Release / Renunciation – Bathsheba
With Leddy Hammock and Sue Riley
The act of letting go can be so incredibly freeing and live changing, and yet we may find ourselves clinging to what is comfortable, even when it is no longer working for us. We love the image of the letting go of discarded dreams and things that no longer serve us being washed away in a ritual bath–cleansing, freeing, empowering, and instantly real. Bathsheba is radical, best known for taking a bath on a roof and thereby attracting the attention of a powerful man. Through meeting changes and losses with serenity, she emerged. Thank goodness for all of us! Join us as we paint a picture of Bathsheba allowing things that can no longer stay to drift away on the scented evening air.
RESPONSIVE READING:
“daughter of the oath; seventh daughter; measure of fullness” (fourth woman mentioned in the genealogy of Jesus; “wife of Uriah,” “my light is Jehovah” the “Hittite” (thoughts of opposition and resistance,” who was the armor bearer of Joab – “Jehovah is father” and David’s own nephew—the son of David’s sister, Zeruiah “balm.” Bathsheba was the daughter of Eliam: “God’s people” – “our true thoughts are God’s people” and mother of Solomon: “whole; entire; complete; integral; peace; concord; integrity; rectitude; soundness; peaceful” (Matthew 1:6).
“One evening David [beloved of the Lord] … from the roof … saw a woman bathing, who was very beautiful. David … was told, ‘She is Bathsheba … wife of Uriah the Hittite.” Then David sent messengers and took her” (II Samuel 11:2-3).
Lord, purify my desires, for whatever I am drawn to, I draw to myself.
“But the woman had conceived, and sent the information to David ‘I am with child’” (II. Samuel 11:4-5).
God’s promise is that thoughts conceived in mind irresistibly manifest.
When Uriah refused to leave his troops to visit his wife, David gave the order for Uriah to be placed where he would be killed in battle. “… The wife of Uriah . . . mourned her lord, but once the mourning was over, David sent for her and brought her into his house. She became his wife and bore him a son, but the LORD was displeased[divine law was not in alignment] with what David had done” (II. Samuel 11:26).
“On the seventh day the child died” (II Samuel 12:18).
Beneath the human sorrow, an inner meaning is revealed:
selfish and controlling thoughts do not create thriving results.
The prophet Nathan [“yield, give up,” grant grace, instruct” explained to David that the King was accountable for his selfish actions. David felt deeply sorry and, when he saw that baby was very ill, David refused to eat, so his servants were afraid to tell the king when the child died. But when David learned that the child had passed, he let go of his grief. “Rising from the ground, David washed and anointed himself and … worshiped …. Then David comforted Bathsheba …. and she conceived and bore him a son, who was named Solomon. The LORD loved him and sent the prophet Nathan to name him Jedidiah (“dearly loved of the Lord”)” (I Samuel 12:20-5).