Archive Repost: Thirty Warriors...Deepest Treachery

I’ve been reading 2 Samuel over the last several days. I got to an interesting passage I had never reflected on before. In 2 Samuel 23 a list is given of David’s “Thirty Warriors”. There are two distinctions among the 600 men that were David’s Band of Brothers; the “Three Warriors” and the “Thirty Warriors”. Both groups were highly esteemed and famous throughout Israel.

Each that is listed, is as an act of honor and Respect for their part in serving David. (He was referred to by his men as the “Light of Israel”. They fought so that his flame would not go out.)

Near the end of the Hall of Fame, is the name of a guy that I didn’t expect to see. Uriah the Hittite. Uriah was one of the top fighters in the nation, one of David’s, “Thirty Warriors”. He was a man among men, a hero to the boys of Jerusalem, close friend and defender of David, and (oh, by the way) husband of Bathsheba.

Bathsheba, you may recall, was the woman that King David saw bathing herself. He lusted after her and had her brought to the palace so that he could commit adultery with her, while Uriah the Hittite was out fighting for the “light of Israel”. David’s sin was on the verge of becoming public because she became pregnant, so David had Uriah killed. David told his commander Joab to put Uriah in the front, where the fighting was worst., then to withdraw from him so that he would be killed. It happened just that way.

A couple random observations:
1. David cheated with one of his best supporter’s wives. Probably the reason that they lived so close to the palace was because of Uriah’s high position in the Army.
2. David set up one of his most devout fighters.
3. David killed him in a way the Uriah was not expecting. It was no surprise to him that he would lead the battle in the fiercest area of the battlefield. He was one of the “Thirty Warriors”.
4. This story has always seemed treacherous to me, but seeing that it was against Uriah the Hittite, worthy of being recorded by name in scripture, one of the greatest warriors in the army, and the kicker…He had his life taken by a friend he would have willingly given his life for. –Ouch

Jesus willingly offered his life for me. Do I deal with Him treacherously?

--Ben