It is so hot now in North Carolina. We have had four days of record-setting heat. I thank God for air-conditioning. Whoever invented the concept, God bless you! While I was soaking in the air-conditioning last evening to get some relief from this heat, I began thinking back to the Biblical days – pre-A/C, and I landed on Bathsheba.

I wonder what Bathsheba was thinking on the evening that she was spotted bathing on the rooftop. It was a normal occurrence for her following her monthly period – she was engaging in ritual cleansing . Was she able to relax and enjoy the cool breeze or the soothing water as it flowed across her body, or was her mind on her valiant and seasoned husband who was now at war? What was on Bathsheba’s mind that evening when King David caught a glimpse of her?

I wonder what Bathsheba was thinking when, ruled by his lustful desires, King David sent for her? She was a married woman who now, must obey the commands of a King who had no intention of honoring her marriage, but instead focused on satisfying his own flesh. I wonder what Bathsheba was thinking the very moment she found out that she was now carrying the seed of King David.

I wonder what Bathsheba was thinking when the news that her husband had been killed reached her. Did she suspect the King as she grieved? Did she desire to marry King David? After Uriah had been murdered, King David claimed Bathsheba as his wife and her child as his very own – of course.

It seems to me, that although the facts relating to this incident are clear, what is not as clear is what Bathsheba was thinking. Some see her as a seductress and some see her as an innocent victim – an innocent lamb as in the story given by Nathan, the prophet.

I do not believe that Bathsheba was in any position to stand up for herself. I do not believe that she could have denied the King. But, I do wonder what she was thinking as a very simple act of cleansing turned into infidelity and death – tragedy for both her husband and her first-born son. What do you think?