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great-redeemer · 7 years ago

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The Top 10 Couples in The Bible- Number 8: David and Bathsheba

By now you may have noticed a pattern… So far, most of these couples have been negative examples of love/romantic relationships. It’s important to understand that even the bad things in life can teach us valuable lessons, unpleasant though they may be. The Bible doesn’t walk on eggs shells when discussing the more heavier subjects. It show us the harshness of war. It shows us the wickedness of sexual immorality. And above all else, it doesn’t hide the fact that human beings, even the ones that display admirable qualities, are capable of terrible deeds. Such is the case with the story of David and Bathsheba.

Most of us are familiar with the story. David, the young man who slayed Goliath the giant, is now the king of Israel. One night, while walking around the rooftop of his palace, he spots a beautiful woman taking a bath. However, she’s not just any woman. Her name is Bathsheba, and she just so happens to be the wife of one David’s most loyal soldiers, Uriah the Hittite. This piece of information doesn’t sway David’s opinion though. He’s so incredibly smitten by her, that he sends his servants to bring her over to the palace. That very night he lays with her and impregnates her. Not wanting to be found out, David tries to get Uriah to sleep with Bathsheba. But this proves to be quite difficult, since Uriah’s chivalry and patriotic spirit keep getting in the way. So David ends up doing the unthinkable: he has Uriah be sent to the front of the battle so that he can be killed. Once Uriah is out of the picture, David ends up marrying Bathsheba (read 2 Samuel 11 for the full story).

Before going any further with this story, there are a few things I like to mention. Firstly, while Bathsheba is the most popular woman associated with the king of Israel, David had many ladies, both wives and concubines. But I would say there were exactly 3 women that were the most important in his life. The first one was princess Michal, the daughter of King Saul. Her relationship with David began when they were young. They were wed during the time that Saul wanted to murder David out of jealousy. For fourteen years he was pursued by Saul, and during those fourteen years he was separated from his first wife. They would eventually get back together. But by the time they were reunited, Michal’s love for David had grown cold. She would end up chastising him for worshiping the Lord in a way she felt was dishonoring of a king (read 2 Samuel 6:16-23). The second woman was Abigail, former wife of Nabal. During his time on the run from Saul, David and his men try to find food and shelter. When they asked Nabal for help, he refused and coldly lashed out at David. Abigail was able to make peace with David and gave him a bounty of food in order to ease whatever anger her husband may have brought upon him. David thanked her for her kindness and decided not to harm Nabal. When Abigail confronted her husband about how she saved his life, he became gravely ill. Ten days later he died. Not too long afterwards, David asked Abigail to marry him, to which she agreed.

It’s interesting to point out the differences in each of these relationships, and how they compare with one another. With Michal, it’s very much an example of young love that ends tragically. The Bible makes it clear that she loved David. But time and separation resulted in this relationship to become sour, and she eventually resented him. With Abigail however, it’s a peaceful relationship. She’s a kind, smart, and righteous woman, who quickly wins over David’s heart. Their marriage and romance seems to be the healthiest out of the three. He’s gracious to her, and she’s respectful towards him. So it begs the question: why is Bathsheba the standout of the three?

I think a lot of it has to do with Bathsheba being probably one of the most mysterious women in The Bible. When reading this story, we never get a clear idea of her true character. We haven’t the slightest clue of what she’s feeling or how she’s reacting to all these events. We can only speculate what is going on in her mind. To this day, several scholars, theologians, writers, pastors, etc. can’t quiet determine whether or not Bathsheba was a innocent in this situation, or if she was actually a devious woman who purposely tempted David in adultery. Plus, although David’s wives gave him many children, it was Bathsheba who gave him Solomon. So this woman, who was once the wife of a soldier, became the wife of the king of Israel, and later became the mother of the wisest man to ever live. Her life is filled with so many highs and lows, but with no clear input into who she really is as a person.

I guess when you think about it, Bathsheba’s feelings and thoughts aren’t really the ones we need to know. This is David’s story and therefore his feelings are the only ones we focus on. And it’s sad to think that one of David’s most well known stories is him committing such horrible crimes. This was the young Shepard boy who fought off lions to protect his sheep. He was the one who slayed Goliath and was a champion on the battlefield. He was a singer, a musician, and a poet. He was handsome, strong, and courageous. All of Israel loved him. He was literally the golden child of his people; a clear example of someone chosen by God to do His will, and doing it well. And sure, David wasn’t perfect by all means. He made mistakes and found himself in some heavy predicaments. But for the most part, he was never entirely in the wrong for most of the situations he found himself in. A great example of this is in chapter 2 Samuel 6, when the ark of God is being brought back to Israel. Although David’s intentions were in the right place, the manner in which the ark was brought back was incorrectly handled (read the chapter for more information).

