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Reflections on my last tweet that went semi-viral (for my standards): First, my tweet was almost exclusively liked or retweeted by women, and critiqued by men. Whether by instinct or lamentably by experience, our sisters keenly understand the vulnerability of the human condition
Theology must be done in community; if your community does not involve women you are missing out on half of what it means to be made in the image of God. Brothers, listen to your sisters, just because you can't understand something does not mean it is not true.
Charity and humility must accompany precision and nuance as the hermeneutic that drives the theological task.
Second, the most common pushback I received fundamentally fails to employ the essential principle of exegesis: interpret Scripture w Scripture. Regularly I heard 'It's impossible to sin against another person, we only sin against God' as if Mt 18:15-22 and 1 Cor 6:18 don't exist!
It is without question that the primary offense in this sin - or any sin you or I have ever commited - is first and foremost an act of cosmic treason against a good and holy God, but this does not render the human victim of sin inconsequential.
Not only does David sin against God, but he sins against Bathsheba *and* his own body. Emphasizing one aspect of the truth does not invalidate another aspect.
Ps 51:5 was cited as a kind of proof text that David's prayer of response to his sin is the final word in the matter. If it is true that David sinned *only* against God, then the apostle Paul is wrong in saying that sexual sin is against one's own body (1 Cor 6:18)
AND we need not forgive others because they actually cannot sin against us (contra Mt 18:15-22; Eph 4:32 Col 3:13; Mt 6:12 etc.). Not only does this disregard the Christian principle of forgiveness, but also the theme of justice woven throughout the Story of Scripture
People act like justice was invented by so-called 'SJWs' but spoiler alert (God talked about it first!). How many Psalms does David cry out for justice to be enacted against his enemies? To ignore such a crucial concept is to jettison one of the Christian's greatest hopes:
Though injustice seems to reign now, one day the perfectly just Judge will right all wrongs and make every sad thing come untrue (Mt 16:27; Rom 2:6; Rev 19:1-2 etc.)
Afterall, what is the impulse of the Law but protection against oppression and promotion of flourishing? (e.g. Ex 22:21; Lev 19:13; 25:35; Dt 22:8; 27:19; Jer 22:3; Zech 7:10). God's laws are not about stifling our joy but promoting it!
The way of wisdom in the world is to follow His precepts, not out of slavish obedience but out of humble recognition that the Creator knows best how His creation ought to flourish. To disobey is not only dis-faith but an arrogant claim to divine knowledge of the best way to live
Finally, the objection that: 'nothing in the text says that it's not her fault.' Is the saddest and most ignorant comment of all. While I am by no means an expert on power dynamics, the fact that David sent messengers & 'took her' (2 Sam 11:4) proves that this was not her choice
If you will allow me to nerd-out for a moment, the verb used here 'took her' (לקח) is almost exclusively used as violent or unlawful seizing throughout the book of Samuel e.g. 1 Sam 2:14; 4:11; 5:2; *8:13-16*; 14:32; 17:54; 26:22; 30:20; 2 Sam 2:21; 4:7; 8:1; 10:4; 12:9 etc.
Now, of course the semantic range of לקח (as one of the most common elementary words of the OT) includes normative displacement or receiving, but that a plurality of messengers were sent to 'take' a vulnerable woman alone in her house renders this a moot point.
Could it be that the theme of a human king 'taking' from the people is a major theme of the book of Samuel (w/ 1 Sam 8:10-18 as a primary Text) as a stark reminder to Israel that they have rejected YHWH as King and must deal with the consequences of a human king who takes & takes
The point being that the LORD is the rightful King; all earthly kings will fail, but He will not. Therefore, at this juncture in redemption-history, Israel waits for a King from the line of David who will sit on the Throne and reign (unlike his predecessor) in perfect justice.
Praise the Lord that King Jesus has come! May we await the day with hopeful expectation when we will see the King in His beauty and worship Him forevermore!
