"And Uriah said unto David, ‘The ark, and Israel, and Judah, abide in tents; and my lord Joab, and the servants of my lord, are encamped in the open fields; shall I then go into mine house, to eat and to drink, and to lie with my wife? As thou livest, and as thy soul liveth, I will not do this thing.'"

II Samuel 11: 11
King James Version

EXPLORATION

"A Man Named Uriah The Hittite" - ­- A Spiritual man - -  Part I
"If you seek first to please God and are satisfied therein you have but one to please instead of multitudes."

Richard Baxter

Is my love for God the first priority in my life?

"God was so precious to my soul that the world with all its enjoyments appeared vile. I had no more value for the favor of men than for pebbles."

David Brainerd

INSPIRATION

"Choose to love the Lord your God and to obey Him and to commit yourself to Him for He is your life."

Deuteronomy 30: 20
N.L.T.

His name was Uriah the Hittite. Based on the account in Scripture, it is likely Uriah, Bathsheba's husband, was from the ethnic Hittite minority. While he lived in Israelite territory, his ancestors were occupants of the "Land of Canaan" since the time of Abraham. When the Israelites entered Canaan, they were instructed to cleanse the land of Canaan of those who were doing "detestable" things. However, many of the earlier inhabitants were spared, often for assisting the Hebrews when they arrived in the "Promised Land."

By the time David took over as king, history reports that there were survivors of the Canaanite nations, who not only had inter-married with the Israelites, but in addition, followed their religion, to the point where these individuals were accepted as true Israelites.

We can easily believe this was the situation that developed in the life of Uriah. He was what you and I would call a convert. In fact, since his name in Hebrew means "God is my light," it is very possible it was Uriah's parents who came to believe in the God of heaven and earth - the same God whom Rahab the Harlot, another Canaanite, boldly stated, "I know Him!"

Because of Uriah's elevated status as a valiant officer in King David's army - even being identified as a "mighty man" -- this fact alone would indicate that Uriah was accepted by the Israelites. And when you add to this the knowledge that Uriah married an "insider", the granddaughter, of one of David's most trusted counselors, we can easily come to the conclusion that the Israelites felt Uriah was truly "one of them." A convert who had become assimilated into their society.

With this as background, we will spend the next four days looking at the man - Uriah the Hittite.

You may be wondering how the study of a man's life fits into our Bible survey on the lives of all the women in the Bible. In the case of Uriah, all I have to say is that it is very important for us to look at the man Bathsheba married, for tucked into this story are some critical lessons, we as women need to be aware of when we make choices relating to the men we associate with, date and marry.

This is why I want to look closely at II Samuel 11: 11. If you will notice, after laying out three temptations before Uriah and trying to lure him into a trap and send him back home to be with his wife, King David was informed, in no uncertain terms, that Uriah had made his choice to stay in the battle. Period. And Uriah did this by telling David there were four specific things in his life he refused to waver on and here they are as they're spelled out in II Samuel 11: 11:

1.      First, Uriah put the Ark of the Lord as his top priority. In Uriah's life, his spiritual life came before king and country as well as friends and family. God was number one. "The Ark," was what Uriah thought of first.

2.      Second, Uriah accepted God's purpose for his life. "Israel and Judah abide in tents," he told David, they are on the field in battle and I must stay with them, too. Uriah believed he was called by God and the purpose was to defend Israel and Judah. Nothing would diminish his fervor or divert his attention.

3.      Third, Uriah was loyal to those around him, at his work and in the battle. He was someone Joab could count on, through thick and thin. Those whom Uriah fought side-by-side with knew he was a man of his word. When his comrades needed him, he was there.

4.      Fourth, Uriah informed David that, "as thy soul liveth, I will not do this." He was a man of unwavering principle. Right was right no matter who was trying to force him to act or do differently.

 
Here in one text, we find that this Canaanite convert, an outsider who now believed in the God of heaven and earth, was first and foremost a man who put spirituality as the top priority in his life. He was a man who was led by God's purpose. He was loyal to those around him, and finally, he was a man of principle whose unwavering obedience could be counted on at all times.

If you and I, as women, look at these characteristics, they offer a heavenly blueprint for the type of man God's daughters should be drawn to. For in choosing a man of heavenly desires and purpose, a man with unflinching loyalty and principles driven by God's Spirit, just imagine the joy that will be present in our relationships.

Augustine, in describing a life with a heavenly focus penned these words, "To love God entirely, the soul must be pure and strong, staying faithful to God in times of trouble, alert against dishonesty and fraud. In this way man (and woman) will not just find the supreme good, he (she) will himself (herself) become like the supreme good, because he (she) will be transformed into the image of God." This was the spiritual focus of the life of Uriah the Hittite.

"Love to God purifies and ennobles every taste and desire, intensifies every affection, and brightens every worthy pleasure."
Author Unknown

AFFIRMATIONS

"O worship the King,

all glorious above,

O gratefully sing His

wonderful love;

Our shield and defender,

the ancient of days

Pavilioned in splendor,

and girded with praise.

Thy bountiful care,

What tongue can recite?

It breathes in the air,

It shines in the light,

It streams from the hills,

It descends to the plain,

And sweetly distills in

the dew and the rain.

Frail children of dust,

and feeble as frail,

In Thee do we trust,

Nor find Thee to fail;

Thy mercies, how tender!

How firm to the end!

Our Maker, Defender,

Redeemer, and Friend!"

Psalm 104
Robert Grant (1833)

Your friend,

Dorothy Valcàrcel, Author
When A Woman Meets Jesus
Dorothy@Transformationgarden.com

P.S.  My book, When A Woman Meets Jesus, is now available wherever books are sold and on the internet at www.amazon.com, Christianbook.com, or by calling toll-free, 1-800-Christian.  You can also go to www.whenawomanmeetsjesus.com and purchase the book through Paypal for $8.00. Or by calling Transformation Garden at 1-888-397-4348. 

For more from Dorothy, please visit transformationgarden.com.

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