But this time it’s different. David is completely in the wrong in this story. And funny enough, his first mistake isn’t even when he laid eyes on Bathsheba…it’s was when he decided to stay home in the first place. 2 Samuel 11 says, “it happened in the spring of the year, at the time when kings go out to battle, that David sent Joab and his servants with him, and all Israel; and they destroyed the people of Ammon and besieged Rabbah. But David remained at Jerusalem.” So according to this opening verse, David wasn’t even supposed to be in his palace. He should’ve been leading his men in battle, setting an example of bravery and confidence. But instead, he’s was at home relaxing. To a certain extent it’s understandable why David would rather rest this time around. We have to consider that his life had become a roller coaster ever since he fought Goliath. He was a teenager at the time, and his journey from being a Shepard boy, to a warrior, to a fugitive, to a king, had been nonstop action. But the once young and vibrant David, had become tired and was presumably around his 40′s. He probably thought he owed himself a rest. But..if he hadn’t been in his palace that night, chances are he never would have seen Bathsheba.

Bathsheba deciding to take a bath outside in the middle of the night has been the topic of controversy. Again, this goes back to her mysterious nature. We can’t be 100 percent sure of what Bathsheba was thinking, but I think there’s enough information in the text to find an explanation. It’s night time, and many of the men in Israel, including her husband, are out fighting. Maybe she thought she could bathe without being noticed by a man. For all she knew, David was out fighting as well. Then again, why risk being seen? Better to bathe inside if that’s the case. It seems that Bathsheba didn’t think things through, but just kind of did what she wanted to do. This is all speculation of course, but I rather give the lady the benefit of the doubt. And just to set the record straight, I don’t believe David raped Bathsheba. This idea has been considered by some, thinking that David took her by force. But keep in the mind, The Bible has always been very specific when the act of rape occurs (read Genesis 34:1-2, and 2 Samuel 13). Also, rape was (and STILL is) an extremely heinous sin and lead to serious punishments to those who committed it (read Deuteronomy 22:25-27 for more information). If David had violated Bathsheba, then the text would have made it clear that that was the case. 2 Samuel 11:4 says, “then David sent messengers, and took her; and she came to him, and he lay with her, for she was cleansed from her impurity; and she returned to her house”. There’s no sign of resistance from her part, nor a hint that there was a struggle.

But this is a delicate topic and one I think worth examining. And I admit, although I don’t think David raped Bathsheba, it’s clear that he had the upper-hand in the situation. He was the king and he had all the power in the world. We also don’t know what reasons Bathsheba was told as to why she was sent to the palace in the first place. Maybe it had to do something about her husband. And only once she got there did she find out the real motives behind David’s intentions. One could make the argument that she slept with David because she didn’t want to risk his wrath against her (hence showing no sign of resistance). Or, considering the fact that her husband was out fighting, perhaps she felt lonely and wanted some companionship. The reason why I personally picture Bathsheba in a sympathetic light, is because of the story that the prophet Nathan tells to David in 2 Samuel 12.

After the events of chapter 11, many scholars believe that Nathan came to visit David months after Uriah’s death. Certain Psalms, like Psalms 32, 38, and 51, suggest that David went through a period of internal struggle, and had no fellowship with God. Most likely he was suffering from the sin he had committed, but was also in extreme self-denial of what he had done. It took a man of God to open David’s eyes. So Nathan went and told David a story about two men. One was poor and only had a baby lamb. He loved the lamb like it was his own child. But the rich man had everything he ever wanted, including all the sheep he ever needed. One day, when a traveler came to visit the rich man, he decided to take the baby lamb of the poor man, so he could prepare it for a meal. He had no interest in using his own animals, and instead took the beloved sheep from their owner. When David heard this story, he became furious, and declared that the rich man should be punished. But then Nathan made it clear that David was the rich man in the story. His actions were inconsiderate to both Uriah and Bathsheba, and misused his powers as king to get what he wanted. The Lord had given him so much, that if he ever wanted more, all he had to do was ask. Instead, he took another man’s wife and murdered him so that his crimes could be covered up. But God saw it all and knew David needed to confess.

