; the female who was raped and not the men left to deal with the situation. She emphasizes "power-within" over "power-over." With "power-over," one's power is related to how many creatures one has dominion over. Tamar demonstrates the "power-within," or en-theos(God-within) by resisting as much as she could..." (White).
These women, even though they cannot see their story playing out, they do what is best in their time and keep their focus on what is important. No they do not see the whole story. But they remain true to their time, custom, and God. How are we playing out our role? How are we determining our future? Are we losing it in the moment to allow others to lose it in their's. What are we focusing on?
I have been asked by many different people the same question in different ways, but still the same point. "I wish I had sinned more when I could have. I no longer have the chance and see that I blew it." BLEW WHAT!!? Are you kidding me? David had at least 7 wives and countless concubines, do you think he regrets killing Uriah? Amnon died and created all kinds of trouble in his family, was it really worth it? Sin is relational infidelity. There are many relationships broken and lives destroyed by "Sin". But even though these men screwed up Royally, God and His story continues and over powers the powerful. He is faithful to his creation! If you wish to dive deeper into the story, you can find it beginning in 2 Samuel 11. I've left lots out, but I hope I'm clear about what I'm trying to say.
ADVENTURE is what we are often looking for, not Sin! Adventure is going out and discovering this world and all that is good. Have we had the adventures of a lifetime? Or are we living with Sin as a regret that is staining our tomorrows?
