Don’t Feed the Traveler with the Poor Man’s Wife

While Uriah was out fighting the battles of King David. David stole his wife and defiled her. Afterwards…

“David wrote a letter to Joab and sent it by the hand of Uriah. And he wrote in the letter, saying, ‘Set Uriah in the forefront of the hottest battle, and retreat from him, that he may be struck down and die.’” [1]

He had Uriah carry his own death sentence to the commander of David’s army. David’s commander carried out the order. Uriah, a valiant and faithful man for God and country, died at the hands of his own King.

Afterwards…

“The Lord sent Nathan to David. And he came to him and said to him: ‘There were two men in one city, one rich and the other poor. The rich man had exceedingly many flocks and herds. But the poor man had nothing, except one little ewe lamb which he had bought and nourished; and it grew up together with him and with his children. It ate his own food and drank from his own cup and lay in his bosom; and it was like a daughter to him. And a traveler came to the rich man, who refused to take from his own flock and from his own herd to prepare one for the wayfaring man who had come to him; but he took the poor man’s lamb and prepared it for the man who had come to him.’” [2]

The Lord compared David to a rich man who was willing to steal something very precious and beloved from a poor man to feed a traveler. The traveler in this story represents lust. David saw Bathsheba bathing on her rooftop from his vantage point in his palace. Lust came to him, and he wanted to feed it. He had several wives, but he wanted to entertain lust. Lust wanted from him what was not lawful for him to take. For the sake of the traveler, David killed an innocent man, got a woman pregnant out of wedlock, and betrayed the Lord who had made him the king over His people.

Sin is ugly and harmful. It continues to produce evil once it gains a foothold in one’s life. Many times, the sinner does not realize how much damage his or her sin has caused until long after the act has been committed.

As I read the story of David’s crime against Uriah this morning, strangely enough, I thought of great empires that like to rule the world. How often, they steal from the poor to give to the rich. The rulers are feeding the traveler named lust at the expense of the innocent man that is doing best for his family and country. But even as I thought of these authorities, the Holy Spirit reminded me of how us common people also defraud others as we feed a sinful habit. We all have sinned, and need the Holy Spirit to fill us and to help us love God and our neighbor as we should.

The conclusion of this meditation this morning was to pray the prayer found in the next to last verse of the Bible, “Amen. Even so, come, Lord Jesus!” [3]

Our Lord Jesus Christ has scheduled a day to right the wrongs of this world. Even to right the wrongs of us His people. We all have sinned. For us who believe in Him, whose sins He has forgiven, He will completely transform us from sinners into saints. We will sin no more. We will live with Him forever and enjoy love, peace, and joy. All this thanks to what the last verse of the Bible speaks about, namely, grace.

“The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you all. Amen.” [4]

[1] 2 Samuel 11:14-15
[2] 2 Samuel 12:1-4
[3] Revelation 22:20
[4] Revelation 22:21