If David is the rich man in the story, then who is the poor man and the baby lamb? Well, in the actual text, the baby lamb is described as a ewe lamb, a young female sheep. Bathsheba is the lamb, beautiful and fragile, who was taken away from the one who loved her. Uriah is the poor man, having lost his wife and eventually his life, all because of David and his sinful desires. Maybe we can never truly know what kind of woman Bathsheba was. But I think it’s fair to say that she wasn’t the devious woman many have portrayed her to be. She was a human being who made a mistake like David, but who was also placed in a situation where she didn’t have much power as well. And when she heard about Uriah’s death, she sincerely mourned for him (2 Samuel 11:26). If she really was a devious person, would she really had wasted her time crying for him?

Of course with every sin there’s a price to pay. Thankfully, David was able to repent. Not just because it was the right thing to do, but because it allowed him to have a connection with God again. But that still didn’t mean David’s act could go unpunished. Since this analysis has become quite long, it’s best that you read for yourselves the several consequences that came from this sin. Although they may seem harsh, everything that happens to David afterwards is understandable and justifiable. God is merciful to those who seek Him but also just in all that He does. It would’ve been wrong to let David off the hook so easily, especially seeing he was the king of a great nation, and therefore stood as an example of what God expected of the people.

It’s fascinating to wonder what David and Bathsheba’s relationship was like after the whole ordeal. Although lust is what brought them together, were they ever able to surpass that? We know that with his friendship with Jonathan and his marriage to Abigail, that David was capable of genuine love for those he cared for. And since Bathsheba mourned for Uriah, we can safely say that she harbored affection for him. It’s possible that over time she could have affection for David as well. Maybe I’m just optimistic, but I like to think that this relationship grew to be more than just a lustful one. But alas, we shall never know. But regardless of what became of this couples relationship, the events that brought them together must never be seen as right. Unfortunately, adultery is all too familiar in our culture. And sadly, there have been cases in which adulterous relationships lead to murderous actions. But David and Bathsheba’s story isn’t meant for us to imitate. Rather, it’s meant as a cautionary story for those who seek out their sexual and fleshy desires. Although it seems and feels good at first, our sinful actions will come back to haunt us. And if we keep running away, we’ll only dig ourselves in a whole. Eventually we’ll have to face our mistakes and deal with the consequences. Despite it all, God will always be willing to forgive us, as long as we’re willing to humble ourselves and repent.

Stay tune for my number 7 choice for: The Top 10 Couples in The Bible

#David and Bathsheba #king david #1 samuel #2 samuel #uriah the hittite #bathsheba #bath #bathe #the bible #The Word of God #The Ten Commandments #the old testament #God Is Love #GODisLove #the love God #Jesus Christ #JesusLovesYou #jesussaves #Jehovah

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shirlleycoyle · 4 years ago

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Spotify CEO Defends Keeping Transphobic Joe Rogan Podcasts Online

In a Spotify all-hands company meeting on Wednesday, Spotify CEO Daniel Ek defended keeping transphobic content from hugely popular podcaster Joe Rogan on the audio platform, who earlier this year signed an exclusive licensing deal with the company likely worth tens of millions of dollars.

Some staff inside the company feel alienated by Spotify's hosting of certain The Joe Rogan Experience (JRE) episodes, according to copies of some of the questions presented to the meeting obtained by Motherboard. The news signals how Spotify, as it moves into the podcasting space beyond music, is facing content moderation decisions more commonly associated with social media platforms like Facebook or Twitter. Spotify has already removed JRE episodes with some right-wing figures, including Alex Jones and Gavin McInnes.

"In the case of Joe Rogan, a total of 10 meetings have been held with various groups and individuals to hear their respective concerns," Ek said, according to three sources. "And some of them want Rogan removed because of things he's said in the past."

Do you work at Spotify? We'd love to hear from you. Using a non-work phone or computer, you can contact Joseph Cox securely on Signal on +44 20 8133 5190, Wickr on josephcox, OTR chat on [email protected], or email [email protected].

Three sources provided Motherboard with some of the questions submitted to the town hall meeting. Motherboard granted them anonymity as they weren't authorized to speak to the press about internal Spotify issues. Two of the questions submitted for the Q&A section of the meeting highlight some of the Spotify employee's concerns around Joe Rogan's content.

One of the submitted questions was "Many LGBTQAI+/ally Spotifiers feel unwelcome and alienated because of leadership's response in JRE conversations. What is your message to those employees?" Another was “Why has Spotify chosen to ignore Spectrum ERG's guidance about transphobic content in the JRE catalog?,” referring to a group of Spotify workers who focus on related issues.

