How I Heard the David & Bathsheba Story Growing Up in Church

#Voices of CCLB: Rebekah Martinek-Williams

When Uriah’s wife heard that her husband was dead, she mourned for him. - 2 Samuel 11:26

In the story of Bathsheba we hear about the horrific rape that she endures and the devastating lengths that David will go to cover up his own sin. What sticks out for me is that she is called Uriah’s wife as if her own personal identity didn’t matter. The story reminds me that the long history of sexual abuse of men in power goes back to the days of David, three thousand years ago.

Growing up in church I have heard the story of Bathsheba and David dozens of times and the focus was always on David and his own spiritual redemption and not the pain and suffering of Bathsheba. This calls me back to the #MeToo campaign that was started by activist Tarana Burke who has explained that the purpose of this movement wasn’t to call out the aggressors, but to put the focus back on the victims. It calls us to not focus on what will happen to these powerful men that have now been called out, but rather how do we care for the neglected survivors to provide them resources for healing.

I often wonder who cared for Bathsheba during this time? Were there any resources available to her so she could process the trauma that she underwent? Why is the focus on David’s redemption and not how she survived her trauma and didn’t allow herself to be victimized? And how can we step up in new and healthy ways now to prevent these situations and to stand with those who have been harmed?