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But It Takes Two to Tango, Right? Feb 26 2009
"One evening David got up from his bed and walked around on the roof of the palace. From the roof he saw a woman bathing. The woman was very beautiful, and David sent someone to find out about her. The man said, 'Isn't this Bathsheba, the daughter of Eliam and the wife of Uriah the Hittite?' Then David sent messengers to get her. She came to him, and he slept with her." - 2 Samuel 11:2-4
The whole fiasco began with David and Bathsheba committing an act of adultery. Once this occurred, a whole clamoring of dominoes took over involving deceit, murder, lying, and cover-up. Yet despite the horrendous consequences of the consensual act, the Bible's perspective seems to only condemn David. What about Bathsheba?
She was a beautiful woman, and beauty in a woman is great power. In the early 2000's, the most active web search for athletes was Anna Kournikova. Do you think it was because of all the tennis tournaments she won? Of course not; she never won a single tournament! It was all because she was beautiful! Beauty in a woman is great power. Don't kid yourself, Bathsheba was aware or her power when she bathed outside by the moonlight, knowing the King was in town and her husband was away.
But here's what is so relevant today. The Bible puts the responsibility of this sin on David, which is consistent with our contemporary laws on sexual harassment. The person in authority is the one held responsible for the deed. David was the man in power. He was the King, and he had the major responsibility for this sin, no matter how cooperative Bathsheba may have been. He used his power and authority and he was held fully accountable.
It takes two to tango, but the one in power is always the most responsible.
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5 Comments
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Yes, report it NevermindFrom extra-biblical sources, I've read that the particular time in the evening that David went out was known to be when women bathed, so David knew what he might see. He was not with his men, had idle time, and that's where the trouble started. I've never read anything that hinted that Bathsheba was aware that the king might see her - that she did that on purpose. That seems a bit of a stretch to me. There's also no indication that she consented, that it doesn't NOT say that either. Definitely takes 2 to tango... just have never read or heard any evidence that Bathsheba started the whole problem.
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Yes, report it NevermindHe didn't say that Bathsheba caused it, he simply said that it takes two to tango...and also said that David was responsible. The truth is that a woman's beauty has power. It's sad, but true. Men are weak when it comes to beautiful women. Some women use their beauty to get what they want.I'm not saying Bathsheba did that...I wasn't there to even know her personality. I think the point of this message is that ONE person is no doubt RESPONSIBLE, but that it does take 2 to tango.
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Yes, report it NevermindWhile God put the responsibility of sin on David, it is also true that Bathsheba lost her child. This is something that no loving mother wants to face.
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Yes, report it NevermindHi Jan... I understand that he was stating ultimately David was most responsible because he was the one with power and authority. My thought was nearly about Bathsheba knowing what she was doing when she took a bath on the rooftop. I've read that that was normal, but I've never seen or read any evidence that she did it intentionally. If that were true, it would be akin to a woman who wears very suggestive clothing around a particular man on purpose. If the man gives in to it, he's still at fault, but she would have encouraged it in some small way. But with Bathsheba, I just think that believing she knew what she was doing is putting your own spin on it because there's no evidence of that (that I've seen). From what I've heard, she was doing what was normal. But yes, David is definitely more responsible for it.
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Yes, report it NevermindThe first problem was the fact that David was in town when he should have been in the field with his men. 2Samuel 11:1 states it was "at the time when kings go forth to battle".. If David was where he should have been nothing would have happened. True, people would place water on top of the roofs to warm the water and then they would go on top of the house to take their baths. I have never studied where people did this at a certain time, so if someone would tell me where this is found I would like to read it to learn something new,(I am not saying this is not written somewheres.) When David saw her on the roof he should have turned from her, and I will admit that he did what most men would do if they saw a beautiful womwn doing this. It is not a sin to have seen her in this way but he went a lot further than he should have gone. She could have refused but it possibly could have cost her, her life to say no to the king. Davis knew this was wrong because he tried to cover it over and then he caused a murder of a man who was devoted to his king and kingdom. David paid for this sin by the life of his son, and not being able to build the Lords house, something that he really wanted to do.
God bless and have a good day.