At the meeting, Ek also told employees not to leak to the media, noting "If we can't have open, confidential debates, we will have to move those discussions to closed doors."

"Others have concerns specifically over a recent episode," Ek said. "And Joe Rogan and the episode in question have been reviewed extensively. The fact that we aren't changing our position doesn't mean we aren't listening. It just means we made a different judgment call."

The specific episode of the Joe Rogan Experience Ek was referring to was from July, in which Rogan interviewed Abigail Shrier, author of the book Irreversible Damage: The Transgender Craze Seducing Our Daughters, according to one of the sources_._ From the opening moments of that podcast, Shrier associates transgender youth with those with autism; Shrier and Rogan spend parts of the episode explaining that young people are being pressured into transitioning by YouTube and other media.

"You realize that people are not looking at this objectively," Rogan said in the podcast. "They are activists and they have this agenda, and the agenda is very ideologically driven that anybody who even thinks they might be trans should be trans, are trans, and the more trans people the better."

In the book, Shrier invalidates the lived experience of trans people by comparing transitioning to adolescent phenomena like eating disorders, self-harm, or the occult, according to Men's Health. She also described wanting to transition as a "contagion" with the potential to infect other children, an entirely scientifically baseless idea, Men's Health noted.

"At Spotify, we are strongly committed to the LGBTQ+ community and diversity in all of its forms," a Spotify spokesperson told Motherboard. "All employees are respected and we believe that everyone has a right to be heard. We have a number of forums for open and transparent discussion and we encourage rigorous debate on topics across the company. All content on Spotify is subject to our long-standing content guidelines. Our diverse team of experts reviewed the content in question and determined that it did not meet the criteria for removal from our platform."

"The fact that we aren't changing our position doesn't mean we aren't listening. It just means we made a different judgment call."

At the time of writing, the Shrier episode is on Spotify. The company has made content moderation decisions to not port several other older JRE episodes to the platform, however. Episodes #911 and #1255, both of which feature Alex Jones, are not hosted on Spotify. In 2018, Spotify removed Alex Jones' own podcast from its platform for "hate content." Spotify is also not hosting episodes in which Rogan interviewed far-right personalities Gavin McInnes and Chuck Johnson.

The Spotify catalog does include episodes featuring Stefan Molyneux, who the Southern Poverty Law Center says amplifies "scientific racism," and who was banned from YouTube earlier this year for hate speech.

Joe Rogan has given people like this access to his gigantic audience, and Rogan rarely challenges his guests on their views, allowing them to launder their bad ideas on his show. Data & Society researcher Becca Lewis has argued that Rogan giving a platform to these people has led his audience down more extremist rabbit holes on YouTube. Lewis describes Rogan as a libertarian influencer "with mainstream appeal."

In another recent episode, Rogan explained a joke he made in 2016 about Caitlyn Jenner's transition, describing Jenner as "he" and using her deadname "Bruce." Rogan also mischaracterized the reason for Jenner's transition, saying it may have been because she was around her daughters Kylie Jenner and Kendall Jenner, that he describes as "crazy bitches."

"He's a homophobic, transphobic ass," Jenner told TMZ this week. "I've been gender disphoric my entire life."

As recently as August 31, in what he said was the first episode of the podcast for Spotify, Rogan joked that the Democratic party "just want to talk shit and make sure everyone is trans." He followed that up by saying "I don't mean that trans people, I'm with you." He also said that "my only pushback is about trans people competing as females in fighting." Rogan is a UFC commentator, and was referring to his long standing objection to trans women fighting other women in MMA.

In recent days, Donald Trump has said he would be willing to go on JRE to debate Joe Biden; Wednesday, Trump sent an email to his supporters in which he asked them to sign a petition "to DEMAND Joe Biden come out of his basement and agree to a LIVE 4-HOUR debate with President Trump," on Rogan.

Joe Rogan announced his move to Spotify in May. The JRE debuted on Spotify on September 1, and will become exclusively available on the platform later in the year, according to a statement from Spotify at the time.

In his announcement, Rogan said Spotify "want me to just continue doing it the way I'm doing it right now," and added "it's just a licensing deal, so Spotify won't have any creative control over the show."

Spotify CEO Defends Keeping Transphobic Joe Rogan Podcasts Online syndicated from https://triviaqaweb.wordpress.com/feed/

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